SPEAKER_01 0:09

Hey everyone and welcome to the Musics of Hero podcast, hosted by Grammy Award winners Radio. This is pod where we celebrate creativity, share stories, and listen to the off of the art. Each episode will dive in a conversation that inspire and power and spark new ideas. Because art isn't just about what we make, it's about the community we build together. So grab a steam, get coffee, and let's grow in creativity side by side. The music is our hero podcast for creativity, community, and inspiration comes to life.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Alright, this is it. This is it. Here I am with um Lydia and Ricky again. I think it was what season two you guys were. Season two. And that was like the winter time, I think, right? Anyways, here we are at Papa Joe's Grove. Um, that you guys have been hosting the Grateful Day Trippers Family Reunion. This is your fifth year, right? Yes, ma'am. Um check it out. Oh my god, the lights are on. Perfect timing. Perfect timing to start this. So yeah, that's coming up on August 21st and 22nd. Yep. Correct. And uh you guys just broke the news that this is the last one for a while.

SPEAKER_05 1:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Yeah. So um, so let's just get started and dive into what the reunion is. Like if someone never heard of it, what would you describe that as? I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Uh family.

SPEAKER_05 1:34

Family.

SPEAKER_03 1:35

Well, you know, it's honestly like every little it's like a piece of every bit of my like our lives. Like as in like our immediate family, uh friends that we've known all of our lives, new friends that we met on the road. Just uh, you know, just a little bit of everything. Like we do some fish and dead tours, so it's some traveling friends that we have that we met along the way, uh, people we met doing this stuff in the community and everything, you know.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

Yeah. Um what inspired you to start this? That was all Ricky.

SPEAKER_04 2:14

He had a crazy idea, and we just kind of ran with it. So like and then it kept going. It just kept going and going, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

I don't know, like we just like at first it was kind of like given like a a platform for other vendors to come vend uh some new musical acts to, you know, we we've introduced a lot of people for the first time. Like we have people come up to us all the time and be like, Thank us. Just thanked us for giving them the start, you know, and like showing them another part of like who they really want to be and everything like that, giving them you know an outlet to play their music live. Yeah, a safe space, yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Yeah, and I guess it's kind of makes it keep growing because you enjoy doing that, probably. Yes, right?

SPEAKER_05 3:00

Yeah, it's at the end of it, you know, where everybody thanks you and you see how happy everybody is and how everybody's come together, it really makes it all worth it.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Yeah, yeah. And that's the only thing. So eventually you got to communicate. Just kidding, just kidding. Um, did you ever imagine? Okay, so we'll get more into how this is the last year for now. I don't know what what your plans are, but did you ever imagine later? Did you ever imagine? Yeah, we gotta, we gotta pull some heart strings in this one. We're gonna, you know, we're gonna try. Um, no. Did you ever imagine? Like, do you feel like this is gonna be a good year?

SPEAKER_05 3:35

Oh, it's gonna be the best year yet.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

So did you ever imagine this idea, this this guy right here?

SPEAKER_05 3:43

Having a crazy idea and us being here to where it's gonna be this year. I don't think so. Because where we started in Ashland PA at the barn, we had um Grateful Day Trippers Family Picnic, then the jam at the barn, and then when we were looking for a new place to um host a reunion, um this place has been special um to me from volunteering with the concert for the cure. Um I knew it was gonna be the perfect place for us to Papa Joe's for us to have it here um in our hometown, um and to just show people this beautiful space. And I knew it was gonna be really special.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um so what's been some of your favorite memories? I mean, we what's been some of your worst memories?

SPEAKER_03 4:37

Well, I mean, we we literally had Bam Marjara walk through here.

SPEAKER_04 4:42

What was that? Two or three years ago. What was that?

SPEAKER_03 4:44

Bam and Jarr from Jack East and people at Bam.

SPEAKER_05 4:47

Yeah, he just walked through with his dog. Did he pay?

SPEAKER_03 4:51

No. And and like our workers should be fired. No, he kind of I think he was just trying to fly underneath the radar. That's cool. Yeah, and like as soon as people started noticing him and everything, he kind of like skit stack, like skidaddled away, you know. Like that I don't know if he was legally allowed to be out in public. Like he might have had a warrant for his arrest. I don't know. But he did have an ankle map monitor on him. Wow. Where was I? I was probably somewhere. Were you you weren't running? I don't think she was. No, you weren't running the sound that year. That was the that was the year before you started running the sound for us. Okay. Oh, well, that was you might have not even been here at the time when he moved through here. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

That was um a little chaotic that year, right? Yeah that morning, that Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

That whole weekend. You kind of you kind of stepped into the role of running sound by accident.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

A little bit, and then I was like, I hope they hit me up next year. Has there ever been a time when you're like, it's happening, and you're like, wow, like we did this?

SPEAKER_05 5:51

Oh, absolutely. Um, I always try because I'm running around here like crazy all day during the festival, but I always like to try to take a minute and just stop and just watch and be like and just watch everybody having a good time, all the smiles, the kids, the bubbles, the fire performers, just the doggies, all the doggies, just everybody's seeing it right now, right? Can you picture it? I can actually. Um, and I just try to breathe. It usually makes me cry. Um, and it's just beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that like you said, that's the best part. Um, you guys are extremely busy with your grateful inspired art.

SPEAKER_05 6:37

Yes, you've been on the road all summer, I feel like all summer.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

Yeah, like completely insane. You guys have been battling the elements literally Maryland.

