The What Podcast

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IBMA Red Carpet 2026: Is Bluegrass Getting Younger? Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

Is Bluegrass getting younger? We walked the IBMA red carpet in Chattanooga and asked the players who would know: James Kee of East Nash Grass, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Molly Tuttle, and Sierra Hull. The same theme kept coming up: a new generation is stepping in, and the people who came up before them are passing the torch.

Barry Courter, Bryan Stone and Russ also look back at last week's Billy Strings reopening of the Tivoli and what it says about where the music is headed.

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Intro: IBMA in Chattanooga

(05:01) Live from the Red Carpet

(14:06) James Kee, East Nash Grass

(20:12) Darin & Brooke Aldridge

(23:34) Molly Tuttle

(26:50) Sierra Hull

(32:19) Wrap-up

(35:46) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns

Billy Strings Reopens Chattanooga's Restored Tivoli Theatre

Billy Strings 10/20/26 Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga, TN

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We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

Billy Strings Reopens Chattanooga's Restored Tivoli Theatre Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Billy Strings is reopening the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, a 105-year-old landmark that just finished a $75 million restoration. We sat down with Nick Wilkinson of the Tivoli Foundation to find out how it happened, why a city spends that kind of money on a theater, and how the live music business really works.

Billy plays two nights at the Tivoli (Oct. 20 and 21) in a room of about 1,600 seats, during IBMA week. Nick explains how the reopening came together, how the ticket lottery works, why tickets can't be transferred, and how the free block party outside works, with the show projected on giant LED screens outside the venue.

Then we get into the bigger picture: why it took so long, who paid for it, why touring is now how artists make a living, the "no runny eggs" rule that keeps big acts coming back, how Live Nation and Ticketmaster fit in, where ticket fees actually go, and what's next for concerts in Chattanooga.

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Intro

(03:07) Interview: Nick Wilkinson, Tivoli Foundation

(04:12) Billy Strings and the Tivoli reopening

(11:28) Why the renovation took so long

(23:52) The music industry, no runny eggs and Live Nation

(44:44) Takeaways and festival news

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns

Tivoli Theatre Foundation

Saving Moon River: How the Festival Overcame a Sunday Rainout

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Live from The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, we recap CaveFest 2026 with our ticket winner, plus the venue, the music, and the camping.

Barry and Russ are joined by Bryan, back on the show after a couple of months, our bicoastal correspondent Elizabeth Thorpe, who flew in from Washington State for her third CaveFest, and Abby, the fan who won our ticket giveaway and is at her very first CaveFest!

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Hurricane Weekend at CaveFest

(03:37) Our Ticket Winner's First CaveFest

(06:03) The Caverns: Storm, Grounds & Vibe

(15:21) The Music, the Crowd & Camp Spirit

(23:00) Up Next: IBMA World of Bluegrass & Wrap-Up

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

How The Caverns Became Tennessee's Premier Music Destination

Instagram: @ethorpephoto

The Musician Who Plays Mushrooms

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

Bourbon & Beyond 2026 Recap From Two Festival Veterans Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Two festival veterans break down Bourbon & Beyond 2026 in Louisville: the crowd, the hotels, the VIP setup, the beer prices, and the weather.

Barry and Russ are joined by our senior and junior correspondents, Trevin Bernarding and David Champion, who go to several festivals every year. They review the festival from the gate to the stage, then compare it with the rest of the circuit and look ahead to 2027.

In this episode:

- What Bourbon & Beyond is like: an older crowd, lots of guitars, no DJ sets

- The hotel rule that surprised them, plus VIP and general admission

- The amusement park, festival beer prices, and "And Beyond" branding

- How cancellations, evacuations, and weather shape their festival plans

- Their best tips for first-timers and how they find new bands

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Intro

(03:12) Bourbon & Beyond 2026 Recap

(18:51) Hotels, VIP & Festival Comforts

(26:48) Planning 2027 & the State of Festivals

(38:20) Best Tips & Festival Discoveries

(46:01) Outro

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

The Musician Who Plays Mushrooms Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

How do you play a mushroom? This week we're joined by Tarun Nayar of Modern Biology, a Vancouver-based musician who uses bioelectric signals from mushrooms, plants, and other living organisms to create music. Using custom-built devices and synthesizers, Tarun translates biological activity into musical information, creating performances that blend science, technology, improvisation, and art.

