Story Time at the Roo Bus
Story Time at the Roo Bus Podcast: Behind the Scenes of Music Festivals | Supporting the TOTEM Foundation
Welcome to Story Time at the Roo Bus, a weekly podcast dedicated to the vibrant music festival community. Join us as we dive deep into everything from Bonnaroo to other iconic music festivals, featuring exclusive interviews and in-depth conversations with the people who bring Earth's greatest parties to life. We share inspiring festival stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and the latest music festival news that has us buzzing.
Our podcast proudly supports the TOTEM Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping underserved individuals find career and community opportunities within the music festival industry. Tune in every week for engaging stories, insider access, and a closer look at the world of music festivals!
Episodes
281 episodes
253 - Prepping for Burning Man 2026
Sharla and Daniel are headed back to Burning Man in just two months! We keep hearing from Roovians who are thinking about going to Black Rock City, so we're doing a few episodes leading up to our trip letting you know what you need to do ...
252 - Our Bonnaroo 2026 Recap Part 2: Justin's Adventures + The Confession Box
In Part 2 of the Roo Bus Bonnaroo recap, Sharla and Daniel return a few weeks after the festival to reflect on their 2026 Bonnaroo experience and how their perspectives have changed since returning home. The episode also features a...
251 - Our Bonnaroo 2026 Recap
It might not have been the Bonnaroo we wanted, but 2026 gave us the Bonnaroo we needed. Both the backstage crew and the community came together to defeat the "final boss" of the rain, mud, and even power outages, and it became one of the ...
250 - Live from the How Stage at Bonnaroo
We're live from Centeroo for this episode! Thanks to the Bonnaroo Works Fund and Planet Roo for hosting us on stage on the Friday of Bonnaroo to talk all things TOTEM and the next generation of Roo. We're joined by our buddy Drew Mo...
249 - Ready to Roo
You're probably on your way to The Farm right now, so here it is, the final episode of the podcast before Bonnaroo 2026! Brooklin is over to pack her stuff in the bus, and we throw in a lot of chaos as we give you a tour of the packed bus...
248 - Common John's Roo Beer and Roo Weather with Brooklin and Emily
We've got two awesome guests on this week! Brooklin was up in Manchester this last weekend to visit Common John and get us a sneak peak of this year's Reddaroo beer collab, and we have TV meteorologist and Loophole to Reality camper Emily...
247 - Drew Morgan's Wook Court at Bonnaroo Plus Snake & Jakes in New Orleans
We're down in NOLA this week for our 20th anniversary! But while we were there, we had to stop by the legendary Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge, an iconic Bonnaroo location that longtime Roo vets will definitely recognize. 👀Als...
246 - Outeroo Has Puppet Strippers
This week, Sharla and Daniel are back inside the Roo Bus for a packed Bonnaroo 2026 weekend episode covering the latest festival news, Outeroo discoveries, and all the random chaos that makes the farm feel like home. We talk about the Bonnaroo ...
245 - Pride Party with House of Yes and our TOTEM Class of 2026
It's a doubleheader this week! Jax and Sky have Adam from the House of Yes on this week to give us a ton of fun details on what they're up to at Bonnaroo this year, plus we're thrilled to have our TOTEM class of 2026 on to introduce thems...
244 - Roo Event Announcements & Guess Who with Justin
It's a big episode this week! The weather is great and the bus is just about ready, so Sharla and Daniel are outside on the hood to talk about a bunch of big announcements. We'll talk about the Group Plaza Party, Centeroo programmin...
243 - 50 Days to Bonnaroo with Giggles the Clown
On this episode of Story Time at the Roo Bus, we celebrate what truly makes Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival special: the people, creativity, and community that bring The Farm to life! Roo is more than a company or trademark. It’s the fans and ...
242 - Building a Van for Bonnaroo, Festivals and National Parks with Chris & Chey
Less than two months until Bonnaroo! In this episode, Sharla sits down with Chris and Chey to talk about their Ford Transit van conversion and how they’re building it for Bonnaroo, music festivals, and cross-country travel to national parks.
241 - Big Announcements, Who Stage Updates & Bonnaroo Schedule Reaction
Roo Season is officially here, and we're back recording inside the Roo Bus! Sharla and Daniel return with some big announcements as Bonnaroo gets closer. We're talking major updates on the Who Stage, plus a last-minute bonus segment afte...
240 - Bus Prep, SXSW Picks, & SPACE News!
Daniel is back on the road again this week for some fun adventures in Florida, but we check in while Sharla's back home to go over a number of fun things! We're starting to get the bus prepped, we debate if we want to cook on site on the ...
239 - Under 100 Days Until Roo with Shaina
With way less than 100 days to go until we're all back on the Farm together, Shaina is filling in for Sharla this week! She's here talking with Daniel about prep, some of her favorite undercard acts, how the Loophole to Reality group camp...
238 - Live From Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand is a really special place to us. Sharla's family lived there, we've been many times, and we really feel like it shares so much in common with Bonnaroo. It's our top recommendation if you want to travel, and we're here from ...
237 - Making Campsite Magic Happen with Matty, Myk and LSDaniel
Sharla and Daniel are still in Asia this week, so guest host Matty is stepping in to talk with LSDaniel and Myk! The three of them go over what it takes to make both renegade and official events happen in the campgrounds and much more.&nb...
236 - TOTEM Scholar Takeover with Austin, Anthony and Emilio
Sharla and Daniel are out of town in Thailand, so some of our former TOTEM scholars are taking over the podcast this week! Hang out with Austin, Anthony and Emilio as they go through anything and everything they'd like and take a look for...
235 - EDM Additions and NYC Adventures
It's a remote episode this week, Sharla is back home in Huntsville while Daniel is up with the NYC / New Jersey crew. We talk about some of the updated EDM additions slipped by the Festive Owl, have a fun walk and talk in the East Village...
234 - The Where Stage EDM Lineup with Imani
Bonnaroo's Where Stage lineup dropped this last week, and we brought in an expert to walk us through who will be playing the UFO Stage! TOTEM Scholar Alumni Imani drops in to give us the info on each artist that will be playing that stage...
233 - The Superb Owl Party with Brooklin
Brooklin is SO BACK! She's visiting us for the Super Bowl party, and we're talking all things Bad Bunny halftime show, aka the Benito Bowl! Brooklin shares all things music, travel, and festival life. She tells us what show she is...
232 - Bonnaroo 2026 Ticket Sales and Status
Bonnaroo 2026 ticket deals are sparking big conversations across social media and festival forums. Are these new ticket offers a sign of weak sales, or just part of Bonnaroo’s evolving strategy? And is the Bonnaroo 2026 lineup really as “mid” a...
231 - Bonnaroo's After Hours Lineup
Bonnaroo's After Hours lineup has arrived! Or is it the Late Night lineup? In any case, Sharla and Daniel are here to look it over and also look back at some of our favorite late night shows on the Farm over the years. We also...