The What Podcast

This week on The What Podcast, we take a field trip to The Caverns in Pelham, TN — a music venue like no other. Located just 20 minutes from Bonnaroo's Farm, The Caverns offers an extraordinary experience, hosting shows underground in a breathtaking cave and on a sprawling outdoor amphitheater. We sit down with Todd Mayo, the visionary behind The Caverns, to uncover its remarkable story. From...

We are still unpacking last week's conversation with Brad and Cory from C3 about what to expect for Bonnaroo 2025. Lots of new information on changes and improvements for next year, and of course we've got to take a guess at who they are hinting at for headliners. In addition to all the Bonnaroo info, we take a look at some of the recent news about When We Were Young Festival, and Chappell...

Could comedy make a comeback at Bonnaroo in 2025? Expanded camping options, or even a two-weekend event? This week on The What Podcast, we dive deep with Bonnaroo insiders Festival Director Brad Parker and Marketing Manager Cory Smith from C3 Presents. They share exclusive insights into what worked in 2024, what fans loved, and the exciting changes planned for 2025. If you're a Bonnaroovian, y...

It's been five years since Exit 111 took place on our beloved Farm in Manchester, featuring heavy-hitting acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard, and Guns N' Roses. Bryan Stone attended with Taco, while Barry made a visit to check it out. The hosts reflect on the festival's surprising gun policy and discuss how things have changed since then. Will Great Stage Park ever host another fest...

We conclude our coverage of South Star 2024 this week with an exclusive peek behind the curtain into how the festival came together in such a short period of time, and the long-term vision the city has for it. Despite the hurricane weather and Sunday's cancellation, the event was a huge success for the city. Matt Mandrella is Huntsville's Music Officer, quite possibly the first person in t...

We continue the South Star Festival conversation this week with Jim Striker, who ran bars and clubs in Chattanooga for over 20 years before getting into music promotion. Jim was there with his wife on Saturday for South Star, and shares his experience rocking out to Tom Morello despite the muddy and rainy weather. Elsewhere in the episode, Bryan Stone tries to get Oasis tickets and we discuss the...

Hurricane Helene has made a big impact on the Southeast, and while we're all grateful to be safe, our weekend took an unexpected turn. The inaugural South Star Festival in Huntsville, AL came and went, but it was shorter and muddier than we had planned. Despite the setbacks, was it worth the trip? After Sunday's cancellation, we sat down with Daniel and Sharla, Evan Bonnaroo, Chloe, and Sh...

It's the week of South Star Music Festival, and Barry and Bryan are gearing up to head to Huntsville, while Russ, unfortunately, has to miss out due to a wedding. To make matters worse, the news that Tom Morello is replacing Jane's Addiction only deepens his FOMO. Thanks to The What Podcast's roving correspondent Trevin, the trio also gets some insight into the Bourbon and Beyond festi...

The What Podcast is back after taking a couple of weeks off! What have we been up to? Find out how Bryan's trip to NYC to see Pearl Jam went, and why Barry is wearing those ridiculous sunglasses. We also take the time to make our picks for South Star Festival, coming up soon in Huntsville, AL. Note that we recorded this before the news broke that Jane's Addiction was cancelling the rest of...

It's "last call" before The What Podcast takes a short break, so the crew gathers to tie up a few loose ends. No special guests, no topics, just Bryan, Barry, and Russ. But first, Barry has a little news to break about the first confirmed booking for Bonnaroo 2025. It's still too early for rumors and speculation, but Childish Gambino is making the rounds as a potential headliner. W...

We take a short break from Bonnaroo this week and finally dive into the upcoming South Star Festival in Huntsville, featuring an exclusive interview with Cory Smith, the marketing manager at C3 Presents. Cory, who has experience working on major festivals like Bonnaroo and Railbird, shares his insights on the challenges and excitement of organizing a new festival. Cory discusses everything from si...

Imagine preparing for your first trip to Bonnaroo, only to have your wristband stolen before it arrives. That’s exactly what happened to our guest this week, Abbey Sugrue. Rather than letting this setback ruin her festival experience, Abbey turned to the Reddit community for help and reached out to The What Podcast for additional advice and we awarded her a package of Bonnaroo memorabilia from Bar...

While Bonnaroo news is light this week, the festival scene up north is buzzing. Lollapalooza lit up Chicago, and Montreal's Osheaga was equally vibrant. The crew is amazed by Chappell Roan's skyrocketing success in the pop world, as she wowed crowds at both festivals alongside artists like Noah Kahan, Green Day, and Reneé Rapp. Closer to home, Chattanooga is set to host a new Bluegrass fes...

