S4 E1 | The Magic of Word of South and Cascades Park History

Welcome back to Season 4 of Overeducated and Underemployed! To kick off the new season, we are diving deep into the heartbeat of Tallahassee’s cultural scene: the Word of South Music, Arts, and Literature Festival. In this episode, we chart the fascinating, sometimes dark, and deeply resilient history of Cascades Park—from its origin as a toxic gas plant graveyard to holding the Prime Meridian of Florida and becoming home to the Adderley Amphitheater. We also take a nostalgic trip through iconic festival mashups of the past (including running slides for Lee Bains III & John T. Edge) and break down a legendary 2018 Muscle Shoals Eddie Hinton tribute set. Finally, we take you behind the scenes of the 2026 festival, including a killer late-night set by Taylor Hollingsworth at the Blue Tavern, watching Earth, Wind & Fire side-stage with Lee Bains, Danny Bedrosian’s comic book panel, and an unexpected backstage hang with Amythyst Kiah and Chuck Reece (Salvation South). ⚠️ VISUAL NOTE: This episode features tons of exclusive video clips and archival photos from the festival! If you're listening on an audio-only platform, head over to our YouTube channel to see the full experience. What we cover in this episode: • The 35-year toxic freeze and EPA cleanup of Cascades Park. • How a "halfway point" compromise between Pensacola and St. Augustine created Florida's capital. • Preserving hard truths: The dark history of the park’s lynching tree and the legacy of Centennial Field. • The legendary 2018 Eddie Hinton tribute supergroup featuring Patterson Hood, David Hood, Spooner Oldham, and John Paul White. • A deep dive into the "School of P-Funk" culture and why George Clinton's legacy thrives through musicians like Danny Bedrosian and Lige Curry. • Falling head over heels for Amythyst Kiah’s music and unearthing a mutual connection to rock idol Butch Walker. RESOURCES & LINKS: • Pre-order Lee Bains’ upcoming poetry book: [INSERT LINK] • Listen to Danny Bedrosian’s podcast "Danny on Everything": [INSERT LINK] • Learn more about Word of South Festival: https://wordofsouthfestival.com/ • Support Salvation South: https://www.salvationsouth.com/https://www.hubcity.org/books/poetry/work-lunchTheme Song by Sloan Brothers : http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z0YyvTetovciEDRoRNudBTitle inspired by Lee Bains III: https://www.thegloryfires.com/https://www.patreon.com/Feddun