SPEAKER_03 6:48

We literally hurricanes and one day in Maryland, there was like a tornado warning, heat advisory, and big quality air from the Canadian fires. Like it was nuts. Like we had 60 mile hour winds on in the parking lot holding our booth down, strapped to the car, strapped to a cooler.

SPEAKER_02 7:05

That's why I can't wait. I'm gonna camp out with these guys um for Carnival of the Arts, which is two weekends after Labor Day weekend. Yeah, two weekends after the best way to end the summer union and cooler. And this is the first time I'm gonna I'm gonna stick it out. Um, you know, but uh you guys are like um rookie, uh not rookies, veterans. Yeah, so I'm safe. I'm safe. I'll be out there. Remember, I didn't have any weights last year. I used my laser to hold down my tent over here. And yeah, you looked at me like, what are you? You don't have weights. I'm like, I actually just bought a tent. So these like what they were what you were just saying a little bit ago about you know, giving people like vendors and people this opportunity to find, like you guys have kind of helped me in that way too, like in these weird little ways, like even just running satellite it's it's been a whole experience, and and introducing me to carnival and all these different places, and sometimes I DJ. So you guys have also done that for me, so it's super cool. I appreciate it. We appreciate it, and I know there's more, I don't know where it's ever going, but there's more, you know. What keeps you okay? So, what has kept you bringing the festival back these last few years? Just the love of it. And do you think you'll bring it back ever again?

SPEAKER_03 8:17

Yeah, at least at least one big blowout at you know I mean in like five or six years. Yeah, and we'll see. Well it's a blowout. Well, listen, listen. Let me be let me do more. It's a family reunion, right? It's a family reunion, right? So do family reunions happen every year?

SPEAKER_02 8:36

Like we did I only see you guys this time of year. So what am I gonna do? Oh, we got carnival every year.

SPEAKER_03 8:41

I know, I'm fine, and then we got some other things. I know, you gotta I know. But uh it's actually fine.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Yeah, I don't feel like lifting all that stuff, anyways. It's six in the morning into a new haul and driving it.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

We'll just have you do it one day next next October.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Do it all in one day, yeah, instead. No, it'll be great. Yeah, so wait, did we answer the question? I don't know. What was the question? What makes you what has made you guys want to keep just the community?

SPEAKER_05 9:03

Absolutely, 100%. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 9:06

That is it, yeah. I just want to be real clear too about this hiatus or or or having this one last time for a little while. Uh, we always talked about going out on our own, like in our own design. Like we don't we didn't want to fail financially, we didn't want to we didn't want to like be drowned out by the community or anything for whatever reasons or anything. Like we always wanted to be, you know, put a positive impact in and walk away from it on our own terms. Uh we just we we just done a lot, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:40

You have to just take a look at it. Yeah, it's just what has to happen.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

Yeah, this is it. That's awesome though. Yeah, Lydia's 95% of it. Like she she's the she's the office, she's she's everything. She writes, she does all the booking.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

She's the cleaner, the booker.

SPEAKER_05 9:59

See my resume. The manager. Yeah. So I can't. There's it's too hard for me at this time of the year to um do this and grateful inspired art at the same time. Yeah. I mean, I do it, but it's a lot.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

Even more importantly, family. Like I got grandkids now, you know. Um Parker's given up enough of our time, you know, away from we want to go on a family vacation. Yeah, do you guys have I think we owe it to ourselves?

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you guys have an idea where you want to go?

SPEAKER_03 10:31

Oh, we're gonna we're gonna actually like I never thought I'd say this again, but I think we're gonna do like a we're gonna start doing New Jersey Beach vacations again. You know what I mean? And then a whole week I want to uh start a whole week in New Jersey Beach.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

I don't know. Wow, moving on up.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

Um I just want to go to New Jersey Beach. I don't want to ask for money.

SPEAKER_03 10:52

I'm there every Friday right now. Well, at Wildwood. I want to start taking Parker on like fishing trips. Like I want to do like a like one charter a year, like freshwater, deep sea, and all that stuff. Start doing you know, things that Hull remember when he gets older and things that Hull want to do with his kids.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Yeah, just not running around um hustling people in their food and getting yeah. I mean for that when I do that was years ago now. Now he's getting older.

SPEAKER_05 11:15

If we circle back to favorite memories, that would be that was amazing. Yeah, Parker was being the delivery, the Uber on a store. He would go to a food truck, right? And he would deliver deliver it to people.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

He was trying to make money, you know, for his college tuition because we spent all of our money on this.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

He killed it, too. Thanks, he was exhausted by the end of the day. Oh my god. So, what can people expect this year? Like, um, if it's a first time coming, what can they expect?

SPEAKER_05 11:39

Um, so we have uh three stages of music. We have the jam band stage, the side stage, which is um uh acoustic, um solo duos. Um, we do have a rapper on the stage and a DJ on the stage this year. And then back in the street. Yodifer and Brooker Wood. Yeah, okay, cool. Yep. And then down in the train tunnel um is renegade style DJs um for I think we have four on Friday and six on Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 12:12

Nice.

SPEAKER_05 12:13

Um fire performers.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

Is it the same ones as last year or different ones? Fire performers, yes.

