1 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Search podcast. 2 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: My guest today is Julio Santo Domingo of the Okeechobe Festival. Julio, 3 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: how did you get involved in this festival? 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 2: Well, it's kind of a long winded answer, but the 5 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 2: short of it was that I was organizing some underground 6 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: electronic music parties in New York from two thousand and 7 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: eight to two thousand and sixteen, roughly when I started 8 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: the festival, but you know, towards the years, around twenty 9 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: eleven twenty twelve, I started talking to someone who was 10 00:00:53,400 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: working at Bonnaroo and we were discussing about bringing my party, 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: he is called Shake and Bake spelled s h e 12 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 2: I k n b e I k uh to Bonnaroo 13 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 2: and making it the underground electronic music tent because from 14 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: what I knew back then, Bonnaroo had a lot of 15 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 2: jam bands and a lot of d M, which what 16 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 2: what you know, what I call ed M, and it's 17 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: more the commercial side of EDM, which is, you know, 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: you're a Vichy's and and and Steve a Jokis of 19 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 2: this world. But they didn't have any underground electronic music 20 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: that carried the the the the Detroit, New York Chicago 21 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 2: UH Berlin School of thought. Really, so we were talking 22 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: about doing something with shake and Bake at Bonnaroo, and 23 00:01:54,760 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: eventually Bonnaroo got sold to Live Nation, and uh, this 24 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: person that I was talking to, they they they they 25 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: left the company and they said, well, you know, you 26 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: know this is not I called them up when they 27 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: said so when are we doing this? Is it still on? 28 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: And he said, well, I left the company. But I'm 29 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 2: I'm I'm I'm in Florida and somebody wanted to show 30 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: me this incredible property in Oki Chobe, and I think 31 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: you should come down and check it out and maybe 32 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: we can do something there. And I said, well, you know, 33 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: I'm coming to Art Basil to DJ in December of 34 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: twenty fourteen, so why don't I stop by on my 35 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: way to Miami and h and check it out. And 36 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 2: so I on my way to Miami, I stopped by 37 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 2: bonnar Oki Chobe and and and fell in love with 38 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: it immediately. And you know, I had been toying with 39 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: the idea, uh of of creating a music festival because 40 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: I wanted to get out of the underground warehouse world 41 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: of New York City. And UH and do something more 42 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: UH in the in the in the sunlight, in the daylight, 43 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 2: UH for everybody, for for for wider audiences. And so 44 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: I had been toying with this idea already for some years. 45 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 3: I had already been uh. 46 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: I I did a music festival with a friend of 47 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 2: mine who bought a lot of land in Jerry Coquara 48 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 2: in Brazil. His name is pass Pascal Salvati. And uh 49 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: at the time, there was nothing in Jerry Cocuara. Jerry 50 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: Coquara is the UH wind kitesurfing capital of the world. 51 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: So it's a very very windy area in the north 52 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: of Brazil. It takes forever to get there. You need 53 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: to fly all the way down to San Paolo to 54 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 2: then fly back up north of the country because nothing 55 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: connects there. I think now it's more accessible, but at 56 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: the time it was it was really you know, insane 57 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: to go there. 58 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 3: And and so. 59 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: We we did this end of the World party in 60 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: twenty twelve, where we obviously was you know, nothing to 61 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 2: the scale of Oki Chobee. But we just sent out 62 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: a newsletter and you know, had a bunch of speakers 63 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 2: and some turntables and in staid whoever wants to come 64 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: join us. I think twenty people showed up and we 65 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: had our own little party at the end of the 66 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 2: world in Jerry Kokuara. And so I had from these days, 67 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: I'd been toying, you know, with the idea of doing 68 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 2: my own music festival. And eventually, when I came to 69 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: Oki Chobee in December of twenty fourteen, I said, well, 70 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: this is the spot. Let's let's see what it takes 71 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 2: to put it together. And and and that was the 72 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 2: beginning of the journey. 73 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 3: You know. 74 00:04:54,839 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 2: The company got formed in May twenty fifteen, Soundslinger, and 75 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 2: then the festival was in March twenty sixteen. So it 76 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: all happened very quickly. 77 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: Okay, the festival has not happened every year. In addition, 78 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: there have been certain partners that came and went, let's 79 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: talk about the first year twenty sixteen, how many people 80 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: actually showed up and did you make money or lose money? 81 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 2: So in twenty sixteen we had twenty seven thousand people 82 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 2: showing up. We lost a ton of money. The problem was, 83 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: you know, we I mean, we were very inexperienced when 84 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 2: it comes to running music festivals. But the safety and 85 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 2: organization was spot on because we had some great people involved. 86 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: But at the same time, you know, we priced the 87 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 2: ticket extremely low, which was very attractive to a lot 88 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: of a lot of a festival go but unfortunately, you know, 89 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: our costs. 90 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 3: Were way above. 91 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: What the tickets cost and we needed to reinvest a 92 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 2: bunch of money in December of twenty fifteen to make 93 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: it happen, or the festival was not going to happen. 94 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: So you know, we almost basically called it quits right there, 95 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: and then before the first year started. 96 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: Whose money is it? 97 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 3: So it's a lot of. 98 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 2: Different investors you know that we reached out to and 99 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 2: several people that came through and have been supporting me 100 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 2: over the years. 101 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: Okay, you're gonna put on the first festival. How much 102 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: money do you think you. 103 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 2: Need for the first festival? I mean, listen, we raised, 104 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 2: as you know, single digit seven figure number, you know, 105 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: and we needed a little bit more than that, I think. 106 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: So it's a lot. 107 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,119 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, you book Mumford and sons, who were very hot. 108 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: Then you book Kendrick Lamar who did the booking, and 109 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: usually for festivals, people want more than their usual rate. 110 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, so so so Momford and Sons. 111 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: Were are are are are our highest uh uh are 112 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 2: our most costly, our costliest bookings of the first year. 113 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: And Kendrick Lamar actually was at a very good price. 114 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 2: You know, I'm not going to go into details, but 115 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: he was booked just before he was nominated for his Grammys, 116 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 2: so he still wasn't, uh, you know, on the level 117 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 2: that that he became, but he was already pretty cool 118 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: and pretty famous. And you know, the bookings were were 119 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 2: made by by Ben who's who's the booker now? But 120 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 2: I had suggested, you know, I booked basically Aquach and 121 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 2: Jungle fifty one back then, and I had suggested I 122 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 2: think one or two artists for the main stage. Was 123 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: one of them was Kendrick Lamar and the other one 124 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 2: was Robert Plant essentially, and so this. 125 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 3: Was everything else was Ben And. 126 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: Well, usually when you're an unknown quantity and you go 127 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: to buy talent, they require the money up front and 128 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: usually more money. Right you know, they're anxious about players 129 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: they've never dealt with before. Right. 130 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 2: Well, the thing is that Ben was already known in 131 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 2: the industry for booking a lot of jam bands at 132 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 2: several different locations and managing also some of the bands 133 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 2: that were playing for us. I had been doing events 134 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 2: for ten years with all the underground artists, so that 135 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: was not a problem. And then of course everybody else. 136 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: You know. One of my partners was Steve Sebisma, who 137 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: came from Sunshine Productions or was it Sunshine Promotions or Productions. 138 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 2: He was one of the biggest concert promoter in the Midwest. 139 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 2: He was also I think one of the first businesses 140 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 2: that sold to Live Nation, which at the time was 141 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 2: called SFX. So he came from China where he was 142 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 2: doing he had retired, you know, sold his business and 143 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 2: came from from China and was doing a music festival 144 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:43,359 Speaker 2: there in some parking lot, Okay. So we weren't completely 145 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 2: novces and unknown in the industry, you know, with all 146 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 2: the different players involved. 147 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for filling that in Okay, you did the first festival. 148 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: You lost money, but forgetting the money, what did you 149 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: learn the first here doing it? 150 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 3: Well? 151 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 2: I learned that it's it's not for the faint of heart, 152 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: and a lot of things can go wrong, and you 153 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 2: need to be extremely organized to succeed in this world. 