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 their tour. At this point, a replacement has not been announced yet. Finally, we look ahead to some upcoming events and the start of the Bonnaroo 2025 rumor season!

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:06:11) What Russ has been up to
(00:10:59) South Star picks
(00:22:55) Warped Tour coming back
(00:24:18) Happy Birthday Barry
(00:26:21) Bryan's trip to NYC
(00:37:47) Bryan's trip to the caverns
(00:39:59) Wrapping up and looking ahead
(00:42:18) Outro

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. We don't think that's likely, despite what other people are reporting. What are our other thoughts on the Bonnaroo lineup for 2025?

We then shift gears and look at the rise of EDM in the festival scene, as jam bands are on the decline. Plus, destination concerts and cruises are here. Would you consider going on a cruise to see your favorite artist perform? Finally, we look ahead at other events like South Star in Huntsville, and Burning Man in Nevada, happening as we speak. And Bryan leaves for NYC soon to see Pearl Jam again.

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:16) Breaking Bonnaroo 2025 News
(00:09:46) Speculating on Bonnaroo 2025
(00:19:20) EDM is up, jam is down
(00:23:18) Future show plans
(00:24:50) Childish Gambino
(00:27:39) Cruise events
(00:38:25) Burning Man
(00:41:44) Bryan headed to NYC
(00:44:52) Outro

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 site selection to ensuring a top-notch fan experience, including amenities like flushable toilets and the walkability of the festival grounds. In addition to South Star, we also talk about his band, Boot Scootin' Boogie Nights, that played Bonnaroo this year.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

Talk Bonnaroo and other festivals with us! Join the Discord

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:06:08) Interview with Cory Smith
(00:43:11) Outro

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 Barry's basement.

Not only was Abbey's first Bonnaroo a success, it gave her a new perspective on life, making it more than just a music festival. Hear her story and her tips for first-timers that will help you max out your experience as well. Plus, Barry, Bryan, and Taco kick things off with the latest festival updates, including the recent soggy experience at Elements Festival in Pennsylvania and what's happening at Outside Lands in California.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

Talk Bonnaroo and other festivals with us! Join the Discord

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:14) Elements Festival
(00:12:14) Friends in a band
(00:17:54) Outside Lands
(00:19:10) Pod Business
(00:21:18) Interview with Abbey
(01:04:37) Outro

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 festival for the next three years, and Bryan and Barry delve into this exciting development for the city. They also explore Huntsville's South Star and discuss some lineup changes at next month's Bourbon and Beyond. Finally, they look ahead to key dates for Bonnaroo 2025.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

Talk Bonnaroo and other festivals with us! Join the Discord

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:27) New Albums
(00:13:27) New bluegrass festival coming to Chattanooga
(00:30:39) Lollapalooza
(00:36:59) Osheaga
(00:40:20) Upcoming lineup changes
(00:45:51) South Star
(00:49:00) Bonnaroo Dates
(00:51:34) Outro

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 Bonnaroo 2024, including GWAR while wearing our Never Not Great t-shirt! Later in the episode, Beth and Bryan reminisce about Woodstock '99 since they both attended 25 years ago.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

Thumbnail photo: Elizabeth Thorpe

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CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:14) GWAR at Bonnaroo
(00:06:20) Interview with Grodius Maximus
(00:11:19) Beth at GWAR
(00:25:02) Beth's Bonnaroo story
(00:42:09) Bryan and Beth
(00:47:40) Woodstock '99
(01:15:34) Favorite Shows
(01:22:49) Outro

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 about what's in store for the future of The What Podcast, and also look back at how the Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival has evolved in its 22-year history from being jam band heavy to what it has become today.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

Thumbnail photo: Evan Brown

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CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro
(05:08) Bryan reflecting on Dead & Co.
(11:42) Taco's weekend
(14:05) Looking at future episodes
(14:23) Bonnaroo's history of adapting
(27:09) Setting up this week's interview
(37:54) Beer Exchange
(49:09) Outro

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 at Bonnaroo 2024. Andrew, Wilson, Jacob, Keegan, and Matty from the band sat down with us and talked about doing their first Bonnaroo.

Listen to this episode of The What Podcast here or watch it on YouTube. Do us a solid and also like, review, and subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you listen.

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CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:12) Contest Update
(00:04:55) Upcoming shows
(00:07:55) Russ went camping again
(00:11:05) Dead & Co. at The Sphere
(00:49:06) Setting up this week's interview
(00:53:49) Happy Landing at Bonnaroo
(01:08:37) Outro