SPEAKER_03 12:19

Yes, I think there might be a couple new ones, maybe I want to say, like, as far as a grassroots event and even a big event, like we like I don't want to be by like like because it's our event, but we have one of the best fire performers and LED performers around like it's like a big small event. Yeah, it's like a smaller. Let's give a shout out to Dark Phoenix editor. Grooving Nepper Girls, yeah, Grooven Hemers.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Oh my god, it was crazy. And then um with um like who was your headlight? Um Teed, Josh Teed, was that his name? Oh, Star Fox was like Star Fox, that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Star Fox, yeah, from the same collective, yeah, and um oh, with the sacks and the trumpets and the fire performers. I don't think he's ever done that before. And then it came out from behind the booth because that energy the girls didn't even know that they were spinning fire, and all of a sudden Star Fox is like right in the middle of them, and they're like, yo, what the heck's going on here? Couldn't help himself, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:16

I mean, what like yeah, the energy of the festival, like I just kind of said it's like a it's a it's a sm it's a nice space, but it's kind of a smaller space that some places that you might go, but it's like if you like a lot of people get hung up on the wrong aspects of an event, like they all want to put in like the huge production, they're they're all like hell bent over the flyer art, you know.

SPEAKER_03 13:38

I mean, which I get, you know. It's not too bad. Yeah. Um what brings people to an event is a community. Like what we did was we built a community, and you know, once people come, they want to come back, you know, and that that's the whole key of it. Like we focused on the people and then built everything around that.

SPEAKER_06 14:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

You know, uh a lot of people, you know, help out. Like there's a lot of people that just bend over backwards just to help out because they know it's you know the money's coming out of our own pocket, like back pockets here. Uh, we do have some sponsors that help us out a lot. Uh I don't know if Lydia wants to mention um the gem.

SPEAKER_05 14:20

Uh we've got Modern Mail this year, they're a new sponsor. Um Dub Snacks is sponsoring our DJs this year, which um he's been with us, and we super appreciate you. Um You're Ground to Coffee, Kristen and Kev, they do our hospitality every year. Yeah, they're the first thing. They are the goats.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

I mean, they they do everything in the festival scene. Like we're we're very yeah, like we met them by chance uh four or five years ago, and they've been they literally donated their first their first time here. Like they literally did hospitality for everybody for free. Yeah, and then yeah, and work with us every year. They're they're amazing.

SPEAKER_05 14:57

They're amazing. Then we have ideal abstracts, that's Steven Hicks. Um, we could not do this.

SPEAKER_03 15:05

The last two, three years would have been impossible.

SPEAKER_05 15:06

Impossible.

SPEAKER_03 15:07

He started as a supporter, yeah, yeah. I've seen his art and I talked him in the venom with us. He's he vends every now and then with us, and and he's been a fine financial and moral and mental supporter for us. I mean, he's kept us going. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:22

Yep, yeah. And then Threaddies. Um, they're the cutest little hippie shop right in the center of Percosy. Um, Jason and Alana, who are also amazing friends um now. Um yeah. So just a little bit of help, you know, a little help from my friends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Is there anything new this year that's different from last year? I guess just like the DJ thing, right?

SPEAKER_05 15:46

Yeah, the top hill is gonna be um fire performers. Um, I believe that Dark Phoenix and Groven Embers, don't quote me, but I believe that we're gonna have two aerial um setups, one up on the hill and one down below. So that'll be new. There's more space over there. Um little I'm working on a little photo opportunities thing that's gonna be around here somewhere. Um Wow. That's that's just little things, you know.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

What artists like who are you most successful? I mean, I know you love all these people because you booked them. What are you really who what are you excited about here?

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I mean, on and down. I mean, we say that every year, but this year is very like particular and unique on how Lydia booked this. I I gave a couple wishes. She landed on all my wishes, and then she she added everything else in, and it was just like it was like how how we got Dirty Grass players was awesome. Like, I'm so proud that we got them.

SPEAKER_05 16:48

Like that yeah, so Saturday night we have an amazing bluegrass band. They're dirty grass players, and they're coming from Maryland. Um, and we are so excited to have them. They're gonna sound amazing in this grove. They're gonna sound so good. Uh super excited to have the guys out here. Um, Friday night we have Crickets and Cicadas back to back with Rift. Um, I mean, our life has been filled with fish lately.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Um, so we are super excited to have Rift every day of the rest of my life, I'd be there.

SPEAKER_05 17:22

They're a Philadelphia's um fish tribute band. Um, so we're super excited to have them coming. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_03 17:29

Yeah, they're they're a lot of fun. I mean, they some of the some of their uh songs that they do that uh kind of made me fall more in love with fish doing them.

SPEAKER_05 17:42

Like they like it like they do they do it justice, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:45

They do it they do a good justice with fish.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Awesome.

SPEAKER_05 17:48

And I get to run the sound, you know, and then we have some of the bands that have been with us every year, you know. It's a family reunion. We've got the adventures of Matt Black, Mike Smith group, um, Golden Twine's coming back for a second year.

SPEAKER_03 18:03

Um Sage, Sage, old OG Bucks County freaking jam band coming back, you know, Mark Gallo back in on the East Coast and New editions for this year.

SPEAKER_05 18:14

We have um Rico and Whaler Collective, Midnight Blue, um Grateful Dubs is coming out and he's spinning um Grateful Dead music, um, both nights before the headliners. Um, and Berker Wood will be sitting in with him with one of those nights. Um, Teresa is here with us again. Yeah, cheese is here.

