The What Podcast 69 Days to Bonnaroo Season 5, Episode 10 Published April 13, 2022 https://beta.thewhatpodcast.com/episode/69-days-to-bonnaroo The what Podcast, which bands this year that matter Brad and Barry Courter Lord Taco and Brad, not only only a week away from Coachella, but how many days away from sitting on your lap in a hotel bath? What stands out in all this holiday season and more than one guest? 69 Nice to see you guys. I can't believe I get to see your faces in person the gangs all together Yeah, do we do like like a air hug or something? What do we do? We don't like to touch I don't like that. I don't want to touch no touching no learning. That's my theory and that's right. That's right Now why are we here together today? Well, I'm glad you brought it up. Wait a second Russ Why does he have a nicer mic than us? Because I'm special a second So unfair is your chair taller too Can be this is really I don't like anything about this. Yeah well it's okay because I was gonna brag on you because the reason we're here is because you're on your way to a new job and I Wanted to point out to all the kids out there and people with dreams that You can make it in radio doing weather and sports. Yeah and traffic updates You can fail at every level of your job and still get ahead failing up Yeah, so New Orleans is incredible It's my favorite city in the world and it's going to be the place where we end up in fact I mean even driving driving up here. We were still looking at houses to buy So New Orleans is going to be the place for us, but you know I got this incredibly Amazing once in a lifetime opportunity to basically be a brand manager of three radio stations One of which is in New York City and my industry. There's just not a there's not a bigger job There's not a bigger job in the world than doing in my industry than doing radio in New York City, so When you get something like that you get an opportunity like that. It's a life and game career changer So I don't really as much as it hurts to leave New Orleans because we love it so much Not taking this would be one of the stupidest things I've ever done. Yeah, you have to and I don't know about you Russ well, I do know because you've been down there, but I don't you can't see it here It's in in the other room, but I now have a map with pins of all the places. I've not visited you. That's fantastic Fantastic yeah, yeah, I got to put another pin it well early enough. You can put Chattanooga on there That's right. That's right. I've never been to wringo Yeah, it's it you won't be able to see the map It does sort of feel like Christmas every time we come here because we always got to go to dad's house So we always got a homecoming we got to pet the cat we got to ask how the fireplace is doing You know have you made any adjustments to the house? Where's my how's my room doing? Yeah, it's good for us, too, because this is the only time it gets clean. You know when companies coming Thanks boy what a job you did It's usually not this neat I See one bit of Lysol, and that's about it. Yeah, I did that's just for show, too How do you not keep this thing from being one big dust cloud? You've got so much stuff in here I mean if you could like spin the camera around and see like the collectibles you have how do you not just collect nothing? But dust in here. That's what's keeping it together. I yeah, it's awful. It's embarrassing. It's No, it's not embarrassing. I think it's it's it's something to celebrate how in my house everything is covered in it It's because I have dogs that well. Yeah, we have cats and we have a cat I do clean and I I start at one end When you get into the southern end and yeah, they're this this room Uh-huh now we're remodeling the other side of this downstairs, so that's why I told you how's the house? How's the remodel? Look like started 25 years ago and Just when we left the house someday Yeah, when you kids moved out started that yeah it's It's a work in progress. Well. I'm just happy to see you guys anyway. What's what about you guys's life? What have you guys been doing? I mean, I don't really have a point of the show today other than just hanging out. Yeah That's I got nothing Went to a show last night stop it. I did wait last what last night. I was out to win 1015 oh my god Early yeah, I was good at that hello Chattanooga and your closes in fact when I when I left I thought This is perfect because it's classic three songs gotta go. Yeah, I saw five man Whiskey Myers, I am I'm stunned by all of this first and foremost. Why did you go out? There were some people in town that I went to see it was actually a business meeting Well, it was a concert so you'll go see them at night, but you won't hang out with us at night Yeah, I was gonna say where was my invite. Yeah, it was last minute. I should have invited you I have to say I was at Memorial Auditorium and it's incredible what they've done to that place I know, you know, it's Chattanooga centric, but It's pretty cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Well, I mean everything's cool to somebody who's never seen anything It's so big Yeah Dated her once This is what this looks like. Yeah, so so you went to see a show dad went out Taco house house life with you Yeah, this is this is bugapalooza weekend for us big happy bugapalooza Big Volkswagen show swap