154 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 2: And not only be organized, but you need to have 155 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 2: luck and to have a viable product and make sure 156 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 2: that people can afford to come to your festival. 157 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: Okay, a little bit more granular. Tell me some of 158 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: the things, some of the emergencies, some of the things 159 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: you did not foresee the first year. 160 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 2: Well, I think operationally there weren't many emergencies, so to 161 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: say it was it was more purely financial and needing 162 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 2: you know, band aids to pay for things, to make 163 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: sure that vendors got paid and an artist got paid 164 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 2: and everybody got paid so we could keep the lights on. 165 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,959 Speaker 2: That was really always the main thing, because I think 166 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: from an operational point of view, we've always been quite 167 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 2: on top of it. 168 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: Okay, you sold twenty seven thousand tickets. How many did 169 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: you need to sell the break even. 170 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 3: That first year? Probably around forty thousand. 171 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: The twenty seven thousand people who did come, how did 172 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: they find out about it? 173 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 3: Well? 174 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 2: I think that at the time, your options in Florida were, 175 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 2: you know, for something that is multi genre on a 176 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 2: massive scale in a beautiful property. I mean the closest 177 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 2: thing was Suwani, but that's not you know, so big 178 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 2: like Okichobe, and it's more one type of music. So 179 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 2: your other option was Ultra, which is in Miami and 180 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: Bonnarou which is in Tennessee. So I think, you know, 181 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: we were at a right time, at the right place 182 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 2: where there was a need for what we were offering. 183 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 2: And that's how I think most you know, success stories, 184 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 2: quote unquote happen is just a matter of having luck 185 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: on your side and doing things at the right moment. 186 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: How did you literally market it, especially in this era 187 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: of the internet. Did you take ads? What'd you do? 188 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 2: So we essentially the first video that we ever released 189 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 2: where we didn't have any thing to show for, We 190 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: didn't have any crowds, we didn't have anything beyond our 191 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 2: lineup poster we actually. 192 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 3: Created. 193 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 2: One of my partners is one of my best friends, 194 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 2: this guy Nicos, who was a filmmaker. 195 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 3: He's a filmmaker and he was involved in a lot 196 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 3: of the. 197 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 2: Artistic creation of the festival, you know, with the be 198 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:00,079 Speaker 2: here Now stages, the naming of the stages, and and 199 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 2: and creating all of our of our videos. 200 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 3: Back then, he had. 201 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 2: Uh created a point of view video where he was 202 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,719 Speaker 2: waking up in the middle of the jungle with a 203 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 2: GoPro attached to his forehead and walking through the land 204 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: and discovering the land. 205 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: And I think when everybody. 206 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 2: Saw the land, they they it turned on the light 207 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 2: with people and they saw how beautiful this place was. 208 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 2: Because I think one of our strongest selling points for 209 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 2: the festival is how beautiful the land is. We keep 210 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 2: on hearing it from everyone from from the cruise working here, 211 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: to artists to our festival attendees. You know, they they 212 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 2: all love the land and it's beautiful and magical and 213 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 2: and always uh you know, reminds them of of of 214 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 2: somewhere of an enchanted land like this, So you know, 215 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 2: that was a big part of it. The second part 216 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 2: of it, I think having artists like Robert Plant and 217 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 2: Kendrick Lamar and uh and and other you know, artists 218 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 2: that are very big within their respective genres. Uh, you know, 219 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 2: created a a a marketing buzz where Also back then, 220 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 2: you know, the algorithm to share posts on Instagram and 221 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 2: Facebook was way different, uh than what it is now. 222 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 2: You know, you didn't have to spend as much with ads. 223 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: Everything was kind of more open and and and less 224 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 2: people were doing what we're doing, so there was less competition. 225 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 3: And also. 226 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: Another aspect of of of of how we had a 227 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 2: lot of people come to our festival was that we 228 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 2: partnered with UH a friend of Nikos called Kevin Kochan 229 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 2: who sadly passed away some years ago, but he was 230 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 2: the head of the Symbiosis festival in California and also 231 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 2: the organizer of the Eclipse festivals that took place at 232 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 2: the Gorge and in Patagonia and UH and other places 233 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 2: around the world. So you know, they had a faithful 234 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: following of of of many many festival goers who went 235 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 2: to alternative festivals as well as UH UH you know 236 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 2: Kevin's UH partner Tyler Hanson from a culture house, who 237 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 2: was doing a lot of of our of our activities, 238 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 2: you know, our our actors and and other performers, uh 239 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 2: walking around the festival. 240 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: Okay, you have a first run. Is there any thought 241 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: that we're going to pack up the ten or you 242 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: always think you're going to do it again in twenty seventeen. 243 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 2: Well, that's a really good question. We were even though 244 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 2: the losses were substantial, we had you know, we're also 245 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 2: pleasantly surprised that we managed to sell twenty seven tickets 246 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 2: twenty seven thousand tickets for a first year festival. So 247 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 2: I think there was a proof of concept which was 248 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 2: enticing to the investors, you know, to reinvest when they saw, 249 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 2: you know, that we were able to bring that many 250 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 2: people to this land, which is not close to anything 251 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 2: to any urban centers. I mean, Palm Beach is the 252 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 2: closest thing. We're right in between Palm Beach, Orlando, Miami 253 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 2: and Tampa, but still not in anyone's suburb essentially. 254 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: Okay, so you do it in twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, 255 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. In those times, were you ever in the black? 256 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,440 Speaker 1: Did you ever make money? Or did you lose money? 257 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: Each year? 258 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 2: We we lost money every single year, but we kept going. 259 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 2: We kept getting put down and getting up again, and 260 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 2: uh and and and doing whatever it takes through a 261 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 2: lot of a lot of a lot of begging, a 262 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: lot of of of of of of of convincing and 263 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 2: uh and a lot of of of of benefactors who 264 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 2: who saw the potential of this of this business, you know, 265 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 2: to one day. 266 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: Okay, So the first year was twenty seven thousand, How 267 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,479 Speaker 1: many people came the next two years? 268 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 2: The next year was by far our biggest attendees, and 269 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 2: and we had thirty two thousand people coming in twenty 270 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:04,400 Speaker 2: seventeen and then in twenty eighteen, I think it dipped down, 271 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 2: dip dipped down again to roughly twenty six twenty five thousand. 272 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: I don't have the numbers, and you know in my 273 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 2: head so clearly, but it's you. 274 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: You're amazing with the numbers. So you don't need to apologize. 275 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 1: You didn't have the festival in twenty nineteen. What was 276 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: the thinking there? 277 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 2: The thinking there was that we took a beating the 278 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 2: first three years, and you know, we we didn't have 279 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 2: any more money, and we we didn't have any other 280 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 2: options than the then partnering up with another another another, 281 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 2: you know, big fish who came and so we basically 282 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 2: sold you know, fifty one percent of our business and 283 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 2: created a new a new company where where the new 284 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 2: partners you know, owned fifty one percent and we owned 285 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 2: forty nine percent basically. 286 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: Okay, and that partner was Insomniac, right, correct, So you 287 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,439 Speaker 1: make a deal with Insomniac, then you have a vestal 288 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, just before you know, shut down. How 289 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: did that work out? 290 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 2: Well, well, you know that was crazy because the rest 291 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 2: of the world as we were building the festival. You know, 292 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 2: I have family in Europe, I grew up in Europe, 293 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 2: and and and my family was like, get out of 294 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,360 Speaker 2: you know, get out of there. Everything shutting down. And 295 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: you know, in Europe they were going crazy. They were 296 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,639 Speaker 2: like shutting down cities and and and and and I 297 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 2: was like, guys, relaxed. You know, we're here, not nothing 298 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 2: shut down. I'm not going to go to Europe and 299 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 2: get stuck there. And I have this festival to put 300 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 2: to put on. So eventually what happened was that, you know, 301 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 2: clearly it had an effect on on on on people 302 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 2: traveling from out of state. I think one of the 303 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 2: bands dropped out of the pow Wow, which is our 304 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 2: collaborative collaborative show between many different artists and groups of 305 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 2: artists who come together for once in a lifetime performance. 