SPEAKER_03 18:35

Cheese has gotta be. I mean, see, yeah, listen, Teresa's been with us since day one. Like she's she's been at every festival and numerous other one-off events. Like great vibe.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

Yeah, I mean she had me looking by Saturday last year. I looked like I was at a festival. I had the earrings, I had I forget. She gave me something. I mean something on my face. Oh, the jewels and stuff on my face. I said, Oh, I look like I'm at a festival.

SPEAKER_05 19:00

Yeah. Um, Jesse Bardwell, Jimmy Pink, Brian Lawley is um from Sellersville. I did a little post online to fill um a spot on our side stage. And um he's great. He's came out and helped us with the cleanup and instant family. That's what's so great about this. Yeah, the people that we're meeting along the way. Yeah. And then our all of our DJs are all part of the collective this year. Um, so that's that's unique and except for a couple of them.

SPEAKER_03 19:35

Uh, we got we got Bob Miller from uh up in northeast Pennsylvania. He's doing amazing things. And then dub snacks grow. And dub snacks, yep.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Nice, nice. Um so what about outside of the music, like the vendors? How many, how many vendors? What's the deal with that?

SPEAKER_05 19:51

Ten this year. Um, and is that a little less than last year, the other years?

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so they have short and simple. So there's more opportunities than more opportunity.

SPEAKER_03 20:02

With us bringing that no stage up on the hill down here, we wanted to just keep it. We just wanted to keep it nice and small, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:09

I think we have one, two, three, three, four that are returning, and then six new ones.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 20:17

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Nice. Um, what kind of stuff?

SPEAKER_03 20:20

Uh just and then food, you got food too.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:22

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Sassy wraps. Oh, okay, grounded coffee. Sassy wraps has something out of any like anything. Like that that guy could take five dollars worth of ingredients and make a hundred dollar meal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:36

Sassy wraps has been with us since the very beginning, too.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

Um, Holly has kept us going. She's one of the main food vendors at Big Dub and Four Quarters Farm. So she's she's a legend in the EDM and jam band scene.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

Yeah, I get something from her. I can't I'll remember when I when I see it. It's something plant-based. Something plant-based, whatever the option, plant-based option is is what I get. Um, all right, so let's talk about community a little bit. So the word family is in Grateful Day Trippers family reunion. What does that mean to you? It means family mean to you.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

Um the people that surround me.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Are you gonna start crying? Yep. It's okay. You'll be the third. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 21:25

Um stop it. You got anything to say? I would never imagine my life the way that it is today if it wasn't for what we do. And um the people that surround me, they are my best friends.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Yeah. Yeah. And they're family.

SPEAKER_05 21:44

They are family.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

And then w how are they family? I don't want to make you cry much.

SPEAKER_03 21:49

I want to make it. Well, I mean I mean, like some of some of the some of the gigs we take literally like you got you're like literally sometimes stuck in a parking lot with nothing. Off the grid. Yeah. You know, you got people t doing ice runs, food runs, like everybody just helps everybody. Yeah. Like no matter what. Like you see, we live in like a nice section of upper Bucks County, and like you could have the most rudest like interaction sometimes. But like where we where we roam, like everybody helps everybody. You know what I mean? Like there's no toleration for the BS or bad people and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 22:25

Yeah, you're out.

SPEAKER_03 22:26

Yeah, you're out, you know?

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:28

Like our love is real and it, you know, it'll never fade away.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

That's what's nice when you're kind of like in charge of not in charge, but in charge of your community. Like you get to kind of pick, like, because you're building. I mean, even what I'm building with what I'm building, it's like like-minded people and also kind people and good people. Like, if there's something, it's like, nope, nope, this is my community, and we are not doing that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

We want people to be themselves in a good way. Not my, but art. We want them to be safe and we want them to feel comfortable. We want them, you know, if they want to try something, let's give them that that space to try that. Yeah. Their art, their music, whatever it is. That's what you love to know.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

That's what Ricky does well. He picks them, picks them out, and then do something with it.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

He sees that special little something in people and he helps them.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

Well, and the good thing is you have a lot of experience. You've been in this world for a long time now. So there's something that you hold that gives also back to that person that's whatever the artist, you know. Um, have you seen any relationships or friendships grow because of your events?

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Oh, I I sometimes joke. I wish we could do like a family tree, and it just starts with us and branch out. Like, there's a lot of people. You need a family tree.

SPEAKER_05 23:40

Like, like, wouldn't that be cool?

SPEAKER_03 23:42

There's like we're we're at certain events and we see like people and we're like, you know, there's like a hundred people here right now, and 80 of them probably wouldn't be here if we didn't do certain things. Like it kind of like Yeah, like intertwined, and it's yeah, it's it's it's weird and bizarre. I never thought my life would ever end up like this. Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

You know, it's yeah, no, it is crazy how it works out. And not the event, but with like with this podcast, you guys have directed me, like you directed me to the gym, which was a huge, huge people to meet, and I've been promoting them everywhere I go. Like, it's like one of those things, like it's just everybody meets everybody.

SPEAKER_03 24:17

We fell at home and like family right from the start before we even met Andrew.