meet camp out. That's where I'll be this weekend Well, I mean if we're a week away from Coachella There's the the Coachella information that came out that I don't know if anybody's really that interested in weekend and Swedish House Mafia Take over for Kanye who? whether is his decision or not, he's not doing Coachella and The only thing that struck me about the Coachella stuff was how quickly they just have Superstars just ready to go, you know, and it's not a knock on Bonnarooo. It's just a harder. It's a harder putt There's it's a harder way. It's a harder thing to do to get somebody to get to Nashville on a whim With a stage show then in you know, 30 miles from LA Well, it's part of what I was talking about last night was basically industry people and we were talking about Coachella and festivals in general and the changes that we've seen Since we've been doing this and in the last 15 years as you've said many many times Coachella has a ton of money And can do a whole lot of things That some others can't but the real conversation was just how Things have changed like a lot of festivals. It was pointed out or two days now and Bonnarooo has added a day or two really if you you know if we were getting there Wednesday night now We're supposed to get there Tuesday At the day and a half depending on when you get there. I mean who can do that. I know I mean He's already backed When you have a car for a house it's a lot easier It's just like even last year. I've been I've been reflecting a lot on especially the cancellation and then the reschedule and the amount of work it was going to take for me to do it even from New Orleans and How in the world am I going to do that now from New York? It's one thing to do a couple of days I don't know how these kids I think of I think of the ham kids How in the world do they get a week where they just say okay? I'll be gone from Monday to Wednesday I have already planned for my year next year Thursday to Wednesday from Mardi Gras hmm I mean yeah, if I do another week of vacation for Bonnarooo, that's that I'm done for the year, and I'm just How does anyone regularly do that? And this is the first time I'm really ever having to talk about like basic problems like this that Listener of this podcast has dealt with for year after year after year. Yeah, reality Yeah, you don't live an hour from the farm anymore, so it's it's it's an event to get down there Just just the trip itself. Yeah, I mean even for even for Barry who you know you can work remotely Yes, but can you spend eight days on that farm? Workwise or physically or both yeah, yeah workwise I could yeah, I can do Everything from there that I can do here I'm actually considering driving up and back. You know at least a couple of those days Which we can do Because we're so close But yeah the idea I was thinking about that this last night You know we started going on Wednesdays Because of the media day, and that was a big move for us huge because I was thinking about a big move for us huge because I mean at the time I was still a little iffy about you know Not showering sure and heat exactly right that's exactly right now. You've added a whole nother day which Really think about it. That's Tuesday Wednesday Thursday because things don't start till 3. This is how a calendar works. I'm not I think that's right. That's three right? Well, but I'm just saying that so When we would get there on Wednesday night It was great because we would rush and get everything set up, and then we could relax Thursday for things to start on Thursday Now you've got a camp basically with no Entertainment mm-hmm other than the Wednesday night thing that robust guys are planning or some of that Yeah, they've got a big thing Wednesday night plan overnight camping two nights would be camping for me You know that's a big weekend, and that's on top of the festival So it's a pretty so where every other festival is is going in one direction Bonnarooo is going in the other and maybe there's a really good Maybe that's a bonus for Bonnarooo Maybe that's something that actually makes them unique and the the special experience that it is But I wonder if you're doing the math and if you're you know a c3 or a live nation Asking the question. What does it look financially if we just turn this into a three-day? You know two night event all of a sudden maybe Maybe the conversation changes. I don't know you know they're having that conversation Oh, absolutely, you know they they know by the penny what these things are gonna. Give them Well, that's the other thing that now they have to staff all of that you know So there there's a lot to it the reason they're doing it clearly is the parking the Bottleneck you know this is their solution to help get everybody inside the festival right right? Yeah, added another day and stagger the entrance. That's exactly what it is and You know we've seen in the news just this week There's some conversations going on with the state and the city and the county about well That's I want to get to that because I because I'm not smart enough to understand that so you're gonna have to explain all of That to me, but first Have we heard anything about Coachella's ticket sales has Coachella sold out I? I haven't I have not heard have you heard of any festival saying that they've sold out no no yeah, okay? It makes