The What Podcast

Inside Soberoo: Bonnaroo's Sober Community with Founder Patrick Whelan

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to do Bonnaroo sober? This week we’re joined by longtime guest Patrick Whelan, founder of Soberoo and Harmonium Inc., the nonprofit that provides community and support for sober and sober‑curious festivalgoers at Bonnaroo and dozens of other events around the country. Whether you’re in recovery, "California sober," or just need a break from a crew that's going a little too hard, Patrick explains how Soberoo creates a safe, welcoming space for anyone who wants to experience the festival with a clear head.We also take a quick tour through this year’s festival landscape, from Bourbon & Beyond to Shaky Knees to CaveFest (get tickets here!), before reacting to Angine de Poitrine, a wildly unique Canadian math‑rock duo that listeners have been sending our way. And make sure you stick around to the end for an exciting announcement!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(00:02:01) Our Bonnaroo 2026 Prep(00:18:15) Talking Soberoo with Patrick(00:55:12) Bourbon & Beyond(01:05:06) CaveFest Tickets on Sale(01:13:18) Angine de Poitrine(01:18:13) Live Show at Bonnaroo(01:19:53) Record Store Day(01:21:24) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEHow to Enjoy a Substance-Free Bonnaroo Experience with Soberoo86 Days to Bonnaroo, Start Your Prep NowBonnaroo Changed My Life: The Yearbook Guy's StoryRick Beato: Please STOP Sending Me ThisAngine de Poitrine - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo______ CaveFest 2026 Tickets Bundle and Save with Spring Time essentials! Shop Spring Bundles at RTIC 🎧 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.

86 Days to Bonnaroo, Start Your Prep Now

With 86 days to Bonnaroo, prep season is officially here. In this week's shorter check‑in, Barry and Russ walk through the early steps every Roo camper should be taking now: from pulling out gear, checking tents and fans, and buying non‑perishables a little at a time, to coordinating with your group so nobody shows up without poles, stakes, or the essentials.We also break down the Live Nation settlement with the DOJ, and how it might (or might not) affect events like Bonnaroo. Plus a little vinyl talk, and some making fun of Bryan. 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(03:11) 86 days to Bonnaroo, how to start prepping(09:40) Live Nation Settles with DOJ(20:21) Our first records/albums(23:11) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBonnaroo Changed My Life: The Yearbook Guy's StoryUltimate Bonnaroo Camp Prep: Packing, Planning, and Survival TipsBonnaroo 2026 Lineup Breakdown with Cory & Tuba: Early Release, Big Changes, and What to ExpectBonnaroo 2026: Brad & Cory from C3 Answer Your QuestionsWhen Bonnaroo Breaks Your Heart: Our Reaction to the 2025 CancellationHow The Caverns Became Tennessee's Premier Music Destination______ CaveFest 2026 Tickets Bundle and Save with Spring Time essentials! Shop Spring Bundles at RTIC 🎧 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.

Bonnaroo Changed My Life: The Yearbook Guy's Story

Bonnaroo really does change lives, and today's talk with Caleb Arias, aka The Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy, proves it once again. From being too nervous to talk to strangers at his first festival to becoming one of the most recognized creators in the festival community, Caleb walks us through the moment everything shifted. He explains how a simple journal turned into the Bonnaroo Yearbook, how that idea exploded across Hulaween and Okeechobee, and how documenting festival culture helped him find confidence, connection, and purpose.We also dive into the massive growth of the Yearbook project, the behind‑the‑scenes work that goes into each book, the emotional fallout of Bonnaroo 2025, what we're looking forward to at Bonnaroo 2026, and Caleb's new collaboration with the festival itself. Finally, Caleb sticks around for a little bit of vinyl talk, where we show off some of our most valuable records from our collections.Get your very own copy of The Bonnaroo Yearbook at 50% using coupon code THEWHATPODCAST: bonnarooyearbook.comListen 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) Caleb the Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy joins(00:19:22) Origin story(00:32:54) Thoughts on this year's lineup(00:36:09) How to get a yearbook(00:47:30) Bonnaroo adds 2-day ticket options(01:06:25) Our most valuable vinyl records(01:21:31) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThe Bonnaroo Yearbook: Capturing Festival Memoriesbonnarooyearbook.comOkay...We Were Wrong About GeeseBonnaroo 2026: Brad & Cory from C3 Answer Your QuestionsCatching Up with I am Bonnaroo Creator David Bruce______ CaveFest 2026 Tickets Bundle and Save with Spring Time essentials! Shop Spring Bundles at RTIC 🎧 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.

Bonnaroo Adds Sunrise Sets...and Barry Makes His Most Embarrassing Mistake Yet

Bonnaroo adds sunrise sets to the 2026 lineup, but first, Barry has to eat a little crow. We go down a rabbit hole of music history before shifting gears to talk Bonnaroo news, plus other festivals like Shaky Knees who just released their lineup. Finally we talk a little bit about this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees!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(02:16) Barry's Confession and Repentance(09:57) History of Grateful Dead and CBGB(15:00) Bonnaroo Update: Sunrise Sets and Festival 'Shrinkflation'(23:35) Shaky Knees: Worth the Slog?(30:41) Other festival news(42:34) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame(52:11) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEWhy Bourbon & Beyond Might Have the Best Lineup of 2026Danny Clinch: Still Moving on AmazonA History of the Grateful Dead in 10 SongsA History of CBGB in 10 SongsBonnaroo's 2024 Outeroo Lineup and Television's Richard Lloyd Reflects on Marquee MoonShaky Knees 2025 vs. IBMA Chattanooga: Live from the Red Carpet + Bilmuri InterviewBonnaroo 2026: Thursday Headliner Confirmed + Our Corona Capital 2025 BreakdownHow to Enjoy a Substance-Free Bonnaroo Experience with Soberoo______ CaveFest 2026 Tickets Bundle and Save with Spring Time essentials! Shop Spring Bundles at RTIC 🎧 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.

Why Bourbon & Beyond Might Have the Best Lineup of 2026

Bourbon & Beyond does it again, dropping a stacked lineup that makes us ask the question, "is this real"? With headliners like Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Mumford, and Dave Matthews, we start wondering if it's time we finally made the trip to Louisville and the lineup keeps getting better the further down you read!Elsewhere in the episode, we catch up with Bryan after his trip to Las Vegas, review the Summerfest lineup that also came out this week, and briefly discuss Bonnaroo ticket sales and pricing.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(01:27) A Gift for Barry(05:12) Bryan's Trip to Las Vegas(15:46) Revisiting the Where Stage lineup(20:16) Bourbon and Beyond(30:35) Summerfest(35:25) Bonnaroo Tickets and Pricing(50:38) OutroLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEDanny Clinch on Photographing Bruce Springsteen and Getting Radiohead to Play BonnarooDanny Clinch: Still Moving on AmazonDead & Co. at the Sphere and Happy Landing at Bonnaroo 2024Record Store Day 2026, The Releases We're GrabbingBonnaroo 2026: Why the EDM Lineup Feels Different (Where Stage)Church Boners React to Bonnaroo Ticket Contest EntriesNoah Cyrus on Her Family, Her Songwriting, and MoreHow to Enjoy a Substance-Free Bonnaroo Experience with SoberooToasting the Bourbon & Beyond 2024 Lineup______ CaveFest 2026 Tickets Bundle and Save with Spring Time essentials! Shop Spring Bundles at RTIC 🎧 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.