SPEAKER_05 24:23

Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Oh my god, they're so cool. And that's what I was saying. But the guy that I just put out the podcast with uh Hop Fidelity, his name's Byron. You guys are gonna feel if you ever meet him, you're gonna feel the same exact thing.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Andrew's like living the like he's doing God's work. Guy literally left the career, used all like all his money that he had to buy into a venue and to run a venue in a crappy economy where there's breweries throwing nothing but free shows and everything, and Andrew's doing the damn thing.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Yeah, yeah, and and not say it again, but um, the guy from Hop Fidelity, he was the same way. He was, I don't know if it was life insurance, but he was it's the same, yeah, same almost same story. It's so weird. I'm almost and they don't know each other. Yeah, I'm like, you guys need to meet. I'm like, you have to meet on November 8th, that's the whole plan. It's gonna be crazy. Yeah. Like the question, like when you look back, like, oh, what have I done? Like, yeah, it's like I didn't. You're gonna see a whole room for that. I didn't plan all this, and then like you guys are very involved also with seven people, so it's crazy, you know what I mean? And I didn't plan for all this either. When I was like, it was at the end of last year after carnival that I was like, I'm gonna start a podcast. I know, I remember, and look where we're at right now. And like, yeah, and now it's like, yeah, because I'm like you, like, can't stop, won't stop. And I'm like, ah, and I see all these things, but one one step at a time, and then you gotta take breaks. Like, yeah, yeah, or you guys are taking a break on some stuff. I'm doing that in the DJ life. Like, like I'm getting rid of gigs that just don't make me happy. Yeah, or those $200 night gigs, because I I have some, I know you hate karaoke, but I'm going on my fourth residency.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

I've said I've hated a lot of things, and like the last year or two, I've really uh branched out and like it's weird, you know. I mean, yeah, whatever, like especially being sober, like yeah really opens up a lot of doors.

SPEAKER_02 26:10

Well, that does. That does, but you have to not be sober sometimes when you host karaoke.

SPEAKER_03 26:15

I won't, I won't take, I won't take, I will never take away any of my experiences.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

But here's the thing that I'm doing it's like um I have three residencies and I just got hit up about a fourth one on a Monday, right? And the one on the Monday pays the same as this gig I just got rid of on Friday.

SPEAKER_03 26:31

You need a manager, you know.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

I mean, but with those four now, that's like my nine to five.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

Yeah, you gotta pay the bills.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

And that got rid of like that Friday night gig that I'm at that I've been at for like five years, and no one even cares I'm there. It's not, you know, I'm playing what people want to hear. It's not like original music and all that, and it just like really with your mental health, you know. So I'm like you guys like trying to back up and make room for what's ahead.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

You're only gonna be creative and and definitely want to be able to do it if you're not being pushed to do it. You know, I mean, you have you have to you have to protect yourself. Yeah, you know, you gotta take your time, you can't just push through things like there's something biting the shit out of me right now. Yo!

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Woohoo! All right, let's keep it moving. Where was I? So let's talk about behind the scenes a little bit. What's something that people have no idea that goes beyond behind the scenes of something like this festival?

SPEAKER_05 27:27

Um all the networking, all the computer work, all the email.

SPEAKER_03 27:34

It's like it's like I work, you know, when when we're home and I'm working, I work a lot of overtime and stuff, and it'll be like maybe eight o'clock by the time we get to go and relax in the bedroom by ourselves. Oh, we'll watch TV. Here comes the laptop. It's not yeah, yeah. I can't even do that. Or sometimes you're not because it's or somebody hits you up, like, we gotta talk right now. Like, really? Okay. And then you're on the phone for another hour or two, you know. That wasn't right now.

SPEAKER_02 28:05

They're so demanding.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Yeah. Well, sometimes some things can't wait. Some things can't wait. Time is money sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

Okay, yeah, I guess it depends on um who you're who you're dealing with. Yeah. Have you had any funny or un unexpected moments over the years? Like some that made you laugh? Um, you know what makes me laugh? F A F O. So I forget I forget who it was.

SPEAKER_03 28:29

You make me laugh. I forget who it was, but it was like might have been the year BAM came through, like three years ago when uh Josh T headlined. But there was a guy that had his hammock set up on the hill with a tree, and it ripped and fell, and he just laid there. I'm like, dude, you alright? Yeah, I think my hammock hammock broke. I'm just I'm just gonna sleep right here. And he just slept right there. He just slept right there. You know, he looked like a freaking burrito on the on the hill.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

A burrito. Oh my god, I wish I could remember something because I feel like we just walk around and laugh. Yeah, we do. Like, what is happening?

SPEAKER_03 29:09

Well, how the how the tunnel was was discovered with the acoustics. So we're having a problem with people like being, you know, tiny voices and stuff because you know, the sound ordinance and all that. So after like two times of Lydia going around being the the sound Nazi late at night, we finally talk about it.

SPEAKER_05 29:29

No, I'm the fun police.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

She finally, she finally gets in the tent. She finally gets in the tent. Oh, it stressed me out. She's like, All right, I think I think I finally handled it all. I think I can go to sleep. She lays down, all of a sudden, you hear this voice. And she sits up. She's like, Oh my god, wait a second. Is that Madison? Why do I hear Madison's voice? I'll be right back. You're Madison and Miles or the tunnel. We're in the tunnel. What was it? Like two o'clock in the morning? It was like two o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_05 29:59

Listen, they're good friends.

SPEAKER_03 30:00

Yeah, they're they're like really good friends.

SPEAKER_05 30:03

But that's how the tunnel stage was born. Oh, that's how it was born.

SPEAKER_03 30:07

That's how it was boring.

SPEAKER_05 30:08

Because Madison found out how good the acoustics were.