We talk about how he discovered plant and mushroom sonification during the pandemic, the history of bioelectric music, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp's influence on generative music, and what we can expect when he performs in a cave at CaveFest next month. (get tickets here!)

Plus we catch up with Abby, the winner of our CaveFest ticket giveaway: a recent festival-goer who has several Bonnaroos and Shaky Knees under her belt, and will now be a first-time CaveFest camper! Abby shares her festival journey and why she's excited for her next adventure at The Caverns.

Finally, we preview some upcoming festival coverage in the coming weeks, and try to get to the bottom of why so many festivals this year are getting cancelled or disrupted because of weather.

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Music made from mushrooms?

(04:08) Modern Biology's Tarun Nayar

(24:22) Abby's Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees & CaveFest journey

(36:50) Bourbon & Beyond and CaveFest preview

(38:15) Why festivals keep getting cancelled

(40:04) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Modern Biology LIVE @ Indian Summer Festival

@modernbiology101 on Instagram

Get Tickets to CaveFest Here

Fripp & Eno - A Radical Representative Of Pinsnip - Paris (1975)

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

We Got Evacuated at Shaky Knees 2026 Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

The rain and heat at Shaky Knees 2026 did not stop Russ from having a good time in Atlanta! We catch up live from the hotel on Saturday morning and then the full recap in this episode: the heat, the lineup, and the Saturday storm and evacuation.

Hear about notable performances from Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., Geese, LCD Soundsystem, and Gorillaz who closed the fest out Sunday night, plus what it was like riding out the evacuation in downtown Atlanta.

Then we're joined by Scott Miller, one of the artists performing next month in October (get tickets here!) for a great conversation about songwriting, his history with The Caverns, and cows.

Headed to Hulaween? Use code THEWHATPODCAST for $20 off a four-day pass. https://thewhat.co/hulaween

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

Thumbnail photo: Roger Ho for Shaky Knees 2026

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(00:00) Intro

(10:19) Shaky Knees Day 1: Checking In From Atlanta

(22:36) Full Shaky Knees 2026 Recap: Heat, Rain & the Lineup

(26:33) Scott Miller Talks Songwriting and Cows

(43:37) Outro

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

Inside Bumbershoot: Where Music Meets DIY Art (and Wrestling) Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Our bicoastal correspondent Elizabeth Thorpe is back, and this time she's breaking down Bumbershoot, the Seattle festival where music meets DIY art, animation, a fashion district, roller derby, and yes, actual wrestling.

Beth walks us through all of Bumbershoot: the lineup (Death Cab for Cutie, Turnstile, De La Soul, Bikini Kill, Orville Peck), what makes a city festival different from a camping one, and the outsider-arts culture that Bumbershoot still preserves, the same DIY spirit that gave rise to grunge. Plus, a look ahead to CaveFest (camping tips and what's new), a Shaky Knees preview, Hulaween, and some Chattanooga artists who just landed an NPR Tiny Desk concert.

We're giving away two tickets to CaveFest at The Caverns (October 10–11, camping included)! Details: https://thewhat.co/giveaway

If you don't win, get tickets to CaveFest here!

Headed to Hulaween? Use code THEWHATPODCAST for $20 off a four-day pass. https://thewhat.co/hulaween

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Beth's Back

(01:09) Win 2 Tickets to CaveFest

(02:18) Inside Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival

(26:54) Shaky Knees Preview

(29:04) CaveFest: Camping, Cold Weather & What's New

(46:11) Save $20 on Hulaween Tickets

(47:03) Chattanooga Artists on NPR's Tiny Desk

(48:37) Wrap-Up

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Two Festivals We're Hitting This Fall: Shaky Knees & CaveFest

CaveFest 2026 Ticket Giveaway: How to Enter

@ethorpephoto on Instagram

Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm

How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View

After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival

Get $20 off Hulaween tickets with code THEWHATPODCAST

Mon Rovîa: Tiny Desk Concert

Isaiah Rashad: Tiny Desk Concert

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

Two Festivals We're Hitting This Fall: Shaky Knees & CaveFest Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Bonnaroo may be taking 2027 off, but festival season isn't over. This week Barry and Russ break down the two festivals they're hitting this fall, Shaky Knees in Atlanta and CaveFest at The Caverns, and share their tips for doing each one right.