306 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 2: So I forgot who it was that dropped out. Anyway, 307 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 2: someone dropped out, and we you know, because of COVID 308 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 2: and and so you know, still people came, but they 309 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 2: came locally from Florida. 310 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: Well, how many people came in twenty twenty. 311 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 2: We had, I want to believe around twenty three or 312 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 2: twenty four thousand, I'm not quite sure. 313 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 3: Still still quite a lot, you know. 314 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: Okay, what did Insomniac bring other than money. 315 00:20:53,080 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 2: I think they brought a lot of incredible, dedicated people 316 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 2: who do this across fifty five shows per year. 317 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 3: So it's it's a much. 318 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 2: Wider address book than I had of people working in 319 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 2: the industry. And of course you know, scaling and and 320 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 2: lower prices for artists that goes without saying, you know, 321 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 2: it's on their live nations. So a lot of a 322 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 2: lot of of of of of muscle there to be 323 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: able to to get lower prices from vendors, and uh 324 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 2: and and and and and also quality people working in 325 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 2: their in their company that that are incredible that I'm 326 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 2: still friends with to this day. You know, it's like 327 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 2: it's a family. 328 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 3: At the end of the day. 329 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 2: You're spending a lot of time with these people, you know, 330 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 2: building this thing. So they brought a lot of a 331 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 2: lot of experience, uh with them, you know, and and 332 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 2: of course I always have, you know, a lot of 333 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 2: respect for you know, anyone working in this industry because 334 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 2: it's unforgiving and it's not you know, people tend to 335 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:13,120 Speaker 2: to to to want to you know, uh uh complain 336 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 2: a lot online about you know, certain companies and certain people, 337 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 2: but at the end of the day. It's it's not 338 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 2: easy putting on a music festival, and it's it's it's 339 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,119 Speaker 2: it's like building a city, and it's it's extremely challenging, 340 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 2: extremely taxing, and and and long hours and making sure 341 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 2: that every detail is taken care of so that people 342 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 2: can have a good time. And uh and and and 343 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 2: and enjoy themselves. 344 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: Okay, you and your team were in control once Insomniac 345 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: got involved. In addition to the relationships in the act, 346 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: in terms of production, did they take care of all that? 347 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,239 Speaker 2: So they took care of of of most of of 348 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 2: all the production, you know, the the nuts and bolts 349 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 2: if you want. Of course, you know, I was in 350 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 2: the room within a lot of the conversations, but I 351 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 2: didn't have the control for sure, of of of of 352 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 2: of where wherever they wanted to go with it. For instance, Uh, 353 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 2: you know, they changed the logo of our first three 354 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 2: years and uh and I was not involved in that process, 355 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 2: and and and and and and was quite shocked to 356 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 2: to to to see it because it was done without 357 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 2: with without my my opinion or anything. And so you know, uh, 358 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:42,880 Speaker 2: I had more. Uh. The thing that I controlled during 359 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 2: our partnership was mostly the County relations and the bookings 360 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 2: of Jungle fifty one, which was an extension of my 361 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 2: New York City Parties series of events that I used 362 00:23:58,600 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 2: to do in New York. 363 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 3: So you know that for me was when we made 364 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 3: a deal. 365 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 2: I said, you know, you guys, do what you have 366 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 2: to do, but you know I'm going to control Jungle 367 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 2: fifty one. 368 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: Okay, COVID happened, you come back relatively early in twenty 369 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: twenty two, what happened in twenty twenty two and twenty 370 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: twenty three. 371 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 2: So we obviously had to take twenty twenty one off 372 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 2: because it takes us, you know, let's say a year 373 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 2: to plan a festival. You know, you're working on it 374 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 2: all all year round. You have to start the bookings earlier. 375 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 2: So we when we stopped the festival in twenty twenty, 376 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 2: I remember getting into my car and driving back up 377 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 2: to New York and stopping by the cheese and meat 378 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 2: shop to buy I think five hundred dollars worth of 379 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 2: cheese and meat to have something at home. I had 380 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 2: no idea how how long we were going to stay 381 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 2: stuck in this, and you know, nobody knew anything. So 382 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 2: I got a bunch of you know, disinfecting wipes, that 383 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 2: Walmart in Florida, which still had stuff compared to New York, 384 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 2: which everyone had bought everything out of out of everywhere 385 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 2: and arrived home and almost like a ghost town kind 386 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 2: of thing. And so from that point on, you know, 387 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 2: everyone got laid off from every single business on the 388 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 2: planet or put on furlough, and so we couldn't possibly 389 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 2: produce twenty twenty one. So it took us a year 390 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 2: to kind of collect ourselves and say, okay, well things 391 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 2: are kind of you know, getting back to normal. 392 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: Here. 393 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 3: People were partying like there. 394 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 2: Was no tomorrow in Tulu, Mexico, and Florida was you know, 395 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 2: as if nothing had happened. But you know, we could 396 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 2: still not responsibly. The whole industry was decimated, on the 397 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 2: live event industry with everyone being sent home, and you know, 398 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: you often speak about this because I read your newsletter 399 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 2: where there were you know, generational information from Rhodies and 400 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 2: all that experience that was passed down throughout these years 401 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 2: that was just lost. And and the new people who 402 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 2: came in, you know, had no more mentors, and and 403 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 2: all the people who kind of took a break who 404 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 2: were doing this day in day out and never were 405 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 2: able to step out of the hamster wheel, so to say, 406 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 2: you know, they they all kind of stopped and took 407 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 2: a you know, a slower pace of life and realized 408 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 2: that they didn't want to go back to this, to 409 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 2: to this crazy lifestyle. And so it's it's it was 410 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 2: impossible to put on twenty twenty one. But you know, 411 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 2: came March or April of twenty twenty one. We came 412 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 2: back to the table with Insomniac and and and and 413 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 2: decided to strike a long well the first year twenty 414 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 2: twenty was kind of an experience show year, right, So 415 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 2: then we you know, the negotiations stopped after this, and 416 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 2: we came back to the table the whole year to 417 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 2: figure out how to move forward and continue this for 418 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two. And we we we decided to essentially 419 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 2: do a longer term agreement to do you know, a 420 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: series of events from twenty twenty two onwards. And so 421 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 2: we did twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three together. 422 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: And how is attendance in twenty twenty two and twenty 423 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: twenty three. 424 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty two we had around twenty five thousand 425 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 2: and in twenty twenty six. We sorry, twenty twenty three, 426 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 2: we had around twenty six thousand from what I remember. 427 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:54,959 Speaker 1: Okay, so until today in twenty four, twenty five, you're dark. 428 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: In addition to being dark, you part ways with Insomniac. 429 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 1: Tell me about all that? 430 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 2: Well, I, I, I don't really want to go into details, 431 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,639 Speaker 2: nor can I you know, legally do that, but essentially, 432 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 2: you know, we just wanted to regain you know, I 433 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 2: wanted to to to regain my creative control and uh 434 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 2: and and and it brought me to to to to 435 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 2: to where I am now where where sound Singer is 436 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 2: again create controlling the event and uh and and and 437 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 2: and and looking ahead of us too to produce this 438 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 2: this music festival. 439 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: So why was there not at an event in twenty 440 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: twenty four? 441 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 2: There was no event in twenty twenty four because after 442 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 2: we separated, I needed to raise funds again, uh and 443 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 2: build up a team of of of people since I 444 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 2: don't didn't have a team anymore. So all of that 445 00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 2: took a tremendous amount of effort to put everything together 446 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 2: and you know, get people to reinvest into the festival. 447 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: Okay, did you part ways with Insomniac? Because no, money 448 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: was being made or creative differences. 449 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 3: I can't actually go into detail of that. I'm sorry. 450 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: Okay, it's done with Insomniac. The last show plays in 451 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. At that time, were you always planning 452 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: to come back or were you planning to sit on 453 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: the sidelines and all of a sudden decided let's do 454 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: it again. 