The Hoochenanny Episode | Wease Family Circus | EP. 25

Two of Rochester's finest scoundrels, Tommy Brunett of Iron Smoke and Sean McCarthy of McCarthy Tents and Events, pull up to Captivate Studios to break down Hoochenanny, the music and whiskey festival blowing up in its new Penfield home August 14 to 16. This is not your average field-and-a-stage festival. These two built a monster: a 15,000 square foot air-conditioned World of Whiskey, a two-story VIP tent you can walk right to the front of the stage from, Lager Land, real food with real seating, and a DIY punk rock spirit dressed up in PGA-level hospitality. Sean explains how owning the tents lets him take swings nobody else in the business would take, and how a five-month, six-no fight with the town finally turned into a yes. The lineup is stacked: Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Toadies, Cracker, Joywave, Amigo the Devil, plus Tommy Brunett's All-Star Cavalcade of Scoundrels with Gary Lewis and the Playboys and John Petrucci of Dream Theater. Friday GA is already gone, and last year's whiskey auction raised over $30,000 for Lou Gramm Charity and Make-A-Wish, with one bottle going for seven grand. Then the guys clear out and Wease gets real about the week from hell: an ambulance ride Monday night, a 103 fever, blood pressure at 201, and an overloaded Strong Memorial where he got treated in a tent and called back at 1:45 in the morning over a false-positive MRSA scare. His take on why the ER is a war zone right now is worth hearing. Plus the 911 call where the dispatcher heard "arguing in the background" (it was Doreen keeping him from face-planting), the ambulance driver who recognized the pictures on the wall, Josh Allen parking in Wease's spot at Bills camp, and the great gray jersey debate. Shoutout to our sponsors: Electric Car Corner in Farmington (Wease's monthly gas bill went from 300 bucks to 56), Cannabis Corner, and Salvatore's Pizza. Get to Hoochenanny August 14 to 16 in Penfield. Don't sleep on tickets.