Why does a shower matter? This week on The What Podcast, Meredith MacLeod Jaulin from Shower the People joins us. Learn how a Nashville mobile shower and laundry nonprofit restores dignity, health, and trust - then channels festival energy into year-round impact through Planet Roo partnerships and tie-dye towel activations at Bonnaroo. Meredith shares the org's origin (founded 2017), why low-barrier access matters, and how a converted school bus now delivers showers, laundry, underwear, and essentials across Nashville - while Planet Roo grants, programming, and community touchpoints help amplify the mission.

Also, we look at other festival news too as many events are starting to announce their 2026 lineups, such as Coachella, Big Ears, and Summerfest. What does this mean for Bonnaroo? Bryan Stone also recaps his IBMA experience and how the VIP experience seems to miss the mark.

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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CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:03:06) Confusing seating at IBMA

(00:14:40) Coachella and other festival lineups

(00:18:17) Brad Parker's replacement

(00:21:37) Introducing this week's guest

(00:24:15) Interview with Meredith

(01:02:19) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

showerthepeople.net

stoneonair.com

Shaky Knees 2025 vs. IBMA Chattanooga: Live from the Red Carpet + Bilmuri Interview

Bonnaroo Shake-Up: Brad Parker Departs, & Kyle Hollingsworth on New Album, String Cheese, and Beer

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Shaky Knees 2025 and IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Chattanooga couldn't be more different, but this week on The What Podcast we were at both. From Atlanta's Piedmont Park with Devo, Johnny Marr, 4 Non Blondes, Weird Al, and more, to the Red Carpet in Chattanooga with Steve Martin, Alison Brown, and the bluegrass world’s biggest stars...we've got you covered.

PLUS: we sit down for an exclusive interview with Johnny Franck of Bilmuri (not Bill Murray), where he talks about festival life, Bonnaroo 2025’s cancellation, rocking jorts on stage, and how his genre-bending sound fits across rock, pop, country, and metal festivals.

Listen to this 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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CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:56) Shaky Knees in Atlanta Recap

(00:17:28) IBMA in Chattanooga Recap

(00:38:09) More Shaky Knees Recap

(00:44:30) Interview with Bilmuri

(01:03:45) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Bonnaroo 2024 Recap Part 2 with Michigander

World of Bluegrass comes to Chattanooga and the Latest Bonnaroo 2025 News

How The Caverns Became Tennessee’s Premier Music Destination

Bonnaroo's Survey Questions and hey, nothing's Big Summer

______
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Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic

📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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A Bonnaroo love story, fresh Farm updates from Manchester, and a Seattle grunge pilgrimage: all this week in The What Podcast! We preview Shaky Knees Festival 2025 in Atlanta and IBMA bluegrass events in Chattanooga, then detour into PBR beer-cheese soup before diving into the 90s revival with Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Oasis all doing big tours. Not to leave out The Farm though, it looks like new earth‑moving and drainage work could mean less flooding Bonnaroo campers next season.

Finally, we dive into Bryan's Seattle grunge pilgrimage via Port Townsend, Washington with stops like the Showbox, Pike Place Market, Andrew Wood's (Mother Love Bone, a precursor to Pearl Jam) gravesite, and the Singles apartment, and of course the post office! All of this can be traced back to the magic of Bonnaroo and how it can lead to unexpected connections.

Listen to this episode about Bryan Stone's trip to Seattle here or watch it on YouTube. And if you'd like to hear more from Bryan Stone, subscribe to the StoneOnAir Podcast. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

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CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:03:09) Upcoming: Shaky Knees and IBMA

(00:14:49) Soup (PBR beer-cheese?)

(00:16:51) 90s wave: NIN, Oasis, Radiohead

(00:18:55) Farm update: earth-moving and drainage

(00:21:25) Bryan visits Washington State

(00:43:44) Grunge Pilgrimage: Andrew Wood, Singles Apartments

(00:57:08) CaveFest in October

(00:59:29) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo

Surviving Woodstock '99: Two Attendees Look Back 25 Years Later

How The Caverns Became Tennessee’s Premier Music Destination

Red Rocks, My Morning Jacket, and Bonnaroo Stories: RooHamm & Roo Bus Catch-Up

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🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic

📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Parker Reed from the RooHamm Podcast joins us to catch up and explain why there's been a lull since Bonnaroo, and how their group handled the festival's rainout before becoming optimistic about 2026. We also dive into My Morning Jacket's Red Rocks set and what makes the venue so magical, making it a bucket‑list stop for MMJ and Bonnaroo fans alike.

After the main chat, stick around for a bonus segment as Russ reports from The Other Farm over the holiday weekend before hopping in the creek with Lindsey and Daniel from Storytime at the Roo Bus podcast for a quick field update on TOTEM and a look ahead at fall plans such as CaveFest in October.

Catch up with RooHamm and Roo Bus here or watch this episode on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!