455 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 2: I wake up every day without no matter what happens 456 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 2: in my life, with the ambition to come back to 457 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 2: Sunshine Grove and put on the festival. 458 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 3: So it's always. 459 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 2: My my my resondet, you know, my. 460 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 3: Drives me is to put on this show. 461 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: Okay, the festival's never made any money. What is your 462 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: pitch to the new investors. 463 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 2: Well, it's it's it's that you know, we are a a. 464 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 3: A pivotal. 465 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 2: Music festival in the southeast of the US. We we 466 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 2: mean a lot to so many people here, so there's 467 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 2: an incredible opportunity to UH to develop something not only 468 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 2: on the music festival. 469 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 3: Side, and. 470 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 2: Also in the development of the of the property, to 471 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 2: create a a three hundred and and sixty five days 472 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 2: a year. 473 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 3: Situation. So I think that. 474 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 2: For a lot of people, it's it's it's they see 475 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 2: the bigger picture. And also we all know, you know 476 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 2: that Coachella took you know, ten years or so to 477 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 2: to make money, and and and after that they made 478 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 2: a lot of money. Right, So it's it's it's a 479 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 2: matter of of of of sticking through with it, and 480 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 2: it's the people who are able to stick through with 481 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 2: it the most who succeed at the end. 482 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 3: So it's not about you know, someone said success. 483 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 2: Is is falling down seven times and getting up eight times, right, 484 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: So that's what it's it's all about. 485 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: You know. Okay, we're a week out. How many tickets 486 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: have you sold? 487 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 2: We sold a lot of tickets. I'm not gonna go 488 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 2: into details, but we've sold out of a lot of 489 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 2: different areas and we of course always would like to 490 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 2: sell more tickets because we can always make more space 491 00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 2: if we want. And we we're just excited to be 492 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 2: coming back and to uh and and to to putting 493 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 2: on the show. You know, we're where everything is coming together. 494 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 2: The stages are almost uh all of them up already. 495 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 2: The fence lines, all the fencing is is already laid 496 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 2: out across. A lot of containers have been dropped, a 497 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 2: lot of comfort stations, all the poor the partties. So 498 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 2: we're we're pretty much you know there, what's what's happening 499 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 2: now between now and uh and and and the day 500 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 2: we open doors. It's all the scenic all the the art, 501 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 2: all the the decoration that goes around the property. 502 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: Okay, you keep talking about this property, and you talked 503 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: about long term things using the property. Who owned the property? 504 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 2: The property is owned by by myself, you know, through 505 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 2: a company that basically at the beginning it was kind 506 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 2: of divided in one hundred and fifty plots or something 507 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 2: like that, and when we formed the business in twenty fifteen, 508 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 2: a quarter of it of the property was bought straight up. 509 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 2: The second part was rented from the original owner, which 510 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 2: was the house in the center, for seven years, with 511 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 2: the obligation to buy it after seven years. And the 512 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 2: third part was you know, bought with mortgages from private 513 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 2: individuals that was like, you know, let's call it thirty 514 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 2: to forty plots. And then the remainder of the thirty 515 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 2: to forty plots that we didn't own, we used to 516 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 2: rent them year after year when we did the festival, 517 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 2: and we eventually bought them one by one until recently 518 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,480 Speaker 2: maybe a few years ago when the last plot was 519 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 2: bought and the whole property was consolidated into one big plot. 520 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: Okay, before you had the festival, there were there events 521 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: in this same area. 522 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,879 Speaker 2: There were no events in the same area other than 523 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:21,959 Speaker 2: something called Mudfest, which is basically a bunch of off 524 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 2: road lifted trucks sliding around in the mud. And it 525 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 2: was a pretty rustic kind of festival. That was the 526 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 2: only experience from the county for any type of festival 527 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 2: in the region. 528 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: Okay, there's a city called Okechobee. How far is your 529 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: site from air? Quote civilization and what does civilization say 530 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,320 Speaker 1: about it? Some communities are open to having a festival, 531 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 1: other ones are a thorn in your side. 532 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 2: Well, you know, Oki Chobe center of Okichobe is is, 533 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 2: you know, twenty five minutes away from where we are located. 534 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 2: And just to to give you a little bit of 535 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 2: the of the color, you know, when you when you 536 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,439 Speaker 2: get to the center, there's a there's an army tank 537 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,800 Speaker 2: and an army helicopter and an army machine gun on display. 538 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 2: So that's a a CVS and a and a Walgreens. 539 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 2: So that's what the center of town looks like. The beginning, 540 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 2: I think that well, to take a step back, Okichobe 541 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 2: has around one hundred and twenty thousand cows and thirty 542 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 2: thousand people. 543 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 3: So it's a very rural. 544 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 2: County where the Cattleman's Association hold a lot of power 545 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 2: here and and you know, extremely hard working people who 546 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 2: you know, all give their everything to to to their 547 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,359 Speaker 2: land and their animals and and the whole industry that 548 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 2: that they operate. So at the beginning, we were welcomed 549 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 2: with some skepticism. You know, of course, uh some people 550 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 2: didn't want us around. But I think that after our 551 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 2: first year and and you know, them realizing that we 552 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:28,439 Speaker 2: were mostly a peaceful organization, uh with with kids who 553 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 2: just come here wanting to have a good time and 554 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 2: not getting into fights or anything like that, basically they 555 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 2: they we we won the people over little by little. 556 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: Okay, what is so special about this land? 557 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 2: I think what is mostly special about it is that 558 00:36:55,560 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 2: it's it's pretty much untouched other than having a very 559 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 2: large log cabin in the center and a system of 560 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 2: roads that connect the whole property. 561 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 3: From one area to another. 562 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:18,760 Speaker 2: But more importantly that it has this incredible vegetation which 563 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 2: makes you feel like you're somewhere in the tropics with 564 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 2: palm trees and jungle and underbrush that is very atypical 565 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 2: of the rest of the country. And lots of wild 566 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:39,839 Speaker 2: animal here, so you know, everything from deer to armadillos, skunks, raccoons. 567 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 2: We of course have alligators that we remove before the festival, 568 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,960 Speaker 2: but you know, in Florida, if you remove alligators, you know, 569 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 2: a few weeks later they come back, so you know, 570 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:57,200 Speaker 2: they're generally harmless if you stay out of their ways. 571 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 2: But we definitely remove these. But this is what makes 572 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 2: this land special. It's the the the topography of the 573 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,399 Speaker 2: trees and grass and everything else that we have here. 574 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 1: So if I'm at this festival forgetting the alligators, I 575 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: will see wild animals. 576 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 2: It's very, very possible that you will see wild animals 577 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 2: from sandal cranes who come right very close up to people. 578 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 2: They're kind of used to us, they're not afraid of 579 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 2: us to you know, many other types of birds, blue 580 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 2: hair blue herons, which is the largest I think it's 581 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 2: the largest bird in North America, as well as lots 582 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 2: of armadillos, lots of uh, you know, raccoons and skunks. Yeah, 583 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:51,520 Speaker 2: the high chance you might see some animals. 584 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely, okay, sell me, not me. The average person in America, 585 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: they're walking down the street, they don't know something and 586 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 1: they run into you and you say, oh, I have 587 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: this festival. There's you know, there's a number of festivals 588 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 1: out there. What is your pitch about what makes your 589 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 1: festival so great? 590 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 2: Well, we're one of the few truly camping festivals in 591 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 2: our region. We are the weather is excellent, it's not 592 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 2: too hot, not too cold. It's it's not humid and 593 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 2: muggy like other places. It's it's really blue skies at 594 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 2: that time of the year. March in Florida. We're close 595 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:41,360 Speaker 2: to you know, close enough to Miami and Orlando. 596 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:42,879 Speaker 3: We are. 597 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 2: We have incredible music. We have one hundred and twenty 598 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 2: artists for four days, so the the bank for your buck, 599 00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 2: as they say, is highly worth it. We have an 600 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:06,960 Speaker 2: incredible amount of food offerings from you know, anything from 601 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,280 Speaker 2: hot dogs and French fries to you know, an Argentine 602 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 2: Argentinian parilia. 