SPEAKER_03 30:11

Just raw, no, no wires, no cables, nothing. So wow, that's awesome. Yeah, thank you, Miles and Madison. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

And so what's it feel like? You kind of talked about this. So what's it like watching everything just come together after I mean you guys plan this for a year, right?

SPEAKER_05 30:29

It's amazing. You always announce that date, and it's like, oh I get filled with gratitude with for everybody for supporting us and for being here. And um I just love seeing it unfold.

SPEAKER_03 30:46

I guess we're gonna have to find other ways to to throw that love around, you know. The years that we aren't throwing a small event or not doing anything, we will help other events and you know, do promoting for other people help out in any way, you know?

SPEAKER_02 31:00

Yeah. Which is just as sometimes fun and satisfying.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Wow. Yeah, that's beautiful. That's cool.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Um, all right, so this uh being the last year for now, w how difficult was this decision?

SPEAKER_03 31:16

We made this decision a couple months ago.

SPEAKER_05 31:20

Um It was hard, but it wasn't that hard.

SPEAKER_03 31:22

Yeah. Uh I'm gonna be honest.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

I'm I'm really I know it's hard.

SPEAKER_05 31:28

Believe me when you feel like it's like, believe me. When I was typing that message that we put out, um it was hard for me to reread it to him.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

She cried probably like every 30 seconds. Yeah, it was hard.

SPEAKER_05 31:41

It was hard, but I know it's the right what it's like.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

It's the right thing. It's right. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Like it's not over. No, it's not over. It'll never be. It's just the consistency of it being a yearly thing is hard to let go of, but you have to.

SPEAKER_05 31:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

But it's okay. Like onto bigger.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

Like the whole the whole idea of throwing live music was never about being the front people. Like if we ever became really successful, I just wanted to be the back person. Like you'd never like really know unless you really searched and seen my name somewhere, like on a website or something, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 32:13

Because he's so quiet.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

It was it was more I I fell in love going to live shows when I was a kid. Like my parents were like rockers. So I went to my first rock concert, like when I was in fifth grade in the late 80s, early 90s, or something like that. And then when I got a little bit older and threw some like live parties and everything like that, it's just it's something to give that experience that I fell in love with. That that's what I was after. I wasn't after being, you know, the big guy or anything like that, or the clout. You know, there's a lot of people just want to be that important person. I'd yeah, I'd I'd rather there's more to it. Yeah, there's a lot more to it. I just wanted to open up an avenue for other people. It wasn't about me or or us or anything. It was about everybody.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

Yeah. Was there any specific reason or was it a combination of things that make it a lot of things?

SPEAKER_05 32:57

No, it's just to be able to grow grateful inspired art. I really um I'd really like to not have a nine to five job and just to be a full-time vendor, you know.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

And she's been doing it for over a year now.

SPEAKER_05 33:07

So and it's going great, but I can only make so much.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

Yeah, you make everything by hand.

SPEAKER_05 33:12

Yeah, everything's handmade in the booth. Um except for like obviously pashminas and there's filler things that I do. But I would like to have more filler things, you know, or be able to have that extra cash to I'm I'm gonna be adding to the booth.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

So I'm gonna start like a shirt business and stuff and stuff. Yeah, so we're gonna do a little other stuff, yeah. Yeah, grow it up. I don't wanna I don't want to give the name out yet because I don't want any because I got the whole idea for the logo and some I got some really killer ideas.

SPEAKER_06 33:42

Yeah, they don't stop.

SPEAKER_03 33:43

Yeah, they don't know. Oh, it's gonna be good. It's gonna be great. It's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Yeah, cool. What do you what do you hope most that people remember about your festival?

SPEAKER_03 33:54

Just how authentic and different it was. Honestly, it's not I I wouldn't say ours is a one of a kind. I always I never thought it could be something like what we have could be on a bigger scale till we went and worked like like Ramble Fest down in Maryland. It's like a giant grateful day trippers freaking event, like full production. It's like hippie Disneyland, like everybody's happy.

SPEAKER_05 34:18

Everybody's happy.

SPEAKER_03 34:19

They start and end every day with a marching band at the main stuff. Oh, it's it's incredible.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Where's this at?

SPEAKER_03 34:26

Uh down in Ramblewood in in Maryland. Yeah, it's awesome. It's really like even if you're not into jam music, like just to experience at least one time, like uh we've seen some of our EDM community down there just like volunteering and they were having a blast. They loved it. So it's um but I like just to have something like that on a big scale is just crazy.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

Yeah, it is crazy. Well, I guess there's a bigger team.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Yeah, oh, much bigger team, and they run it like really like it's yeah, like our security team, like what is it? This will be year six for Ramble and Ramble Fest. I have no idea. Six or seven. They so last year was our the first year that our security team and safety team was down there, and we're the only safety security team invited back. So we're doing something right. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Team Glass, Kevin and Kristen. Yeah, they don't just make food and serve coffee and pastries, they do it all. They do it all. I love them.

SPEAKER_02 35:26

I haven't seen them since last year. Yeah, um, so someone that's been thinking about coming like these last few years and they've missed it. What's one reason they should make this year happen?

SPEAKER_03 35:36

Well, I mean, there's there's so many different opportunities that like we make it the one of the most affordable. Even like some of the hang up is we don't allow like open camping here.