______

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:04:27) Catching up with Parker (RooHamm)

(00:07:14) RooHamm origin story

(00:13:36) Reliving the Bonnaroo cancellation

(00:27:52) Why no new RooHamm episodes

(00:31:21) Brad Parker leaving C3

(00:34:56) Hinterland notes and fixes

(00:40:41) My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks

(00:47:58) Changes for Bonnaroo 2026

(00:53:14) Russ at The Other Farm

(00:55:39) Live from the creek with Lindsey and Daniel (Roo Bus)

(01:06:39) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

When Bonnaroo Breaks Your Heart: Our Reaction to the 2025 Cancellation

How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo

Bonnaroo Shake-Up: Brad Parker Departs, & Kyle Hollingsworth on New Album, String Cheese, and Beer

Inside Hinterland: Sam Summers on Festival Challenges and the 90-Degree Guarantee

How The Caverns Became Tennessee’s Premier Music Destination

______
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Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic

📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Bonnaroo 2025 is behind us, so what’s next? On this week's The What Podcast, we do some porch sittin' and look ahead to more festivals still to come in 2025, including Shaky Knees, World of Bluegrass, and CaveFest. We dive deep into the legacy of Devo, one of our most-anticipated acts of Shaky Knees this year, and explore the surprising event that sparked the band's creation.

Plus, we preview World of Bluegrass and the big guests heading to Chattanooga next month. And finally, we’re looking forward to CaveFest at The Caverns in Tennessee, our second favorite place in the world. What festivals are you most excited about as we wrap up 2025? Let us know in the comments!

Listen to this 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!

______

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro

(03:36) Devo documentary

(11:39) Shaky Knees preview

(18:26) World of Bluegrass preview

(21:43) CaveFest preview

(22:04) Bonnaroo news

(25:23) Bryan in Washington state

(27:30) Weird Al

(31:04) More Devo documentary

(34:04) Back in the studio

(36:13) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Backseat Lovers on Growing into a Festival Band, Technical Difficulties and All

Bonnaroo 2024 Recap Part 2 with Michigander

Bonnaroo's Survey Questions and hey, nothing's Big Summer

Wet Leg: Tiny Desk Concert

World of Bluegrass comes to Chattanooga and the Latest Bonnaroo 2025 News

How The Caverns Became Tennessee’s Premier Music Destination

Bonnaroo Shake-Up: Brad Parker Departs, & Kyle Hollingsworth on New Album, String Cheese, and Beer

______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
Website: https://thewhatpodcast.com
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YouTube Music: https://thewhat.co/youtubemusic
Amazon Music: https://thewhat.co/amazonmusic

📱 SOCIAL LINKS
Discord: https://discord.gg/zShHTeCYGn
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Bonnaroo is facing a big change: Festival Director Brad Parker is leaving C3 Presents and saying goodbye to the Bonnaroo family. In this episode, we talk about what Brad's departure could mean for the future of The Farm, and look ahead to what’s next for Bonnaroo. It's a special "breaking news" edition of The What Podcast.

Next, we sit down with Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident for an in-depth conversation about his brand-new solo album All We Are, the evolution of String Cheese's sound, and his long-running passion for brewing craft beer. Kyle shares festival memories, songwriting insights, and the surprising connection between making music and making beer. If you love Bonnaroo, jam bands, and craft beer, you won't want to miss this interview!

Listen to this 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!

______

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:23) Brad Parker leaving C3

(00:11:53) Flooding in Chattanooga

(00:17:18) Interview with Kyle Hollingsworth

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Moon River with Drew Holcomb and AC Entertainment

Bonnaroo 2026: Brad & Cory from C3 Answer Your Questions

Bonnaroo, Cruise Festivals, and More with Sixthman VP Jeff Cuellar

______
🎧 LISTEN LINKS
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After the unprecedented cancellation of Bonnaroo 2025, fans have had big questions about the future of the festival and in this episode, we get real answers straight from C3 Presents, the team that puts on the festival. Brad Parker, Festival Director and Cory Smith, Marketing Manager join us today for an in-depth look at the changes to Thursday programming, the removal of Tuesday entry, campground changes, stage updates, and more.

Many thanks to our Discord members for submitting questions for Brad and Cory! Fan feedback definitely plays a role in shaping the future of Bonnaroo, and we are very fortunate for Brad and Cory to sit down with us and answer all these questions and more. Join our server at: https://thewhat.co/discord

Listen to this episode with Brad and Cory 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!

______

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:54) Recapping 2025's cancellation

(00:22:10) Thursday welcome party

(00:27:43) Removal of Tuesday entry

(00:34:36) How many less tickets will be sold

(00:35:09) The Infinity Stage

(00:38:25) Kalliope, Outeroo, and the Who Stage

(00:44:51) 2025 artists returning for 2026

(00:46:17) Missed performances this year

(00:49:12) Roo Residency and jam bands

(00:52:49) Lineup, ticket sales, and pricing

(00:55:33) Vibe check

(01:01:39) Changes to camping and 1-day ticket sales

(01:03:36) Outro

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Join the Discord!

When Bonnaroo Breaks Your Heart: Our Reaction to the 2025 Cancellation

Bonnaroo Community Spotlight: How Church Boners Became a Festival Family

Bonnaroo Lineup Behind the Scenes - Interview With AC Entertainment

How Bonnaroo Changed Manchester Forever: Live from Planet Roo

Thumbnail photo by: Evan Brown

______
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📱 SOCIAL LINKS
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