603 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,280 Speaker 3: Which is like an Argentine word for barbecue. 604 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 2: We have so many different activities, you know, from yoga 605 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 2: and meditations to uh frick frock black jack, which is 606 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,840 Speaker 2: you know, a really fun place where you can go 607 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:38,280 Speaker 2: in and play casino with with you know, you could 608 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,840 Speaker 2: put your pair of shoes or or something like that, 609 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 2: because obviously we're not doing it with money. But there's 610 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,560 Speaker 2: there's a lot of of different things to do and 611 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:51,399 Speaker 2: walk around and being outdoors with your best friends and uh, 612 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 2: and and and seeing some incredible talent on six different 613 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 2: stages on an eight hundred acre pro which I always 614 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 2: tell people that's the size of Central Park in New 615 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,360 Speaker 2: York and it's clean. 616 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: Okay, you have VIP packages. What percentage of your audience 617 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:24,680 Speaker 1: buys VIP and what are the varying VIP packages look like? 618 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:29,359 Speaker 2: I would say the percentage is around ten percent of 619 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 2: the audience we have mainly you know, within VIP you 620 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 2: can either stay in a glamping tent or in a 621 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 2: preset RV, or you can even go one step up 622 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 2: than that you stay in a rockstar type of bus, 623 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 2: you know, which is that's like the top of the 624 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 2: top of the VIP. 625 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:03,480 Speaker 1: Okay, you have rooms in the electronic music world, how 626 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: does Cage the Elephant become the headliner? 627 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 3: Well, it's very simple. 628 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 2: You know, it doesn't matter what I like, it's uh, 629 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 2: it's you know, we we have to cater to a 630 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 2: very wide audience, and that's what we're trying to do. 631 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,560 Speaker 2: And that's what you know Ben Baruk and Dave nit 632 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:25,440 Speaker 2: Niedbowski from Grand Rising Curations uh do very well. Is 633 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 2: that they book all of the other stuff. You know, 634 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,399 Speaker 2: I can focus on the on the techno and house 635 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:35,880 Speaker 2: music DJs and and and some other odd artists here 636 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 2: here and there, and they can take care of everything 637 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:43,880 Speaker 2: that is, you know, the cage, the elephants, the t panes, uh. 638 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 3: The grizz the Grizzes of this World. 639 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 2: And uh uh and and more, you know, LCD sound System, 640 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 2: et cetera, et cetera. 641 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,840 Speaker 1: Well, you've been doing this for a while. To what 642 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 1: degree is a festival success dependent on the line up? 643 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:09,760 Speaker 2: The festival success is I think I would say maybe, 644 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 2: you know, it's something that we haven't been able to 645 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:17,600 Speaker 2: actually determine. I'd love to be able to know the 646 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:21,440 Speaker 2: answer to that, but my guess is that it's you know, 647 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 2: sixty percent lineup forty percent location. I'd like it to 648 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:36,280 Speaker 2: be more location than lineup. But I think that people 649 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:40,160 Speaker 2: have a lot of very high expectations from the lineup 650 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:44,600 Speaker 2: because we started in twenty sixteen, very very big. 651 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 3: So it's very. 652 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 2: Difficult for us to backtrack from that and say, Okay, 653 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:54,560 Speaker 2: you know what, we're not going to be booking any headliners, 654 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:56,720 Speaker 2: you know, but what's the headliner anyway? 655 00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:57,440 Speaker 3: Nowadays? Right? 656 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:00,360 Speaker 2: You know, you know very well that we're not living 657 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 2: in a in a monoculture anymore, and that one headliner 658 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:10,440 Speaker 2: means something to someone and nothing to a lot of people. 659 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,920 Speaker 2: So how do you how do you even pick the headliner? Right, 660 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:16,799 Speaker 2: it's a it's it's it's still a mystery to me. 661 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:22,480 Speaker 1: Okay. Coachella famously has certain restrictions, you know, in terms 662 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 1: of worry the act can play, how close, how frequently 663 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,640 Speaker 1: you're a festival, unlike you're like very early in the season. 664 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 1: So when you book talent, do you put any restrictions on? 665 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:39,840 Speaker 1: Are you worried about the fact that your one act 666 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:44,560 Speaker 1: may play twenty festivals? Are these considerations? 667 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 2: Look, we we book first of all, Coachella is a 668 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:55,160 Speaker 2: month after us. They're in April. I think they're also 669 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:59,239 Speaker 2: very very far from from where we are, So for me, 670 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:02,279 Speaker 2: it doesn't make sense their restrictions. You know, we've had 671 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:06,239 Speaker 2: several artists in the past who had signed contracts with US, 672 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:12,000 Speaker 2: and they decided last minute because Coachella wanted to book 673 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:15,120 Speaker 2: them to kind of you know, rip the contract apart 674 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,880 Speaker 2: and uh and and and go with Coachella. And you know, 675 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 2: of course we can legally attack them, but we're not 676 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:24,960 Speaker 2: going to do that, because what's the point. You know, 677 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,520 Speaker 2: you're you're you're doing business with all these agencies, and 678 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:29,880 Speaker 2: you know it's fine. You just find a replacement and 679 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:33,920 Speaker 2: you move on, you know, you know, with with with 680 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:37,879 Speaker 2: with what we're doing here in in Florida. We try 681 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:42,960 Speaker 2: to put a a a a five hundred mile kind 682 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:47,360 Speaker 2: of radius clause which covers most of the state of Florida. 683 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,600 Speaker 2: And you know, some artists, especially in my world, they 684 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 2: always ask me, they say, okay, but can we play 685 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:56,880 Speaker 2: you know, the Winter Music Conference in Miami, which is 686 00:45:57,120 --> 00:45:59,799 Speaker 2: you know, the weekend after US which is now called 687 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:03,759 Speaker 2: Myami Music Week by the way. And you know, I 688 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:07,560 Speaker 2: always tell them, you know, sure, but you can't announce 689 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:11,080 Speaker 2: it until after our festival, you know, so they have 690 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:13,880 Speaker 2: to keep it as a special guest and then they 691 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:17,480 Speaker 2: can start promoting it once with. 692 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:19,120 Speaker 3: I think that's a fair approach. 693 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:25,120 Speaker 1: Okay, you are in Florida, One of the advantages of 694 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,399 Speaker 1: Coachella is the weather. It could be hot, it can 695 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:33,279 Speaker 1: be cold, but it ain't gonna rain. These New York festivals, 696 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:37,600 Speaker 1: you know, they'll have it down poor. What is the 697 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:40,399 Speaker 1: situation in Florida? Been doing this for a while? Can 698 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: it rain and ruin a whole day? 699 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,480 Speaker 2: So we're we're at the end of the dry season. 700 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 2: The rainy season is typically from April to November and 701 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:54,520 Speaker 2: dry from December to March. So we're at the end 702 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 2: of that, and it has been extremely dry for the 703 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:01,920 Speaker 2: last two three months. You know, it actually froze. Everything 704 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:05,920 Speaker 2: froze a few months ago. I think it was in 705 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 2: January or early February, and I was here and I 706 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,040 Speaker 2: was wearing you know, I didn't plan for this, and 707 00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:16,120 Speaker 2: I just brought a hoodie and a light jacket, so 708 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 2: I was it was supposedly colder in Florida than it 709 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 2: was in Alaska on those days. I don't know if 710 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:27,560 Speaker 2: you remember that, I do, but in any case, that 711 00:47:27,719 --> 00:47:31,080 Speaker 2: was kind of unusual. And and since then it's been 712 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:38,480 Speaker 2: extremely dry with danger of fires, you know, wildfire's happening, 713 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:42,239 Speaker 2: and so it's in the past few weeks since I've 714 00:47:42,239 --> 00:47:47,920 Speaker 2: been here on site. It's been raining a little bit 715 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:56,319 Speaker 2: here and there, which has been most welcomed, and it 716 00:47:56,480 --> 00:47:59,560 Speaker 2: has only in the past six years that we've done. 717 00:47:59,560 --> 00:48:01,800 Speaker 2: The past six events that we've done, it only rained 718 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:06,080 Speaker 2: once on Thursday, opening day and that was just a 719 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:11,440 Speaker 2: tiny bit of rain. It didn't affect much, you know, 720 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 2: so we've been very lucky. But it could you know, 721 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:19,000 Speaker 2: you could have a thunderstorm, freak weather's climate happening, you know, 722 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:22,279 Speaker 2: like you can you know what happened at in Tomorrowland 723 00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:25,840 Speaker 2: in Georgia where they had to cancel, and Bonnaroo and 724 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 2: all these other festivals. So we've been extremely lucky up 725 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:29,839 Speaker 2: to now. 726 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:32,760 Speaker 1: How do you establish pricing. 727 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:37,800 Speaker 2: Well, we we we back out, that's a very good question. 728 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:40,879 Speaker 2: We we basically back out of our costs and we 729 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 2: priced it based on how much everything costs us. You know, 730 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:48,560 Speaker 2: we can't price the tickets lower than what it cost 731 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:52,960 Speaker 2: us to put on the show. And of course, you know, 732 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:55,440 Speaker 2: people keep on putting their prices up, so we have 733 00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:57,879 Speaker 2: to put our prices up. It's not that we want 734 00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,279 Speaker 2: to have our tickets priced at what they're we we 735 00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:03,719 Speaker 2: actually would like to make it affordable to everyone. But 736 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:07,920 Speaker 2: the nature of the beast makes it that we can't 737 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:10,880 Speaker 2: uh price the tickets any lower because if now we 738 00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:11,720 Speaker 2: go out of business. 