The What Podcast

Barry Courter and Bryan Stone
  • 4.9 (295)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Bonnaroo is more than just a festival, and The What Podcast is your backstage pass to the stories, secrets, and the magic that makes it so legendary. Hosted by two entertainment industry veterans, each week Barry and Bryan will take you deep into festival culture, live music, and behind-the-scenes stories. Since 2018, we've connected with passionate music fans worldwide, sharing personal experiences, expert insights, and exclusive interviews with the musicians and industry insiders who make festivals happen. Whether you're a Bonnaroo veteran or a first-timer, subscribe now to stay in the loop on everything that makes music festivals unforgettable.

  1. 1d ago

    Billy Strings Reopens Chattanooga's Restored Tivoli Theatre

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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.

    Billy Strings Reopens Chattanooga's Restored Tivoli Theatre

  2. Oct 14

    CaveFest 2026 Recap: Live From The Caverns

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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

  3. Oct 7

    Bourbon & Beyond 2026 Recap From Two Festival Veterans

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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

  4. Sep 30

    The Musician Who Plays Mushrooms

    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! ______ (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) ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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

  5. Sep 23

    We Got Evacuated at Shaky Knees 2026

    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 ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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

  6. Sep 16

    Inside Bumbershoot: Where Music Meets DIY Art (and Wrestling)

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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)

  7. Sep 9

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

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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

  8. Sep 2

    After Bonnaroo: How to Choose Your Next Festival

    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! ______ (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 ______ 🎧 LISTEN LINKS Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com Spotify: https://thewhat.co/spotify Apple Podcasts: https://thewhat.co/applepodcasts YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic 📱 SOCIAL LINKS Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewhatpodcast X: https://x.com/thewhat_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhatpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhatpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhatpodcast 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
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About

Bonnaroo is more than just a festival, and The What Podcast is your backstage pass to the stories, secrets, and the magic that makes it so legendary. Hosted by two entertainment industry veterans, each week Barry and Bryan will take you deep into festival culture, live music, and behind-the-scenes stories. Since 2018, we've connected with passionate music fans worldwide, sharing personal experiences, expert insights, and exclusive interviews with the musicians and industry insiders who make festivals happen. Whether you're a Bonnaroo veteran or a first-timer, subscribe now to stay in the loop on everything that makes music festivals unforgettable.

Information

  • Creator
    Barry Courter and Bryan Stone
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    318
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Barry Courter and Bryan Stone
  • Show Website
    The What Podcast

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