SPEAKER_05 35:48

Yeah, we don't have we're not a camping event. We're not a camping event. But there's tons of local.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

Even with in a hotel or or a campground nearby, which all are within five to twenty minutes from here, uh it's still one of the cheapest like festivals. Like we've always remained around the same price, even as the economy kept on going up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

Under a hundred dollars for both days.

SPEAKER_03 36:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:12

We have single day passes, and then we have twilight tickets. And even if you wanted to buy six to ten.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Yeah, I love a twilight ticket.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

Even if it's a good idea here, it's uh three and a half hour shift each day.

unknown 36:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:23

They have a couple slots open. Yeah, yeah. Easy, easy work.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

I had a couple people well, one person said they applied today.

SPEAKER_05 36:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Um just do it.

SPEAKER_05 36:31

Drive the ticket, take the ride. Yeah, yeah, just do it. Maggie, Maggie's finally come.

SPEAKER_03 36:36

You don't really know what it's like till you get here. Like, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 36:40

Like it's very family friendly.

SPEAKER_03 36:43

Yeah, I mean, it's just like one very safe space.

SPEAKER_05 36:46

Yeah, one big, one big community.

SPEAKER_03 36:48

We've never knocked on wood wherever there's any wood, but we've never had any incidents at any of our events really. So, I mean, we are proud of you know, crowd control, you know, and creating a safe space.

SPEAKER_05 37:03

And our motto is there are no strangers here, there are only friends you haven't met yet. So come out, make new friends.

SPEAKER_03 37:10

Make a lot of friends. Even if you're shy, like you're you're gonna you're gonna feel like family right away, trust me.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Yeah, and so okay, so it's Friday, August 21st to 22nd. Yes, music starts at what time on Friday?

SPEAKER_05 37:23

Gates open at noon on Friday at 11:30 on Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

Okay, and the music, the gates open at noon. When's music start? I need to know. No, we'll go over that when I get the contract done. I think 12:30. Like 12:30. Um, and then 10 o'clock is when the band ends because there's a noise um rule or whatever. And um, and then you're talking about the Twilight tickets, which is cool. What's that?

SPEAKER_05 37:47

Twilight tickets are um good for six to ten o'clock. Um, they're available. Last we've done them the past two years where you could buy them at the gate. Didn't really advertise them, but um but this year they're online, they're on sale now. Um yeah, so if you work Friday, you work till five, you can still And how much cheaper are they? Uh it's like it's thirty and twenty-five dollars.

SPEAKER_03 38:11

Oh yeah, yeah, very reasonable. If you can't make a whole day or don't want to be here the whole day, yeah. It's close by to a bunch of, you know, we're only like an hour from Philly, uh 40 minutes from Jersey, you know.

SPEAKER_02 38:25

Yeah, and something that, you know, it's tough to do, but it's like really important, which I know you've been talking about it on the internet and everybody's been talking about it, is buying your tickets in advance. I mean that's like one of the most stressful parts of an event, a big event when you have five million people to pay. And well, not five million, but yeah, it's like you know, but then you gotta remember that you just gotta have fun because when you're not having fun, it's over. Yeah. So you can't think about it.

SPEAKER_05 38:57

No, I'm trying not to.

SPEAKER_02 39:01

And we're only two weeks away.

SPEAKER_05 39:02

So get your tickets. Yeah, yeah. Buy the pre-sales.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

Yeah, buy the pre-sales. Um, the Twilight tickets are great. And yeah, they are available at the gate. The tickets in advance also help like fund it just helps them, like they're just two people trying to make it. So any ticket advancement, it's not like they're going out and and partying and paying strippers and you know what I mean? They're not doing, they're actually giving it back to the community to give a better experience for the festival. So it's tough because people don't know what's going on day by day, but and we get it, and it normally ends up being okay.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

A lot of people don't like the plan ahead anymore, you know, because you never know. I mean, a couple of years ago, we had the whole country like the whole world shut down. Yeah, you can't go anywhere. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:49

But uh big things are flying by.

SPEAKER_04 39:52

Oh my gosh.

unknown 39:53

These bugs.

SPEAKER_03 39:54

I wish people understood how much like the pre-sales really meant to like a small group.

SPEAKER_02 40:00

And they it's it's hard if they've never if they aren't in the business. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they'll never understand the anxiety and the chaos. But once you're doing it for a long time, like I've gotten better at it. Like I said, you just have to you've made the decision to do it, you gotta go and hope for the best.

SPEAKER_05 40:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 40:20

So, how are your ticket sales going? Are they all right? Yeah, they're good. Yeah, and you sold some blind faith this year. We were very excited about that in your last podcast.

SPEAKER_06 40:28

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Um, is there anything that anybody should know um about like the attendees that they should know?

SPEAKER_03 40:36

Like things that they can bring or or I mean we're very very easily reachable, and uh, very like uh accessible. So if anybody does have any questions about uh accessibility, any kind of issues or handicaps, please reach out. We'll we'll make it we'll make it safe and comfortable for you to come and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 40:59

And can people bring like food, drinks, things like that, or what's the deal with all that?