me start to wonder because we had this conversation a couple of months ago when we get through The first festival season out of kovat What does it look like afterwards and who was the one that succeeded who are the ones that failed? I really don't know Anything about the ticket sales when it comes to any of these festivals. I wonder how well it's doing my Thought and again as part of the conversation last night is Because we've all been basically you know shut down for three years It feels like a reset you know everybody wants to have a festival. There's a bunch of them out there It sounds so Great lineups. You know here and there they are as we've talked about some of them are figuring out their lanes They're the boutiques There's that which ones survive and which ones are successful Which ones the crowds are choosing that was sort of a conversation that we had with several people last night is You know Bonnarooo was There were only a few and it proved that people would camp and then we've seen the the boutique ones For people who don't want to camp who want something closer to home well, the only one that I can point to that has been The overwhelming darling in the success story of the year was when we were young it was so successful in the first day They added a second day, and it was so successful adding a second day. They had a second weekend, so You know but at the same time that festival is highly specific with every band that they they put on there So and it was a market that had not been tapped in a very long time so other than that I don't really know how anyone's doing yeah It may be you know line up to Dependent, but you know something tells me that it's in my gut I just don't know if it's the lineup or if it's about our appetite for these things anymore and I wonder if and I may be pontificating way too large and we being a tad obtuse about this, but there's just something in this it makes me feel as though the festival world is starting to lose its Lose its oomph yeah, maybe because there's too many of them. Maybe because they've been nationalized and corporatized And the ones that are really small and specific and and and homemade they're the ones that are succeeding I don't know. I really don't know yeah, you were shaking your head It's well it's hard to get excited about a festival because we've had so many years of cancellations And you know false starts and postponements that you know now you're like I don't want to get invested in something that's just gonna end up not happening again Until until we have several that I don't know I've dated before so I Something always brings you back isn't there? Until then we have some of all that are successful It's gonna be hard to get back into the rhythm of oh, I'm excited for this and I'm gonna plan for it And put all my energy well I mean I know Russ's answer about this, but what is the excitement level for? Bonnarooo right now on a one to ten for Barry one to ten Barry's how many given it? Six really okay Really okay, well now I'm stunned now To be excited, but I just you know yeah after after 2021 were you okay? So you're middle of the pack now, but were you middle of the pack in 2019? Oh? I know I was At this point of the 69 days out. Oh, yeah, okay. Yeah, that yeah 2019 and going into 20 I was a 9 or 10. I was there was no question no hesitation Part of it is as Russ said we've had not a part of it is as Russ just said the two years there's a little bit of Loss of trust a little bit of uncertainty we even said last year They made changes as they do every year So there's a question of how it's going to impact us personally Which is always huge we you know we've been spoiled we know it And we can we can complain and bitch if we don't get our way I mean You know we're gonna If we don't get what we're used to I'm not saying that because if I said I would be murdered I would be strung up on the street. No, it's the truth But the other thing and Jeff quay are pointed it out when we had him on the show a couple of weeks ago We're all getting older You know our expectations of comfort levels and all of that have changed well I mean, I think this is highly personal I'm but the general the general public and the overall age demographic of these festivals. They're not getting older They're saying exactly the same or getting younger, so I mean that's a that's a in the bubble sort of Argument, I think you and I are getting older so our excitement level is changing But that demographic is big enough to matter I mean worried about just this three there. I know I don't I don't I just I don't think I agree with that this demographic may Be a big one, but the demographic under us is just as big and they have it Are they going are they gonna go for seven or six days? Has it become the right of path is it still the right of passage that it was even three or four years ago? Is a question or has it been replaced with other festivals that have? you know the lineup that the the that age group whatever that age group wants or you know EDM specific the boutique things, you know, there are so many festivals that people can pick and choose and The reality is Bon Root is a camping festival. That's now Six days five at minimum and as you said a minute ago Not everybody can do that. I guess I guess a point you're right, but you back to the Jeff Quay