739 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 1: Are you concerned about your prices relative to other festivals? 740 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:22,600 Speaker 2: We're actually uh very well priced. We're compared to to 741 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,920 Speaker 2: all the similar festivals. We're we're right on par with 742 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:30,880 Speaker 2: what everyone else is pricing. What I'm concerned about is 743 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:35,479 Speaker 2: more this uh economy that we're having in America, which 744 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:38,680 Speaker 2: is you know, propped up by the AI bubble. 745 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:39,520 Speaker 1: Uh. 746 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,839 Speaker 3: You know, people are really uh. 747 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:46,960 Speaker 2: Suffering out there. There's there's there's a real problem of 748 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 2: disposable income. And and you know, festivals I think are 749 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 2: are are are are what goes goes out the window 750 00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:59,920 Speaker 2: the fastest because people are saving up to you know, 751 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,080 Speaker 2: see if they can afford to go to the supermarket 752 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,960 Speaker 2: to buy food. So, you know, we feel it, we 753 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:08,839 Speaker 2: see it, we hear it in the comments. It's it's 754 00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:11,799 Speaker 2: it's a really a good a good gauge of what's 755 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:14,319 Speaker 2: going on around the country. It's a it's a it's 756 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:16,880 Speaker 2: a real shame that we got to this point. But 757 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:19,600 Speaker 2: without any finger pointing, you know, this is where we are. 758 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: What percentage of people sleep overnight on the site. 759 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 3: Everybody. 760 00:50:29,719 --> 00:50:31,800 Speaker 1: Everybody, Okay, close. 761 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,120 Speaker 2: To ninety eight percent. I mean other than people who 762 00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:37,440 Speaker 2: come in for the day. We sell day passes, you know, 763 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:42,719 Speaker 2: so you know I would say I would say ten 764 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,080 Speaker 2: percent maybe come for the day. 765 00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:48,960 Speaker 1: Let's just assume. You know, it's like at Bontaroo. There 766 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:52,480 Speaker 1: are people who stay at hotels and drive in. Is 767 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:55,880 Speaker 1: that even an option? Or the hotels are too far away. 768 00:50:56,760 --> 00:50:59,360 Speaker 2: The hotels are kind of too far away. They're the 769 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:02,879 Speaker 2: closest tell is the Hampton's Inn in Okechobe Town. That's 770 00:51:02,920 --> 00:51:07,560 Speaker 2: twenty five minutes, third thirty minutes. It's it's really you know, 771 00:51:08,520 --> 00:51:11,040 Speaker 2: if you're coming to this camping festival, you you really 772 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:20,879 Speaker 2: want to experience the event by staying on site, which 773 00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:26,240 Speaker 2: is which is not recommended to stay in a hotel, 774 00:51:26,280 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 2: but you can do that and get a day ticket. 775 00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:31,080 Speaker 2: Or some people who live in Port Saint Lucie or 776 00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:34,880 Speaker 2: Orlando or Miami, you know, they can come in for 777 00:51:34,960 --> 00:51:37,359 Speaker 2: the day, but then they have to drive back for 778 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:41,280 Speaker 2: two hours or whatever. So you know, it's much nicer 779 00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:44,160 Speaker 2: to just slip into your tent or your RV at 780 00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:47,600 Speaker 2: the end of the day and waking up on site. 781 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:51,320 Speaker 1: What percentage of people are intents, what percentage of people 782 00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:54,560 Speaker 1: are in RVs and what percentage of people are glamping 783 00:51:54,640 --> 00:51:56,799 Speaker 1: in structures that you construct. 784 00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:03,520 Speaker 2: I think I would say eighty ten eighty, and then nine, 785 00:52:03,760 --> 00:52:07,240 Speaker 2: like ten percent in in bell tense, and then maybe 786 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:09,560 Speaker 2: another ten percent in r vs. 787 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:17,759 Speaker 1: Roughly, Okay, you're in Florida. Festivals are known for illegal 788 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:22,239 Speaker 1: drug use, and Florida is not a state that is 789 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:25,839 Speaker 1: friendly to that. How do you approach that issue? 790 00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:29,880 Speaker 2: Well, you know, thankfully that's in the hands of the 791 00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:33,279 Speaker 2: law enforcements I have. I'm pretty hands off when it 792 00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:35,000 Speaker 2: comes to the stuff. The law is the law, and 793 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:38,360 Speaker 2: you know, you get nicked, you can get you get kicked, 794 00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:40,040 Speaker 2: So that's what happens. 795 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,080 Speaker 1: Well, to what degree is our presence from law enforcement 796 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:43,800 Speaker 1: on the site? 797 00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:47,680 Speaker 2: You know, we we have dogs you know, at the 798 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:51,239 Speaker 2: at the gate and there present. You know, we have 799 00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:52,720 Speaker 2: some undercover walking around. 800 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:54,839 Speaker 3: You know. We we just. 801 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:02,279 Speaker 2: Do whatever we're old you know by the county. We 802 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:05,080 Speaker 2: stay out of it, and we're we're focused on producing 803 00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:08,319 Speaker 2: the event. And and and really when it comes down 804 00:53:08,320 --> 00:53:12,680 Speaker 2: to to, uh, you know, keeping the law, it's up 805 00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:19,280 Speaker 2: to the Sheriff's department and and and and the sheriff's 806 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:20,760 Speaker 2: departments organizations. 807 00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:26,360 Speaker 1: So, Julio, who are you? Where do you come from? 808 00:53:26,640 --> 00:53:27,480 Speaker 3: Well, that's always a. 809 00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:35,719 Speaker 2: Complicated answer, but basically I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. 810 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:42,560 Speaker 2: My mother is Brazilian. She comes from a Brazilian Jewish 811 00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:47,560 Speaker 2: family from San Paulo, which had originally emigrated from Moldova 812 00:53:48,719 --> 00:53:53,040 Speaker 2: in the early twentieth century, so before World War One 813 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:58,360 Speaker 2: even we emigrated from Moldova and Ukraine. And then in 814 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:04,080 Speaker 2: the fifties there was a military dictatorship in Brazil and 815 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:10,040 Speaker 2: my grandfather and grandmother took my mother and my aunt 816 00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:15,600 Speaker 2: to Geneva and that's where my mom moved to when 817 00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:19,360 Speaker 2: she was ten years old, and that's why when I 818 00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:23,560 Speaker 2: was born, I was basically born in Phoenix, Arizona. My 819 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:25,799 Speaker 2: parents met in New York City. They my mom used 820 00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:28,680 Speaker 2: to live in New York in the seventies and and 821 00:54:28,840 --> 00:54:32,240 Speaker 2: met my father there and eventually they moved to Phoenix 822 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 2: for a couple of years when my dad went to 823 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:42,920 Speaker 2: have an MBA at Thunderbird University in Phoenix, and shortly 824 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:46,400 Speaker 2: after he graduated. He graduated in May and I was 825 00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:49,560 Speaker 2: born in May of eighty five, and I immediately moved 826 00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:52,520 Speaker 2: out of America and moved to Geneva and then didn't 827 00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:58,799 Speaker 2: come back to the US until university, where I went 828 00:54:58,840 --> 00:55:03,719 Speaker 2: to college in Boston. So essentially, my mother is Brazilian, 829 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:07,640 Speaker 2: but you know, spent her childhood in Switzerland. And my 830 00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:12,399 Speaker 2: father was born from a Brazilian mother and a Colombian father, 831 00:55:13,080 --> 00:55:17,480 Speaker 2: and he was his parents divorced when he was very 832 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 2: young and moved to Paris when he was like six 833 00:55:22,160 --> 00:55:25,240 Speaker 2: seven years old. And so I grew up speaking French 834 00:55:25,239 --> 00:55:26,239 Speaker 2: to my parents. 835 00:55:27,160 --> 00:55:28,760 Speaker 1: And are your parents still together? 836 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:34,680 Speaker 2: My parents separated in maybe nineteen ninety eight, and my 837 00:55:34,760 --> 00:55:42,360 Speaker 2: father passed away in two thousand and nine, and he 838 00:55:43,160 --> 00:55:47,480 Speaker 2: had lung cancer and he was a heavy smoker. And 839 00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:53,319 Speaker 2: it was even though they separated, you know, in ninety eight, 840 00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:57,640 Speaker 2: they always stayed very close and very good friends. And 841 00:55:57,719 --> 00:56:02,120 Speaker 2: so I had the chance to spend and vacations, you know, 842 00:56:02,160 --> 00:56:05,799 Speaker 2: Easter vacation and summer vacations with both my parents. 843 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:08,000 Speaker 1: And what did your father do for a living? 844 00:56:09,239 --> 00:56:15,840 Speaker 2: My father basically started in the eighties a a something 845 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:18,520 Speaker 2: called the funds of funds. Was one of the first 846 00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:23,120 Speaker 2: funds of funds. It was called Alpha Asset Management, and 847 00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:27,680 Speaker 2: he did that in Geneva. But he his passion was 848 00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:31,960 Speaker 2: always music, and he always wanted to get into the 849 00:56:32,040 --> 00:56:36,279 Speaker 2: music industry, but you know, he he basically wanted to 850 00:56:36,320 --> 00:56:39,479 Speaker 2: provide also for his family, so he he went into 851 00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:42,799 Speaker 2: he he went into the finance world and and had 852 00:56:43,239 --> 00:56:47,120 Speaker 2: you know, analyzed what was working at the time and 853 00:56:47,440 --> 00:56:51,920 Speaker 2: created this company with his partner who now lives in 854 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:57,080 Speaker 2: Los Angeles, a guy called Nicholas Bergruen, who who does 855 00:56:57,120 --> 00:56:59,680 Speaker 2: a lot of interesting things. He has a think tank 856 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:06,439 Speaker 2: called the Burgrun Institute. And you know, eventually my dad 857 00:57:07,239 --> 00:57:10,960 Speaker 2: left his business to Nicholas and and was was sort 858 00:57:11,000 --> 00:57:15,360 Speaker 2: of disinterested by this whole world and started collecting UH 859 00:57:15,400 --> 00:57:22,600 Speaker 2: frantically books about all sorts of UH, high and low 860 00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:26,480 Speaker 2: art and UH and mind travel and and you know, 861 00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:31,960 Speaker 2: all sorts of substances and and when my father passed away, 862 00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:39,120 Speaker 2: we essentially made a donation loan of the collection to 863 00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:42,000 Speaker 2: Harvard University, which was kind of. 864 00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:44,320 Speaker 3: A a A A. 865 00:57:43,960 --> 00:57:47,400 Speaker 2: A a full circle moment from when they kicked out 866 00:57:48,160 --> 00:57:52,600 Speaker 2: Ramdas and Timothy Leary for for for for. 867 00:57:52,560 --> 00:57:53,200 Speaker 3: Giving L s. 868 00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:59,480 Speaker 2: D to their UH students, where they accepted this collection, 869 00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:05,720 Speaker 2: which had the original research papers from Albert Hoffman uh 870 00:58:05,840 --> 00:58:08,520 Speaker 2: as part of the collection back into their libraries. And 871 00:58:08,560 --> 00:58:11,480 Speaker 2: it was kind of a meakupa from Harvard that said, 872 00:58:11,520 --> 00:58:15,760 Speaker 2: you know what, where there's actually something worth studying in 873 00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:19,360 Speaker 2: these books? Uh and and and and that's what this 874 00:58:19,440 --> 00:58:25,840 Speaker 2: beautiful collection uh where it resides nowadays. My father, my 875 00:58:25,840 --> 00:58:29,120 Speaker 2: my my father was was was was a bookworm and 876 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:33,720 Speaker 2: an intellectual and he he really enjoyed reading more than anything. 877 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:34,320 Speaker 3: And he he. 878 00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:37,560 Speaker 2: Read thousands and thousands of books and and books was 879 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:38,560 Speaker 2: his whole life. 880 00:58:39,360 --> 00:58:42,960 Speaker 1: Do you have brothers and sisters? I have one sister, 881 00:58:44,400 --> 00:58:46,080 Speaker 1: so who inherited all the money? 