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The What Podcast

The What Podcast

By: Barry Courter and Bryan Stone
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About this listen

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.

Barry Courter and Bryan Stone Music
Episodes
  • Church Boners React to Bonnaroo Ticket Contest Entries

    Church Boners React to Bonnaroo Ticket Contest Entries
    Jan 21 2026

    With Bryan Stone out sick, the Church Boners step in to help us react to your Bonnaroo ticket contest entries! From emotional first‑timer stories to selfless submissions from fans entering on behalf of loved ones, this episode of The What Podcast highlights the heart of the Bonnaroo community: generosity, vulnerability, and the shared belief that the farm brings people together in ways nothing else can.

    Rick and Sean join Russ and Barry to listen through a new batch of Bonnaroo contest entries, including redemption arcs, first‑Roo dreams, and heartfelt messages from fans hoping to give someone else the chance to experience the festival. Their reactions remind us why Bonnaroo is more than a lineup.

    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!

    ______

    (00:00:00) Intro

    (00:05:26) Enter our contest

    (00:06:16) Catching up with Church Boners

    (00:20:50) Playing your contest entries

    (00:50:23) Final thoughts

    (00:55:00) Outro

    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    Bonnaroo Community Spotlight: How Church Boners Became a Festival Family

    Win Tickets to Bonnaroo 2026!

    CaveFest 2025: Exploring the Underground Magic of The Caverns

    We Play Your Bonnaroo Contest Entries...They Hit Hard



    Save up to 60% off coolers, drinkware, and more with RTIC's final sale of the season! thewhat.co/rtic-sale

    Enter our Bonnaroo 2026 ticket giveaway at thewhat.co/win! We've got two tickets to give away with a camping pass!

    ______
    🎧 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
    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewhat.co
    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@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.
    Show More Show Less
    56 mins
  • There Is No Bonnaroo Without Bob Weir and the Grateful Dead

    There Is No Bonnaroo Without Bob Weir and the Grateful Dead
    Jan 14 2026

    In this episode, we dig into why there is no Bonnaroo without the Grateful Dead, and why Bob Weir's influence on the festival runs far deeper than any single performance. From the jam band touring culture to the community-first ethos that defines life on The Farm, we break down how the Grateful Dead’s scene effectively migrated to Manchester, Tennessee and became part of Bonnaroo’s DNA.

    Plus, we play and react to more of your Bonnaroo contest entries, hearing from listeners about their own experiences, memories, and what Bonnaroo means to them. There's still time to enter our contest for a chance to win two tickets to Bonnaroo 2026 with a camping pass! Visit thewhat.co/win for details on how to enter, or call the hotline at (423) 667-7877!

    Thumbnail Photo: Elizabeth Thorpe

    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!

    ______

    (00:00:00) Intro

    (00:00:59) Bob Weir Passes Away

    (00:33:27) We Play More of Your Contest Entries

    (01:03:01) Outro

    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    Dead & Co. at the Sphere and Happy Landing at Bonnaroo 2024

    We Play Your Bonnaroo Contest Entries...They Hit Hard

    Keera's Entry for Bonnaroo 2026 Tickets

    Win Tickets to Bonnaroo 2026!



    Save up to 60% off coolers, drinkware, and more with RTIC's final sale of the season! thewhat.co/rtic-sale

    Enter our Bonnaroo 2026 ticket giveaway at thewhat.co/win! We've got two tickets to give away with a camping pass!

    ______
    🎧 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
    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewhat.co
    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@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.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • We Play Your Bonnaroo Contest Entries...They Hit Hard

    We Play Your Bonnaroo Contest Entries...They Hit Hard
    Jan 7 2026
    We're back after a short holiday break, and catching up on everything that's happened in the world of Bonnaroo and music festivals. In this episode, we reflect on our biggest moments from 2025, and how they shaped us as fans. Plus, does Bryan have a new favorite artist discovery from the 2026 lineup?Then, the heart of this episode comes from you! We play some of the Bonnaroo contest entries sent directly from listeners, and honestly the stories, memories, and emotions behind them hit harder than we ever expected. From first-time Bonnaroo experiences to moments of connection, resilience, and community, these submissions capture what makes Bonnaroo and music festivals so meaningful beyond the lineup. Watch Reece's full video submission here.There's still time to enter our contest for a chance to win two tickets to Bonnaroo 2026 with a camping pass! Visit thewhat.co/win for details on how to enter, or call the hotline at (423) 667-7877!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!______(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:17) Catching up after the holidays(00:17:04) Our best 2025 moments(00:34:03) Playing your contest entries(01:09:46) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBonnaroo Isn’t About the Headliners Anymore: Brad Steiner’s Don't-Miss PicksTOTEM Holiday Party Live From Straight to Aletotemfnd.orgYUNGBLUD Plays '36 Floors'When Bonnaroo Breaks Your Heart: Our Reaction to the 2025 CancellationDogs in a Pile Talk Bonnaroo 2025 Debut, Jam Band Roots, and Songwriting with Tom MarshallBonnaroo's Survey Questions and hey, nothing's Big SummerShaky Knees 2025 vs. IBMA Chattanooga: Live from the Red Carpet + Bilmuri InterviewLord Taco's Bonnaroo 2025 Picks and an Encounter with "The Dancing Man"CaveFest 2025: Exploring the Underground Magic of The CavernsBonnaroo 2026: Thursday Headliner Confirmed + Our Corona Capital 2025 BreakdownWe Enlist in Pondo's ArmyThe Bonnaroo Yearbook: Capturing Festival MemoriesEnter our Bonnaroo 2026 ticket giveaway at thewhat.co/win! We've got two tickets to give away with a camping pass! ______ 🎧 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 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewhat.co Threads: https://www.threads.net/@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.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
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