are thing if you Sidebar if you haven't listened to the chat that we had with Jeff Quay are a couple of weeks ago Please go back and listen to that because it's so well done for him. Not I hadn't done Has nothing with us, but he's just such an incredibly great and gifted communicator and he gets things so clearly to you and Especially the back half of that conversation where he talks a lot about Bonnaroo and festivals in general was really really important And and it makes me it informs my initial opinion which could change but I wonder if because of What we've gone through the last two years. Maybe we're looking for something a little different and maybe this is become Festival life, maybe the festivals have become a VCR It's become a little bit of a relic of the past and we're all trying to find something a little bit more different and if we are looking for the Demographic below you and I what am I talking about below me and Russ? Then the still breathing I like to call them the marriage They're they're basically all the kids getting married right now. Yeah, you know, you know a group of that group of years Where's like they're out of college 34 or it's like every it's festive. It's wedding season every year You've got from 25 to 34. It's like constant weddings. Yeah though that group I Wonder if that group desires something so much more different than this relic of a festival life It's a good question. I mean, you're right like my my son probably Has gone to 35 weddings since he graduated college easily some he's in some he's not some are out of town It it's not cheap. I I'll go back to what I said earlier this year feels like a reset kind of year to your point So you think it's just a blip? He thinks it's I think well, I think they're gonna have to figure something out Yeah, and I think part of it is there's this desire by everybody to get out, you know and have fun again And that's part of why we're seeing all these festivals and all these great lineups the bands want to get out How many of them? survive You know, we're gonna we'll see I don't know. I I don't want to predict and I'm not saying Bonnarooo is in trouble Anything like that. We still I still love it. You know, I know there are people who are planning just like they always do robust folks like we heard from Kevin or I did from Camp Reddaroo Camp Reddaroo the beer exchange is planned. They've got huge plans. I mean, it's still very much Yeah, there's a big portion that they're just ready to fall right back into it and get back into the right normal swing It's just are the are there gonna be as many people also when they open up those bathrooms Why didn't they throw a rave on top of the bathroom? You know put a DJ on top of the bathroom and they first opened them as like a celebratory thing I've never figured out you're thinking out of the box. Yeah Have we heard anything about those Plaza experiences yet? You have to please understand I hate to be a host of a podcast about Festivals and not know anything about what's going on the festival Please understand my life has been a complete whirlwind over the last few months So I know nothing that's been going on. So everything that you tell me is going to be brand new to me How many messages that gone by in our text thread, but I just have not seen yeah that traffic and weather that'll keep you Hey keeps you employed for a long time keeps you busy. Mm-hmm They have that they released a whole lot of late night stuff for the plazas Oh really, I don't recognize any name. Okay. Well, I don't come to you for my late night recommendations Barry late night for various There was a golden buffet golden corral buffet, maybe I'd come to you for my lineup Examination we have sweet potatoes And we have scalloped potatoes get there early it's cheaper My headliner tonight's a dehumidifier gotta get that early bird Well, I mean you tell me how many of those names you recognize not a single one. Well, okay Air zirth air tour you're making me read this cuz you can't see it. I know That's not true. I know you look at these and tell me what I do recognize one. I see DJ Mel turnpike troubadours I'm a DJ Was that oh, wait a second. I've there's a lot of Obama DJs Well, look how many though that's the other thing I mean you could you can that's a festival lineup exactly You could almost never leave. I know we were looking at a pic, but I need you to tell me who it is Well, does Russ need to read it? No, I can read it. No, seriously You don't need to tell me if you can tell me you can be vulnerable if you can't well I mean, there's it's a it's every night If the lineup is as big as the main lineup, I mean you read them all Brett Douglas flatland Calvary, I mean tell me when you hear a name you recognize Be here for a while mother funk. Okay, so let me say this So this is this is the lineup that they're just doing for this is not like the place It's not like the Plaza stuff where you would see a Haley from Paramore show. This is plazas. This is the Plaza schedules. Oh That's not even late night that so and they released the who stage stuff, too So is anybody I know they're Bree Kennedy did what she wouldn't want one of our no, no Sawyer You're just saying words. I am I'm just tell me when you recognize a name the wax owls See you're just making up Wayne Coakley this is the this is the Bonnarooo. What