882 00:58:47,760 --> 00:58:52,280 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, uh listen, uh there was all the money. 883 00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:54,560 Speaker 3: Was uh uh uh. 884 00:58:54,720 --> 00:58:58,360 Speaker 2: Uh split amongst amongst the whole family. And uh and 885 00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:01,320 Speaker 2: uh we we we all had our part. And you know, 886 00:59:01,400 --> 00:59:04,520 Speaker 2: I put my what I had into my music festival, 887 00:59:04,560 --> 00:59:06,560 Speaker 2: you know. And and and here we are. 888 00:59:06,640 --> 00:59:12,840 Speaker 1: You know, Okay, if you grew up in Switzerland, what 889 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:14,880 Speaker 1: is that like compared to America? 890 00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:22,920 Speaker 2: Switzerland is is is a social democracy. It's very similar 891 00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:27,200 Speaker 2: to Norway and some Scandinavian countries where it's it's someone 892 00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:31,600 Speaker 2: once said, it's the only true democracy in the planet 893 00:59:31,760 --> 00:59:36,000 Speaker 2: where any little issue that is raised, you can vote 894 00:59:36,040 --> 00:59:38,560 Speaker 2: on it. So if you're Swiss, you can vote on 895 00:59:38,600 --> 00:59:42,120 Speaker 2: pretty much anything, and you can, you know, propose anything 896 00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:45,440 Speaker 2: to be voted on, and and people can vote online 897 00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:48,560 Speaker 2: and very easily, and so everything is always decided by 898 00:59:48,560 --> 00:59:51,920 Speaker 2: the people as as they go along. 899 00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:58,560 Speaker 1: Okay, So if you snap your fingers, do you want 900 00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:00,760 Speaker 1: to live in Switzerland or the U? So what are 901 01:00:00,760 --> 01:00:02,919 Speaker 1: the advantages and disadvantages of both? 902 01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:08,680 Speaker 2: I think that the US has a lot more of 903 01:00:08,720 --> 01:00:11,120 Speaker 2: an open market. I think that if you have a 904 01:00:11,160 --> 01:00:14,920 Speaker 2: good idea and a good product, you can make it 905 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:15,520 Speaker 2: much bigger. 906 01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:16,160 Speaker 3: In the US. 907 01:00:17,200 --> 01:00:21,840 Speaker 2: There's a lot more entrepreneurs here, the sheer numbers of people, right, 908 01:00:21,880 --> 01:00:25,120 Speaker 2: It's a much bigger country. In Switzerland and Europe in general, 909 01:00:25,200 --> 01:00:29,960 Speaker 2: I think that there's a lot less opportunity to develop 910 01:00:30,040 --> 01:00:32,480 Speaker 2: new ideas and new businesses. You know, they don't call 911 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:35,600 Speaker 2: it the old world for nothing, because people are stuck 912 01:00:35,600 --> 01:00:40,960 Speaker 2: in their little clans and their little private clubs, and 913 01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:44,080 Speaker 2: you know, nobody wants to move the needle too much 914 01:00:44,880 --> 01:00:48,960 Speaker 2: in Europe compared to America. America, people come here, you know, 915 01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:51,520 Speaker 2: and they take risks and they either succeed or they crash. 916 01:00:51,840 --> 01:00:54,200 Speaker 2: But at least they have an opportunity to take a 917 01:00:54,280 --> 01:00:56,800 Speaker 2: risk more than in other places. 918 01:00:57,560 --> 01:00:58,840 Speaker 1: So where did you go to college? 919 01:01:00,160 --> 01:01:02,400 Speaker 3: I went to college in Boston University. 920 01:01:03,120 --> 01:01:04,160 Speaker 1: And did you graduate? 921 01:01:05,560 --> 01:01:09,520 Speaker 2: I graduated undergrad and then I went to a school 922 01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:12,840 Speaker 2: of Audio Engineering in New York City, and that's where 923 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:15,960 Speaker 2: I learned the ropes of you know, how to record 924 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:21,080 Speaker 2: a band and work myself around the studio. 925 01:01:21,800 --> 01:01:25,400 Speaker 1: Okay, so you're forty one now, or you'll be forty 926 01:01:25,440 --> 01:01:29,320 Speaker 1: one this year. You go to college, you go to 927 01:01:29,440 --> 01:01:34,480 Speaker 1: the audio school. What happened after that? What was you know? 928 01:01:34,840 --> 01:01:38,000 Speaker 1: You got the festival? Now you talked about the underground parties? 929 01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:40,480 Speaker 1: How did that arc happen? 930 01:01:41,160 --> 01:01:44,720 Speaker 2: So I left college in two thousand and seven and 931 01:01:45,080 --> 01:01:48,920 Speaker 2: I moved to New York and I took some classes 932 01:01:48,960 --> 01:01:53,880 Speaker 2: at the Secondary school School of Secondary Education. I took 933 01:01:53,920 --> 01:01:58,400 Speaker 2: some like, you know, economics and kind of I think 934 01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:01,040 Speaker 2: it was a microeconomic class. I forgot what it was. 935 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:05,040 Speaker 2: I took a few classes at the NYU Secondary School 936 01:02:05,040 --> 01:02:11,160 Speaker 2: of Continuing Education for that year, and then I realized 937 01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:14,640 Speaker 2: that while I was taking these classes that I really 938 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:20,440 Speaker 2: had a burning calling to dj because I had been 939 01:02:20,480 --> 01:02:23,720 Speaker 2: DJing before that. I had a radio show back in 940 01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 2: Switzerland where we had a reggae a weekly reggae show, 941 01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:32,200 Speaker 2: and that was how I started djaing. So, you know, 942 01:02:32,280 --> 01:02:34,120 Speaker 2: I had been going to parties in New York and 943 01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:38,760 Speaker 2: I was so dissatisfied with the level of music that 944 01:02:38,920 --> 01:02:43,840 Speaker 2: was being showcased by other DJs that I always told myself, listen, 945 01:02:43,840 --> 01:02:45,600 Speaker 2: I can do a better job than what I'm listening. 946 01:02:46,040 --> 01:02:48,040 Speaker 2: I know I can do a better job. And I started, 947 01:02:48,440 --> 01:02:51,480 Speaker 2: you know, putting these little events in two thousand and 948 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:56,280 Speaker 2: eight where I would create a Facebook event. Back in 949 01:02:56,320 --> 01:02:59,080 Speaker 2: the days, it wasn't so popular to do a Facebook event, 950 01:02:59,160 --> 01:03:02,680 Speaker 2: but now you know, it quickly became overcrowded in the 951 01:03:02,480 --> 01:03:05,400 Speaker 2: in the on Facebook, but at the time, people would 952 01:03:05,440 --> 01:03:09,120 Speaker 2: still receive the invites, and so people started coming to 953 01:03:09,120 --> 01:03:12,960 Speaker 2: my events and it's I started. I continued doing them 954 01:03:13,360 --> 01:03:16,760 Speaker 2: week after week and growing them very organically, and people 955 01:03:16,840 --> 01:03:20,720 Speaker 2: were having a great time, and eventually I started booking 956 01:03:20,760 --> 01:03:23,800 Speaker 2: other DJs. So I went from being the promoter and 957 01:03:23,840 --> 01:03:27,000 Speaker 2: the resident DJ and playing six hours from ten pm 958 01:03:27,040 --> 01:03:30,400 Speaker 2: to four am, you know, every single Thursday, to then 959 01:03:30,480 --> 01:03:33,960 Speaker 2: started booking other DJs, creating a collective of artists and 960 01:03:34,480 --> 01:03:41,000 Speaker 2: eventually booking DJs from overseas and growing my brand like 961 01:03:41,040 --> 01:03:46,240 Speaker 2: that until I decided to bring Circo Loco from Ibiza, 962 01:03:46,320 --> 01:03:52,880 Speaker 2: which is probably the most famous dance music brand that 963 01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:55,680 Speaker 2: comes from Ibiza, and they do now, I think a 964 01:03:55,680 --> 01:03:58,520 Speaker 2: Halloween party in New York with ten thousand people. But 965 01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:01,760 Speaker 2: at the beginning I was the first one to bring 966 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:08,240 Speaker 2: him to the US and that was really special in 967 01:04:08,240 --> 01:04:10,280 Speaker 2: two thousand and eight because it was still pretty raw 968 01:04:10,320 --> 01:04:13,240 Speaker 2: and authentic and it wasn't the level of production that 969 01:04:13,280 --> 01:04:13,959 Speaker 2: things are now. 970 01:04:15,040 --> 01:04:15,840 Speaker 3: So it was it was. 971 01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:18,600 Speaker 2: It was as the owner of Circoloco had told me, 972 01:04:18,600 --> 01:04:21,520 Speaker 2: He said, it reminds it reminds me of our early days. 973 01:04:21,960 --> 01:04:25,200 Speaker 2: And for me that was a badge of honor, because 974 01:04:25,440 --> 01:04:28,880 Speaker 2: you know, everything is so overproduced these days that you know, 975 01:04:29,000 --> 01:04:31,000 Speaker 2: you like it when things are authentic and a little 976 01:04:31,040 --> 01:04:33,320 Speaker 2: bit more grimy and a little bit raw. 977 01:04:41,360 --> 01:04:46,600 Speaker 1: Well, you're plugged in. What's the status of both electronic 978 01:04:46,800 --> 01:04:52,440 Speaker 1: music and the parties which you labeled is underground? What 979 01:04:52,520 --> 01:04:54,440 Speaker 1: the great does that still exist? You know, in the 980 01:04:54,560 --> 01:04:58,000 Speaker 1: nineties that was all that was everything, then everything came 981 01:04:58,040 --> 01:05:00,800 Speaker 1: above ground. What's the status the world today? 982 01:05:01,640 --> 01:05:04,840 Speaker 2: Well, I think that today there's nothing underground anymore, right, 983 01:05:04,840 --> 01:05:09,440 Speaker 2: because everyone has so much access to everywhere, to everything 984 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:13,640 Speaker 2: at the same time, so you really can uh find 985 01:05:13,640 --> 01:05:17,120 Speaker 2: out about a secret party happening somewhere. The only way 986 01:05:17,160 --> 01:05:20,480 Speaker 2: to really create a secret party would be to not 987 01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:24,120 Speaker 2: use the internet and uh and and and leave a 988 01:05:24,160 --> 01:05:27,040 Speaker 2: business card somewhere, you know, in a in a store 989 01:05:27,560 --> 01:05:29,880 Speaker 2: and tell you to call a number. And no one 990 01:05:29,920 --> 01:05:31,880 Speaker 2: really wants to do that because no one wants to risk, 991 01:05:32,400 --> 01:05:34,440 Speaker 2: you know, producing a party. 992 01:05:34,200 --> 01:05:36,800 Speaker 3: And and and and and and losing money. 993 01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:38,760 Speaker 2: You know, it costs so much money to rent a space, 994 01:05:39,160 --> 01:05:42,200 Speaker 2: It costs so much money to rent gear. Uh, it's 995 01:05:42,280 --> 01:05:45,040 Speaker 2: just not what it used to be and anymore. But 996 01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,840 Speaker 2: you know, people are always complaining about everything becoming uh 997 01:05:49,240 --> 01:05:52,120 Speaker 2: so generic and everything you know, it's it's it's kind 998 01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:54,960 Speaker 2: of like when people in the fifties complain about rock 999 01:05:55,000 --> 01:05:57,919 Speaker 2: and roll, right and uh and and and then there's 1000 01:05:57,960 --> 01:06:01,080 Speaker 2: always if you want the older people are always complaining 1001 01:06:01,120 --> 01:06:04,720 Speaker 2: about how things used to be, and there's always budding 1002 01:06:04,760 --> 01:06:07,520 Speaker 2: new movements that are happening that you're either in the 1003 01:06:07,560 --> 01:06:08,760 Speaker 2: know or you're not right. 1004 01:06:08,800 --> 01:06:09,880 Speaker 3: You're either hip or you're not. 1005 01:06:10,400 --> 01:06:14,600 Speaker 2: So I think that if you want to look for 1006 01:06:14,800 --> 01:06:18,280 Speaker 2: cool music, out there. And when it comes to electronic music, 1007 01:06:18,880 --> 01:06:21,560 Speaker 2: there's so much music out there that you just have 1008 01:06:21,640 --> 01:06:24,360 Speaker 2: to stay there for hours and hours and hours and 1009 01:06:24,520 --> 01:06:28,600 Speaker 2: digitally create dig into the files of these you know, 1010 01:06:28,720 --> 01:06:35,040 Speaker 2: companies like a beatport or band camp or Kobo's, any 1011 01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:39,680 Speaker 2: of these these these amazing downloadable websites. If you if 1012 01:06:39,720 --> 01:06:42,440 Speaker 2: you want to find great music, you just have to 1013 01:06:42,480 --> 01:06:43,960 Speaker 2: put in the hours and the effort. 1014 01:06:44,240 --> 01:06:44,960 Speaker 3: And that's what it's. 1015 01:06:45,040 --> 01:06:47,640 Speaker 2: That's the way it's always been, you know, it's it's 1016 01:06:47,680 --> 01:06:49,960 Speaker 2: you have to be your own curator, and you have 1017 01:06:50,000 --> 01:06:53,440 Speaker 2: to have flair and know how and and have taste 1018 01:06:53,480 --> 01:06:55,960 Speaker 2: also because you know, there's a lot of DJs out 1019 01:06:56,000 --> 01:06:58,520 Speaker 2: there and people think it's easy, but you know, the 1020 01:06:58,560 --> 01:07:01,880 Speaker 2: actual mechanics of DJ is the easy part. But the 1021 01:07:02,000 --> 01:07:05,400 Speaker 2: hard part is actually having taste in music and finding 1022 01:07:05,440 --> 01:07:08,520 Speaker 2: good music. Right, that's not a given talent to everyone. 1023 01:07:09,040 --> 01:07:12,680 Speaker 2: So to people who say there's no good music out 1024 01:07:12,720 --> 01:07:16,240 Speaker 2: there and I can't find everything sounds bland and repetitive. 1025 01:07:16,320 --> 01:07:18,800 Speaker 2: I mean, you put in the hours, you'll find out 1026 01:07:18,800 --> 01:07:21,160 Speaker 2: some pearls out there and you'll be so happy when 1027 01:07:21,200 --> 01:07:21,720 Speaker 2: you find one. 1028 01:07:21,760 --> 01:07:23,120 Speaker 3: It's like the Holy Girl, right. 1029 01:07:24,720 --> 01:07:31,080 Speaker 1: Okay, Other than the investors. What's the organizational structure of 1030 01:07:31,800 --> 01:07:33,120 Speaker 1: Oki Chobe Festival. 1031 01:07:34,160 --> 01:07:36,560 Speaker 2: So I've been working for more than ten years with 1032 01:07:37,040 --> 01:07:43,320 Speaker 2: a wonderful person called Alissa, Alissa Richardson. So she's kind of, 1033 01:07:43,560 --> 01:07:46,920 Speaker 2: you know, the executive producer of the event. She sits 1034 01:07:46,920 --> 01:07:51,720 Speaker 2: at the top. I'm on the brand creative side. And 1035 01:07:51,760 --> 01:07:57,920 Speaker 2: then you have our marketing team, which is you know, 1036 01:07:58,120 --> 01:08:02,960 Speaker 2: Grace and Alex who run that and uh and then 1037 01:08:03,000 --> 01:08:04,560 Speaker 2: Grace also takes care of media. 