There's no band like GWAR and they did Bonnaroo right. From crew sacrifices to tea parties, these intergalactic warriors partied hard and put on an amazing late-night show, complete with their trademark blood. In this episode we debut our interview with their new guitarist Grodius Maximus. Also joining us is our campmate Elizabeth Thorpe, a photographer who got to shoot some amazing sets at Bo...

The Camp Reddaroo Beer Exchange was one of our most anticipated events for Bonnaroo 2024, and this week we are featuring a conversation we had on the Roo Bus about it featuring some guests you are probably familiar with. Daniel, Evan Bonnaroo, Mitchell, Kevin, and EDM Kyle. Also joining us was Romy Bayhack, who works for the festival. With Taco out of town this week, Barry and Bryan also talk abou...

On today's episode of The What Podcast, we take a slight detour from Bonnaroo 2024 discussion and recap recent events. Russ went camping (again), and Bryan Stone flew out to Las Vegas to catch three nights of Dead & Company at The Sphere, plus the Hoover Dam. Bringing things back to Bonnaroo though, we also feature our interview with Happy Landing, who performed on the Who Stage Thursday a...

It's been almost a month, and we are still talking about Bonnaroo 2024. This week, we take a closer look at Post Malone's performance, talk about Russ' camping trip to The Other Farm, and start making plans for next year. This week's guest is Jason Singer of Michigander, who might be the nicest guy in the world. We talked about his first Bonnaroo, writing songs the Nashville way, a...

As soon as Piya, Nya, and Sabrina of Say She She stepped onto The Farm for Bonnaroo 2024, they instantly saw what made the festival so special. After performing to an enthusiastic crowd on Thursday, the trio sat down with Barry, Bryan, and Lord Taco to talk about their performance, their Talking Heads cover, and how they were welcomed to their first Bonnaroo. "I had so many friends tell me the...

Bonnaroo 2024 is officially in the rearview mirror, and for most people, it was an incredible re-affirmation of what makes the festival so special. This week on  The What Podcast , the crew recaps their time on The Farm, giving their thoughts on this year's event. Surprise, surprise... Barry, Lord Taco, and Bryan had an absolutely magic time at Bonnaroo 2024. In fact, they're already makin...

Bonnaroo 2024 has finally arrived!! Many of you might already be on The Farm, while others are just about to head down to Tennessee. This week on  The What Podcast , the crew offers some last minute advice for everyone planning on attending. Picking up where they left off (check out  part one  and  part two ), Barry, Lord Taco, and Bryan provide advice that'll help you ensure you have a fun, s...

Last week on  The What Podcast , the crew offered some crucial advice to those attending Bonnaroo 2024 with a little help from veteran roovians and seasoned listeners. Now, they're back to continue offering wisdom with even more tips and tricks. Listen to the crew go through their Bonnaroo Do's and Don'ts. With Bonnaroo 2024 only a week away, Barry, Lord Taco, and Bryan run through imp...

Bonnaroo 2024 is nearly here, and for even the most experienced of Roovians, the excitement can sometimes come with a healthy heaping of nerves. Luckily,  The What Podcast  is here to help! Listen to the crew go through their Bonnaroo Do's and Don'ts. From what to pack and arrival plans to set up and navigation tactics,  The What  lays out everything Bonnaroo attendees need to know. The ho...

This week on  The What Podcast , Barry shares which acts are on his Bonnaroo 2024 don’t-miss list and which will be “walk bys.” He also explains why the Beer Exchange on Friday is at the top of his list of things to do. The guys go old school, really old school, as Barry shares photos of a 1916 Victrola he's refurbishing, while Lord Taco talks about an old iPod he's brought back to life. B...

Music festival season has officially begun, and  The What Podcast  is here to drink it all up. On this episode, the hosts talk with special guest Kevin Barnes about the official beer collaboration between Camp Reddaroo and Common John Brewery and look ahead to their time on The Farm for Bonnaroo 2024. The What  crew kick off by chatting with Barnes about the Camp Reddaroo beer, which will of cours...

Music festival season has officially begun, and  The What Podcast  is here to soak it all in. On this episode, the hosts run through their experience at Shaky Knees 2024 and look ahead to their time on The Farm for Bonnaroo 2024. The What crew kick off by giving the floor to Bryan, who charts out his ideal itinerary for Bonnaroo 2024. Then, Bryan and Barry check in with Lord Taco in Atlanta to hea...