is that game that we played where I made up? No, that's no when you made it I think I see a few names on there. I probably dated Parrotfish that's not a real band name. That's not real It's right there I'm not I don't mean to make light of these guys good for them. They're getting opportunity play I'm my point if anything is Like you just said why you could never go into center route But I thought that the Plaza had always there was a name or two that you could always like point as like oh What was it? What is that that awful band from Nashville that? Yeah, that it's a two-person the But doses and mimosas people those kids they were on there one year the next year is Haley from Paramore There's always a name out there like the cage the elephant did a pop-up private show or not private show But a pop-up surprise show out there They did and Haley was in there because she curated one of the plazas so they haven't so we don't have a Specially curated Plaza from an artist. I don't think so okay. Well. They haven't announced all those I mean there they list late night sets dance parties parades, and they're gonna bring back the parades and secret shows okay, so So there's still more to come yeah, okay? Well then that makes me feel a bit better Yeah, and I apologize if you already have heard all of this I'm sorry, but I don't know anything that's going on so you I'm learning this all the first Williams or somebody like that you know in their back pocket. They're not gonna announce it in the forefront well Yeah, I mean it depends on ticket sales. Yeah If ticket sales are slow let's try and find somebody pretty quick Jack Johnson all of a sudden is playing the Seven quarter what is it called? What are the pods called? What was your pod called out there? Other plazas in pod to this is your first time going yeah I'm excited for you. This is brand new for you. I'm really I have lost a lot of bandwidth of the So I did for you. Thanks buddy appreciates my first day so the the the the Plaza schedules out the The late night shows are out there was another thing that you just oh the how about the the late night schedule in In actual what stage which stage the other stage is that out? No, they haven't announced the bands. They're gonna be playing late at night. We haven't seen that yet I don't think so no I think I know Moon River comes out next Tuesday. That's different festival I know it is but same people is what I'm saying I Know they've told me when that schedule comes out, but I don't remember Bonnaroo's I haven't seen it I have not yeah, okay all right, so we don't know the only thing that I Huh? Well, that's what no that's when they actually put the schedule So that's what I'm saying, but I thought they would have announced at least who's playing late night like Years like give me the give me the give me the stem for a second like for instance We know for a fact that a lineum is gonna be an app like yes one o'clock in the morning Which stage act right we know that for that's it okay, so that's what I was talking. Yeah, I'm sorry That's exactly what I'm looking for so on Friday King Gitzer and lizard Where's is is you know probably a witch or this tent right? The goose is probably a that tent Denzel Curry You know you're over there on a tent a lineum you think they put them on the other or you think they put them late night which That's what I'm gonna switch that's the that's the conversation right so Flume do they put flu mark ruble a or however the hell you say his last name him on the witch would be incredible But it's gonna be a tent show for sure right Pigeons playing ping-pong that's a that's a tent show no Sunday night, huh, right? I guess we're done after Yeah, what's her name all right? interesting Yeah, see this is the other thing Thursday. I thought there would be a little bit more Late night stuff than that there's got to be more to be announced here, right? There's more than five late night shows on Friday. Am I wrong to assume that? Sounds about right really But again, we don't know what all is going on in the plazas. Oh, yeah good point. You know Okay, I I was thinking you know we always make our schedules when it comes out We all that we all have to do is we have to do is we have to do is We all that we all spend all these days leading up to it. It's so many choices now. I can't even imagine trying to Say I'm gonna do this. Well. Do we want to put out? Do we want to put out our mock schedule? Well, do we all want to take a yeah? Well we gotta get we got to get stoned to do it Just so you know we can I love getting stoned make make fun of him because oh see how long it is Oh Brian Brian sure wanted us just generally to get stoned no laminate mr. Laminate we got to get him to do his laminated schedule, so that's what we'll do. We'll do a fill-in-the-blank We'll make our own schedule and see who gets closest Yeah, so we can then go through it and you can point out and say Brian. He's not even on the schedule He's dead now. Yeah, it's just nothing but Pink Floyd cover band You know Pearl Jam sure yeah in my car in my car sing along to the shins Get high and this whole time is blocked out. Yeah, me and my car listening to jam me with some Blue haired girl yeah sure I get it so let's do that and by the way speaking of do it We got the winner right you guys talked to the