1038 01:08:05,440 --> 01:08:06,400 Speaker 3: We have a PR. 1039 01:08:07,400 --> 01:08:11,720 Speaker 2: We have then some junior people who work for us, 1040 01:08:12,160 --> 01:08:16,120 Speaker 2: and then that's that's pretty much our our internal team, 1041 01:08:16,160 --> 01:08:19,120 Speaker 2: you know, other than our social media manager and our 1042 01:08:19,560 --> 01:08:23,120 Speaker 2: email SEO person, you know, these are all of our 1043 01:08:23,160 --> 01:08:26,519 Speaker 2: internal people. And then we have on the ground we 1044 01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:30,240 Speaker 2: have a team of three incredible gardeners who take care 1045 01:08:30,280 --> 01:08:35,400 Speaker 2: of the property. We have JD who's our local Okchobian 1046 01:08:35,800 --> 01:08:38,360 Speaker 2: who's the head of our of our of our of 1047 01:08:38,400 --> 01:08:41,519 Speaker 2: our land here and uh and and and also helps 1048 01:08:41,560 --> 01:08:46,720 Speaker 2: out with the county relations. And then we have a 1049 01:08:46,720 --> 01:08:52,720 Speaker 2: lot of you know, uh contract contracted people who who 1050 01:08:52,760 --> 01:08:55,720 Speaker 2: are with us for just the event, you know, and 1051 01:08:55,760 --> 01:08:59,360 Speaker 2: they they basically work I think up up to ten 1052 01:08:59,400 --> 01:09:02,680 Speaker 2: months ahead of the event, and they're available whenever we 1053 01:09:02,720 --> 01:09:07,200 Speaker 2: need them, and they they're also working other events. And 1054 01:09:07,400 --> 01:09:11,560 Speaker 2: that's pretty much a lot of the side ups UH 1055 01:09:11,640 --> 01:09:19,719 Speaker 2: and UH and and our health and safety department and 1056 01:09:19,720 --> 01:09:21,600 Speaker 2: and then there's all the vendors, you know, all the 1057 01:09:21,680 --> 01:09:24,280 Speaker 2: all the different vendors that we employ from from the. 1058 01:09:24,240 --> 01:09:32,280 Speaker 3: Porter parties, the the catering, the power, so many different things. Right. 1059 01:09:32,320 --> 01:09:35,519 Speaker 2: I don't know if you've ever played SimCity on your computer, 1060 01:09:35,640 --> 01:09:38,360 Speaker 2: but when people ask me, how is it building a festival, 1061 01:09:38,360 --> 01:09:41,120 Speaker 2: I say, well, it's it's kind of like playing SimCity. 1062 01:09:41,160 --> 01:09:42,720 Speaker 3: You're just going to make sure the city. 1063 01:09:42,439 --> 01:09:44,960 Speaker 2: Works and uh and that all the all the all 1064 01:09:44,960 --> 01:09:49,679 Speaker 2: the areas are covered and powered and and you know, plugged, 1065 01:09:49,720 --> 01:09:53,040 Speaker 2: and and that every system supports each other. 1066 01:09:54,120 --> 01:09:56,759 Speaker 1: Okay, how many people around the year round payroll? 1067 01:09:58,720 --> 01:10:03,280 Speaker 3: I think it's a round maybe less than ten. 1068 01:10:03,960 --> 01:10:08,440 Speaker 1: Okay, does the buck stop with you? Are you ultimately 1069 01:10:08,479 --> 01:10:09,120 Speaker 1: in control? 1070 01:10:10,920 --> 01:10:16,479 Speaker 2: I am ultimately in control with when it comes to 1071 01:10:17,880 --> 01:10:23,200 Speaker 2: the first three festivals and this coming festival. 1072 01:10:24,280 --> 01:10:29,200 Speaker 1: Okay, so this is a corporation, you have a title. 1073 01:10:29,760 --> 01:10:31,080 Speaker 1: I mean, how do you do it? 1074 01:10:31,160 --> 01:10:35,439 Speaker 2: I'm just a founder of Soundslinger. I can't I think 1075 01:10:35,479 --> 01:10:37,760 Speaker 2: it's boring to give yourself a title, right, It's just 1076 01:10:38,000 --> 01:10:39,519 Speaker 2: everyone can find me if they want. 1077 01:10:39,920 --> 01:10:41,240 Speaker 1: I agree with you totally. 1078 01:10:41,600 --> 01:10:43,280 Speaker 3: I started the festival. I mean. 1079 01:10:44,720 --> 01:10:47,320 Speaker 2: It's just as founder for lack of a better title. 1080 01:10:47,439 --> 01:10:52,759 Speaker 2: You know, I'm the officially, I'm a chairman of the board, 1081 01:10:52,840 --> 01:10:54,720 Speaker 2: but I mean we don't have board meetings, you know. 1082 01:10:55,479 --> 01:10:59,639 Speaker 1: Right, Okay, are you open to having another partner? 1083 01:11:01,160 --> 01:11:04,599 Speaker 2: I'm completely open to having another partner. I think that 1084 01:11:05,840 --> 01:11:11,280 Speaker 2: it needs like any marriage, it needs to be uh 1085 01:11:10,320 --> 01:11:12,280 Speaker 2: uh the correct marriage. 1086 01:11:13,040 --> 01:11:13,160 Speaker 4: Uh. 1087 01:11:13,400 --> 01:11:16,400 Speaker 2: It needs to be somewhere where the partners respect each 1088 01:11:16,439 --> 01:11:20,320 Speaker 2: other and and and and and and and know you 1089 01:11:20,400 --> 01:11:24,519 Speaker 2: know which lane they're supposed to swim in and uh 1090 01:11:24,640 --> 01:11:26,920 Speaker 2: and and and give each other space and more important 1091 01:11:26,960 --> 01:11:31,600 Speaker 2: to give it give each other support for to achieve success, 1092 01:11:32,120 --> 01:11:36,200 Speaker 2: you know. So I I think that, uh, I'm completely 1093 01:11:36,240 --> 01:11:40,920 Speaker 2: open to having uh a new partner who who sees 1094 01:11:40,920 --> 01:11:43,200 Speaker 2: the who sees and wants to share the vision, because 1095 01:11:43,560 --> 01:11:46,240 Speaker 2: I can't do this you know alone, for sure. 1096 01:11:46,320 --> 01:11:48,920 Speaker 3: It's it's it's it's a lot of weight. 1097 01:11:48,840 --> 01:11:53,560 Speaker 2: And responsibility and and and the more the more people involved, 1098 01:11:53,640 --> 01:11:56,640 Speaker 2: the merrier, as long as we're all pulling in the 1099 01:11:56,680 --> 01:11:58,040 Speaker 2: right direction, the same direction. 1100 01:11:59,320 --> 01:11:59,759 Speaker 3: For sure. 1101 01:12:00,400 --> 01:12:04,120 Speaker 1: Let's say hypothetically, at the end of the day the 1102 01:12:04,280 --> 01:12:08,360 Speaker 1: numbers are the same as it's been in previous festivals, 1103 01:12:09,720 --> 01:12:13,400 Speaker 1: so you get let's just call twenty odd thousand people come, 1104 01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:16,920 Speaker 1: they pay, they have a good time, but you lose money. 1105 01:12:17,640 --> 01:12:20,080 Speaker 1: Will there be a festival in twenty twenty seven. 1106 01:12:21,720 --> 01:12:26,880 Speaker 2: I think if we lose money, it's it's an unanswered 1107 01:12:28,400 --> 01:12:34,120 Speaker 2: question mark. My goal, my ambition is for it to 1108 01:12:34,240 --> 01:12:38,519 Speaker 2: keep going always. But of course when we lose money, 1109 01:12:38,960 --> 01:12:40,800 Speaker 2: we have to go back to the drawing board and 1110 01:12:41,640 --> 01:12:46,000 Speaker 2: get people involved again. You know, we would like nothing 1111 01:12:46,040 --> 01:12:50,160 Speaker 2: more than being able to put this year after year 1112 01:12:50,840 --> 01:12:54,920 Speaker 2: and for it to be a long and never ending story. 1113 01:12:55,640 --> 01:13:00,840 Speaker 2: But for it all comes down to to being able 1114 01:13:00,880 --> 01:13:05,240 Speaker 2: to at least break even and to continue to finding 1115 01:13:05,720 --> 01:13:07,559 Speaker 2: the support out there to make this happen. 1116 01:13:08,640 --> 01:13:12,160 Speaker 4: Okay, and you know the festival has not played yet, 1117 01:13:13,120 --> 01:13:17,559 Speaker 4: what number of the ten ds would work for you, 1118 01:13:17,880 --> 01:13:22,480 Speaker 4: satisfy you that you know you're not losing money and 1119 01:13:22,560 --> 01:13:23,479 Speaker 4: you can go forward. 1120 01:13:24,920 --> 01:13:27,040 Speaker 2: I think if we have thirty thousand, people will be 1121 01:13:27,160 --> 01:13:31,160 Speaker 2: very very happy. We got to a point where where 1122 01:13:31,200 --> 01:13:37,160 Speaker 2: we're able to, you know, keep our costs under control. 1123 01:13:37,520 --> 01:13:41,640 Speaker 2: You know, we've turned over every single stone on the 1124 01:13:41,680 --> 01:13:45,200 Speaker 2: property where we know where all the levers are. You know, 1125 01:13:45,280 --> 01:13:48,040 Speaker 2: we have a very very well oiled machine. Our accounting 1126 01:13:48,760 --> 01:13:51,960 Speaker 2: is in I would I would like to say that organizationally, 1127 01:13:52,760 --> 01:13:55,439 Speaker 2: we're the best that we've ever been. We have a 1128 01:13:55,520 --> 01:14:01,559 Speaker 2: stellar team working together, and we have extremely tight control 1129 01:14:02,280 --> 01:14:08,080 Speaker 2: over our finances and our costs are very manageable. So 1130 01:14:08,320 --> 01:14:11,760 Speaker 2: if we can get to thirty thousand, people will have 1131 01:14:11,880 --> 01:14:13,679 Speaker 2: done our mission. 1132 01:14:14,280 --> 01:14:14,479 Speaker 3: You know. 1133 01:14:15,960 --> 01:14:22,680 Speaker 1: Okay, once again, assuming everybody's on site, assuming I'm not 1134 01:14:22,960 --> 01:14:27,200 Speaker 1: watching the music, what are the other activities, what am 1135 01:14:27,240 --> 01:14:28,080 Speaker 1: I going to be doing? 1136 01:14:29,520 --> 01:14:29,880 Speaker 3: Well? 1137 01:14:30,000 --> 01:14:32,280 Speaker 2: You can go and eat at a number of places. 1138 01:14:32,800 --> 01:14:36,680 Speaker 2: You can go and play some games from volleyball to. 1139 01:14:38,240 --> 01:14:38,759 Speaker 3: Other things. 1140 01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:40,760 Speaker 2: You can walk around and look at all of the 1141 01:14:40,760 --> 01:14:43,559 Speaker 2: incredible art that we have on the property. This year, 1142 01:14:43,600 --> 01:14:47,280 Speaker 2: we have a new sculpture from a young Colombian artist 1143 01:14:47,320 --> 01:14:50,559 Speaker 2: who's a half Columbian half American. I think he's actually 1144 01:14:50,560 --> 01:14:56,840 Speaker 2: from based in Brooklyn. His name is Asikas Monzon Aguire 1145 01:14:57,560 --> 01:15:03,160 Speaker 2: and he created a massive of uh sculpture made in 1146 01:15:03,200 --> 01:15:08,920 Speaker 2: a very shimmery mother of pearl type uh uh tint 1147 01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:13,479 Speaker 2: that is purple and that will be uh you know, 1148 01:15:14,000 --> 01:15:20,280 Speaker 2: permanently installed installed at the Jungle fifty one stage. The 1149 01:15:20,360 --> 01:15:23,240 Speaker 2: longer goal for the property is to have it as 1150 01:15:23,240 --> 01:15:26,559 Speaker 2: a as an art park, something close to what you 1151 01:15:26,600 --> 01:15:28,920 Speaker 2: know Storm King is in New York or in yo 1152 01:15:29,040 --> 01:15:33,600 Speaker 2: Ching in Brazil, as well as as as having a 1153 01:15:33,600 --> 01:15:36,840 Speaker 2: a resort where people can come and and stay. 1154 01:15:38,120 --> 01:15:38,799 Speaker 3: On the property. 1155 01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:41,639 Speaker 2: You know, I'm not talking about a club med type thing, 1156 01:15:41,880 --> 01:15:45,200 Speaker 2: but something tasteful that blends into the scene, to to 1157 01:15:45,280 --> 01:15:48,280 Speaker 2: the scenic, to the nature, and and keeps the natures 1158 01:15:48,840 --> 01:15:54,040 Speaker 2: undisturbed as possible. So you know, I've since I've acquired 1159 01:15:54,520 --> 01:15:56,320 Speaker 2: all of the land a few years ago, I've been 1160 01:15:56,360 --> 01:16:01,120 Speaker 2: able to work finally with a team of architects and 1161 01:16:01,120 --> 01:16:05,040 Speaker 2: and we're we're just about finished designing the phase one 1162 01:16:05,080 --> 01:16:08,240 Speaker 2: of the master plan and we're ready to go shop around. 1163 01:16:08,600 --> 01:16:10,320 Speaker 1: Do you personally own the land? 1164 01:16:11,520 --> 01:16:13,240 Speaker 3: I personally own the land. Yes. 1165 01:16:13,439 --> 01:16:17,120 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, you're a very sharp and passionate guy, Hulio. 1166 01:16:17,320 --> 01:16:21,080 Speaker 1: You're very impressive. You know, festivals, there's a lot of 1167 01:16:21,080 --> 01:16:23,639 Speaker 1: moving parts. As you mentioned earlier, you don't really know 1168 01:16:23,720 --> 01:16:25,400 Speaker 1: whether it's all going to work to the place, but 1169 01:16:25,439 --> 01:16:29,479 Speaker 1: I you know, you've definitely got something unique, and I 1170 01:16:29,560 --> 01:16:30,559 Speaker 1: wish you all the luck. 1171 01:16:31,400 --> 01:16:31,960 Speaker 3: Well, thank you. 1172 01:16:32,040 --> 01:16:34,400 Speaker 2: I know you know I once heard a quote from 1173 01:16:34,439 --> 01:16:38,240 Speaker 2: David Bowie where where he said, you know when you're 1174 01:16:38,280 --> 01:16:41,519 Speaker 2: when you're when your feet are are not quite touching 1175 01:16:41,560 --> 01:16:45,679 Speaker 2: the ground and you're and you're unsure of where to step, 1176 01:16:46,160 --> 01:16:48,360 Speaker 2: that's when the magic happens. So I feel like that's 1177 01:16:48,400 --> 01:16:51,719 Speaker 2: where we're we're at when we're producing this this festival, 1178 01:16:51,720 --> 01:16:54,479 Speaker 2: where we're looking for that magic and and and trying 1179 01:16:54,479 --> 01:16:56,639 Speaker 2: to figure it out, figure it out as it comes. 1180 01:16:56,680 --> 01:16:59,160 Speaker 2: But you know, again we were we have ten years 1181 01:16:59,160 --> 01:17:02,800 Speaker 2: of experience, so we know where everywhere where where, where 1182 01:17:02,840 --> 01:17:05,320 Speaker 2: all the levers are and uh and uh and and 1183 01:17:05,360 --> 01:17:08,880 Speaker 2: we work with an incredible team and you know the 1184 01:17:08,960 --> 01:17:10,720 Speaker 2: rest is uh is. 1185 01:17:12,280 --> 01:17:13,240 Speaker 3: Is yet to be told. 1186 01:17:15,000 --> 01:17:18,759 Speaker 1: Well, it sounds great, And thanks for taking this time 1187 01:17:18,800 --> 01:17:21,760 Speaker 1: to explain the festival in yourself to my audience. 1188 01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:25,680 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Bob and I I hope that 1189 01:17:25,720 --> 01:17:27,519 Speaker 2: you're able to come. You know, let me know if 1190 01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:30,200 Speaker 2: you if you're if you decide to come along, and 1191 01:17:30,439 --> 01:17:32,120 Speaker 2: we'll make sure that you're very comfortable. 1192 01:17:32,560 --> 01:17:35,000 Speaker 1: Well, as I say, I can't come in a week, 1193 01:17:35,720 --> 01:17:37,800 Speaker 1: but next year look for me. 1194 01:17:38,560 --> 01:17:41,080 Speaker 2: Well I'm going to tell you one one little extra, 1195 01:17:41,400 --> 01:17:46,439 Speaker 2: uh wonderful piece of experience that we've created for fans 1196 01:17:46,920 --> 01:17:51,280 Speaker 2: this year. And we there's an old horse tables on 1197 01:17:51,320 --> 01:17:56,759 Speaker 2: the property which had a disgusting, little crummy apartment. Uh 1198 01:17:56,800 --> 01:18:00,640 Speaker 2: that reminded me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house, you know, 1199 01:18:00,720 --> 01:18:05,000 Speaker 2: with like cockroaches and whatever. So you know, we cleaned 1200 01:18:05,040 --> 01:18:08,280 Speaker 2: that whole place up completely and turned it into this 1201 01:18:09,680 --> 01:18:17,679 Speaker 2: you know, cowboy luxurious Cowboy ranch experience, which we are 1202 01:18:19,400 --> 01:18:24,840 Speaker 2: giving away to the lucky winner of our contest that 1203 01:18:25,120 --> 01:18:26,120 Speaker 2: is on social media. 1204 01:18:26,640 --> 01:18:30,360 Speaker 1: So wait, wait, wait a second. If you win, you 1205 01:18:30,560 --> 01:18:32,200 Speaker 1: get the horse structure. 1206 01:18:32,920 --> 01:18:36,640 Speaker 2: If you win the competition, you get to stay in 1207 01:18:36,680 --> 01:18:40,360 Speaker 2: the apartment which has two bedrooms, and then there's space 1208 01:18:40,400 --> 01:18:43,840 Speaker 2: for six RVs in the garden area which is surrounded 1209 01:18:43,840 --> 01:18:46,680 Speaker 2: by bambo and closed by bamboo, and you get a 1210 01:18:46,800 --> 01:18:53,240 Speaker 2: golf cart driver who will basically drive you to each stage. 1211 01:18:54,000 --> 01:18:58,599 Speaker 1: Sounds great, Julio, until next time. This is Bob Left 1212 01:18:58,600 --> 01:18:58,880 Speaker 1: six 1213 01:19:20,640 --> 01:19:20,720 Speaker 2: Sh