SPEAKER_03 41:03

Uh I mean you have to support the vendors. We it's very disheartening seeing people go out and bring back pizza when you got food vendors here and stuff like that. Yeah. But uh or carrying, you know, a couple six packs in when you got Well, we'll have brass collar brewery here. Yeah, yeah. So like we we we at least buy we're not against it, but we really would want you to, you know, because it's a very affordable event. It's not like you're paying hundreds of dollars for a for a pass just to get here. We'd want you to support, you know, we we have it affordable, so in hopes that you spend it at the merch tents, at you know, at the craft.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

And it's all about like the people that don't understand that. Like just by action speak louder than words. So the more, you know, that's how I feel. Like you're like teaching no glass. Teaching almost community, no glass. Okay, no glass. No glass. Um, unless it's a bowl and I'm smoking out of it. Um, it's fine. Um but it's like teaching, you know, teaching people because they don't it's things that people don't mean to, they just don't think about it. Oh, it's chairs, oh my kids, I can eat and drink for free all day. Well, not free, but I don't have to let's say you are on a budget, because a lot of people are. So at least buy like maybe two beers. We've been to spots at least support, buy something from the people and bring maybe if you're gonna be here all day, bring a few things for yourself and then also bring it up.

SPEAKER_05 42:20

Bring a reusable water bottle. We need to have water.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

Oh we also got real bathrooms here. Real bathrooms. Yeah, the bathrooms are nice. Yeah, the bathrooms are nice, and they're clean. And they're clean.

SPEAKER_05 42:30

They are things, and they're clean and there's a nice fan. Thanks to the Grove Committee that keep the bathrooms stocked and cleaned for us all day.

SPEAKER_02 42:36

Yeah. Um, anything else about what people can bring? Or did we did we that was good? Um any final message for anybody who has supported the Grateful Day trippers over the last five years?

SPEAKER_05 42:51

I think I'm actually going to say something at the reunion. I don't usually ever say thank you or goodnight or anything, and it's something like that.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

Yeah, I think I think we might send it off.

SPEAKER_05 43:03

This year, I'm definitely so we'll save that. It's gonna be crazy. We'll save that for then.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

I mean, I know it's gonna be again, but like well, maybe another that's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_05 43:13

Grateful in the Grove October 2nd, 2027, is a single day event, and we'll be back here at the Grove. So it's not too long.

SPEAKER_03 43:21

Yeah, we're not gonna be gone. You know, and then the only the first year that we're not gonna have anything is gonna be 2028, but then we'll have Grateful in the Grove again, 2029, you know? Yeah, and then who knows, maybe a year or two after that, we'll bring back the reunion.

SPEAKER_05 43:33

We'll see. We don't know. We don't know what's gonna happen. Only time will tell. So you need to come out this year and see what it's all about because it's your last chance for please support us if you ever thought about doing it.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

I mean, it's not the year to do it. Yeah, it's the year to do it.

SPEAKER_02 43:48

Please help us uh it's when you guys go out on a bang, you know what I mean? What do you hope that um someone feels when they leave here on Saturday night?

SPEAKER_03 43:56

Like uh a full heart. Yes, I hope they have a lot of FOMO that missing the four years prior if it's their first time here. Because you know, it is the you know the people that been here, you know, the whole time. Like, I I hope they they're not too upset that it's not gonna happen for a couple years, you know. I mean, I uh I feel you know a lot of we've had some positive uh reactions from it, you know. Everybody understands for the most part, you know, where where we're coming from and why we're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 44:31

So I'm uh I'm I'm super excited to run the sound because I actually have a nice mixer now. The last two years I've been daisy chaining mixers and speakers and making it happen, but I mean it sounds good. My speakers are a little small.

SPEAKER_03 44:49

Are they small? Are they small? Maybe it's the angle.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

They're just a little they're a little small. You know, this space really needs like a couple 18 inches and the whole couple full stacks, a couple full stacks, like I mean you know, just double over if I just had bigger, but um, all right, we're not gonna continue that. Um so um I don't think I have anything else. Do you guys have anything else? All right, cool. And I'm not gonna ask you why music is your hero because we heard that in the other podcast, yeah, right? Yeah, so we don't gotta do that. Um and thanks, Drea. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_03 45:24

Thank you for everything that you do.

SPEAKER_02 45:25

Yeah, thank you. I feel like I had something else.

SPEAKER_05 45:28

We can do this without you, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:30

Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm so happy to be part of it.

SPEAKER_03 45:32

Probably honestly, without Lydia stepping up with all the stuff, stuff that she does, but basically just about everything, and you like two really big key parts that this thing kept on going the last couple years. Real power.

SPEAKER_02 45:46

I know, because those boys it wouldn't have been happening.

SPEAKER_03 45:50

Hey, hey, first red flag was the air mattress on the stage, man. All right, get a tent.

SPEAKER_02 45:56

Well, I thought about doing that. At least get a hand. No, I have a tent.

SPEAKER_03 46:01

Use at least use an air pump. Yeah. Pump it up with your foot.

SPEAKER_02 46:05

All right. So I don't know if the thing with uh people maybe I'll put that in the I don't know where I'm gonna put it. We had the walk around with Papa Joe's Grove, so there was a little promo on that. You can book weddings here, events, all these kind of things. So, anyways, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:17

It's a great venue, rent it out.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

This this is gonna this is gonna come out uh next week.

SPEAKER_05 46:22

So yeah, so we have you go to the Sellersville Fire Department website, correct? To rent the grove.

SPEAKER_02 46:29

Yes, yes, we highly um promote promote the grove. And let's see, we'll have one weekend, and then the following weekend will be the reunion. So yep, can't wait. Cool. Now that I have 500 uh mosquito bites, I think I'm ready to ready all this quits. All right, all right, thanks. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

Until next time, keep creating, keep connecting, and keep building together. Remember, we're in this together, so let's keep each other shine.