winner. Yes. Yeah, Dave was it David Grimes. Oh, yeah, David Grimes What about what about grimy? How's he? He's doing great That was a good. Who is the he was the one where you looked very svelte. Yeah, he nailed it. He nailed it. Yeah Yeah, the only thing he could have done better was send cash was that though by the way We're not opposed to being bribed entirely for whatever you need By the it so was that the one where in the background there was a there was a picture of the stage and on the sign I said a baby no no I like that one. I like that one a lot. I thought they were all great They honestly every single one was you know, baby and They all got gift packages this week and the mail actually it took only about three days I've already seen pictures of what did everybody get? Oh, yeah, send us pictures if you're wearing everybody got a shirt lovely t-shirt and a sticker and a koozie Okay, good. Yeah, do we have more like gear that we're gonna. I mean you know you should do I have an idea if You write us And then send us something send us anything you want Barry will send you something from this room And you can start clearing out some shit man There's a lot of good stuff in here. There's a signed Elvis poster over there. You could be winning a Yeah, you just endeared yourself to my wife Yeah, like I needed to yeah, yes, yeah send me a self-addressed and you might get a lamp You might be and it may or may not work There's trophies Okay, hang on oh wait remember I said that about dust I lied if you're watching this on video look at that look at that dust look at that there you go yeah By the way, there's no returns on anything no no no no no returns. It's yours to keep yours player of the week 2006 I guarantee you on the first one to pick this up since 2006 since I put it in that spot you put it right here. Yeah, there's my signed Autograph photos of Oprah and Reggie white Oprah really you can win a signed autograph photo Yeah from Oprah this seems like a really great contest guys So how do we how do we enter this Incredible contest that's going to change lives forever all I need is an address Yeah, I can't send the lamp you're gonna have to pay for the lamp shit because that's expensive, okay? And along the way you'll probably get a sticker and a koozie too. Yes. Yes Yeah, we've got plenty of t-shirts and do you want to set up like a a Patreon so that you can least get shipping cut it cost covered You know I don't know if you saw last week's episode where we had David Grimes on but you know what I'm gonna Let you guess the answer that I I bragged on taco and our website our top our website looks amazing Oh, yeah, it does. They've done a great job And I bring that up because there's a merch with a link if you want a t-shirt or a koozie or I've got a few Stickers about this you buy something from the merch Site and Barry throws in something from this house along with it you get a personal item along with your like that yeah, it could be it could be a CD of the Ozark Mountain daredevils The car over the lake album. Oh nice. You know I'm really getting into CDs. I am getting the CDs lately. Yeah You might expect to pay Upwards of a hundred dollars. Oh my god. You could do one of the order now What was that thing that we did as a kid not you but what was that thing that we did as a kid where we? You signed up you got 30 CDs for 20 cents. Oh, yeah, Columbia Columbia. That's where a lot of these came from 2022 Columbia house is quarters house so make first eight or are free And then you're committed That is it we create a thing where you get a shipment from Barry's house every month You know what else month I love it you get a new CD or or something from his house every month You know what else we have still are mix tapes We do have some we do have a lot of mix tapes like times tapes and I can record more if there's demand Yeah, so by sign up and buy a shirt. Yeah You'll be amazed at what you get. Yeah, you know what you could you could be going home With Terry Bradshaw's book. It's only a game. It's a good book. It's a good book Can't get rid of that All right, so there you go. That's our next contest sign up today the what podcast.com anything else when you get to today guys Back that I can think of I'm just happy to see you. Yeah All right, wish luck wish you luck in New York boy. We'll see Moving to the big I don't envy you. This is like babe to Because it goes to the big city goes to New York Of all the you know sequel is like oh It's like they take the character and go to the big city Home alone twos lost in New York babe to is in the big Of all the movies that are set in New York your face when he said that or taco chose baby to Is it because it is was it a baby or a babe? No babe that was a pig was a oh god Yeah, well look who's talking to said in New York see some babies This is a thing every sequel is like a moves in the big city type babe to I bet I do Bet I do So sit you know what you might get sit by we're in the live stream watching babe to you might get some VCR tapes recorded by Kelly's dad of this view of the family matlock episode You got any Rockford files Manic you know we've been watching manic is terrible. It's not as good as I remember But you know it does hold up when you watch it babe to Holds up all right, it's what podcasts will talk to you about random shit next week