One's a city festival, one's a camping festival, and they're very different experiences. We get into the Shaky Knees lineup (The Strokes, Turnstile, Fontaines D.C., Twenty One Pilots and more), how to handle a city fest (hotels, getting around, the stages), and what makes CaveFest special — the cave stage, the amphitheater, camping in October, and the lineup up at Pelham. Plus festival news, the Good Friends Music Festival in Manchester, and how we're all still keeping Manchester in our plans.

We're also giving away two tickets to CaveFest at The Caverns (October 10-11, camping included). Details in the episode and at thewhat.co/giveaway.

If you don't win, get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Catching Up + Festival News

(04:04) Good Friends Fest & Manchester

(07:21) CaveFest Ticket Giveaway: How to Win

(09:00) Shaky Knees: The City Festival Guide

(16:43) CaveFest: The Camping Festival Guide

(33:00) What's Coming Up

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm

Good Friends Music Fest

CaveFest 2026 Ticket Giveaway: How to Enter

How The Caverns Became Tennessee's Premier Music Destination

Get CaveFest Tickets Here

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

No Bonnaroo in 2027? Here's how to figure out where to go instead. With Bonnaroo taking a fallow year, a lot of us are asking the same question: what festival do we go to now? So we brought in long-time friend of the show Liesl (@rockstarsweat), a festival superfan who's been to Bonnaroo, Pickathon, Glastonbury, Solid Sound and just about everywhere in between, to talk through how she actually chooses which festivals to attend.

Barry, Russ, and Liesl get into the real decision-making: lineup vs. community vs. cost, how the Glastonbury ticket lottery actually works, the difference between city and camping festivals, and why the fallow year might just open a door to something new. Plus, we open the show remembering Dolly Parton, and why she belonged at Bonnaroo.

Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00) Welcome Back, Liesl

(02:41) Remembering Dolly Parton

(13:12) Bonnaroo's Fallow Year

(16:46) Beyond Bonnaroo: Pickathon, Glastonbury & More

(21:05) How Do You Choose a Festival?

(23:31) How Glastonbury Tickets Actually Work

(27:36) What Bonnaroo's Year Off Means for Fans

(31:07) City Festivals vs. Camping Festivals

(36:40) Festival Bucket Lists

(38:00) CaveFest

(42:17) Festivals We're Hitting Next

(41:23) Going to Festivals Solo

(45:51) Wrap-Up

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

@rockstarsweat on Instagram

Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

Bonnaroo's Cancellation: A City Official on the Long-Term Vision for The Farm Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Bonnaroo is taking 2027 off, and we wanted to dig into what's next. This week we're joined by David Bruce (I Am Bonnaroo) and Ryan French, a Manchester city councilman and tourism official with a front-row seat to what a fallow year actually means for the town Bonnaroo calls home. We get into the economic ripple through Manchester, why Bonnaroo is the "bell cow" for festivals far beyond itself, what a year off does to the local businesses and community that depend on it, and why our guests are hopeful about 2028 and beyond.

Plus, Barry reflects on a full-circle moment: covering Bonnaroo in 2002 as a skeptical newspaper reporter, and getting quoted in Rolling Stone about its future 24 years later.

Get tickets to CaveFest here! Oct 10-11, 2026 at The Caverns

Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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(00:00:00) The News, One Week Later and a Rolling Stone Shoutout

(00:03:19) How We Got Here: From a 2002 "Hippie Fest" to Rolling Stone

(00:20:54) David Bruce & Ryan French Join

(00:27:41) Bonnaroo the "Bell Cow" and What It Means for Other Festivals

(00:35:14) What a Year Off Costs Manchester

(00:49:50) The Community Response and Keeping Bonnaroo Alive

(01:01:08) Looking Forward and Moving Ahead

(01:09:08) Reflecting on Past Cancellations

(01:13:07) Mini-Roos and 2027 Events

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Rolling Stone: Bonnaroo Taking ‘Much-Needed Year Off’ in 2027

Ashley Capps

Force Majeure with Jeff Becker

What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast

Bonnaroo Cancels 2027: Our Live Reaction

Catching Up with I am Bonnaroo Creator David Bruce

Instagram: @iambonnaroo

How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo

totemfnd.org

Bonnaroo's Infamous "Squarch": The Full Story with Tim "Tuba" Smith

The What Podcast theme: "Aquarius" by *repeat repeat, used with permission.
Other music provided by Midist and used with permission.

We love to hear from you! Send us an email at comments@thewhatpodcast.com or call (423) 667-7877 and leave us a voicemail. We might just feature it on the show.

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