About this Episode:

We’re joined by Garret Woodward, an Award-winning Journalist, Author, Events Promoter, and Musician now living in Waynesville, N.C. A native of upstate New York, he was a college track star. After graduating with a degree in Journalism and working across the country in a variety of Journalism jobs, he became a weekly Columnist for Smoky Mountain News in 2012, and later also a columnist for Smoky Mountain Living. Best known for his interviews with musicians and compelling human-interest stories, Garret is also the author of two books and is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone magazine while also promoting live music events with his own newly formed company.

In our conversation with Garret, he discusses his music journalism career and how he started out. He also mentioned his award-winning column about bluegrass music and the story behind the now-famous title of the book ” If you can’t Play then get off the F******* Stage”.


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SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1

Joseph starts off this week’s episode by introducing himself and reading off the sponsored message from Smokies Adventure. After the sponsored message, Joseph introduces a special guest, Garret Woodward, and they discuss their alcoholic drinks for the hour. The topic of Garret’s upbringing is brought up and Garret describes his experiences in his early years living near the Adirondacks compared to when he moved South near the Smokies. Garret explains how his life didn’t change drastically due to the people boring striking similarities, like their love of bluegrass and the mountain culture in both areas. After the break, Joseph wants to delve deeper into Garret’s journalism career.

SEGMENT 2

After the commercials, Joseph wanted to know why Garret traveled all the way to Europe and Garret explains that he wanted to learn more about his ancestry and a little more about the person he was named after, his ancestor who left for America during the potato famine. Joseph shifts Garret to the discussion of Garret’s music journalism career and how he started out. He originally wanted to be a DJ, but through a coincidence and a pinch of luck, landed a much-needed internship at a music magazine where he learned how to write for a magazine, and get his first taste of journalism.

SEGMENT 3

After the break, Joseph asks Garret why he decided to move to the Smokies in the first place, and it was due to a recession in the economy when Garret, who was then freelancing as a music journalist, knew he needed a full-time job. After sending out applications, he landed a job in Smoky Mountain News writing columns. It was then when Joseph wanted to explore Garret’s decorated writing career, like his award-winning column about bluegrass music, and the story behind the now-famous title of Garret’s book If you can’t Play then get off the F******* Stage.

SEGMENT 4

They come back to the final segment to talk about Garret’s recommendation for the best live music concerts/festivals. After that, they trade stories of random pedestrians arguing with them about their favorite music or drinks. Once that was all said and done, Joseph asks Garret to create the ideal itinerary for people visiting North Carolina, discussing all the best places to eat breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, grab some coffee, and the best activities to do in between every meal.


TRANSCRIPT

00:02:47.190 –> 00:02:51.510 Joseph McElroy: howdy thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of

00:02:51.930 –> 00:03:00.570 Joseph McElroy: gateway to the smokies this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park.

00:03:01.020 –> 00:03:11.790 Joseph McElroy: And surrounding towns this area filled with ancient natural beauty a deep storied history and a rich mountain culture that we explore with the weekly episode.

00:03:12.510 –> 00:03:25.980 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family is living the great smokies for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.

00:03:27.060 –> 00:03:32.310 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast is titled finding a new home in the smokies through stories and songs.

00:03:33.540 –> 00:03:46.290 Joseph McElroy: First, let me tell you a little bit about our sponsors imagine a place evocative of the motor courts of the past and modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel.

00:03:46.830 –> 00:03:59.130 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain Heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wines or craft beer.

00:03:59.970 –> 00:04:11.160 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place with old-time music and world cultural sounds and an old storyteller sitting around the fire talking to you about things in life.

00:04:11.670 –> 00:04:23.580 Joseph McElroy: There is no other place like the Meadowlark motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay. Go to MeadowlarkMotel.com to find out more.

00:04:25.230 –> 00:04:25.590 Joseph McElroy: and

00:04:28.320 –> 00:04:37.260 Joseph McElroy: If you’re looking for information about the smokies look no further than smokiesadventure.com that’s smokies plural adventure.com.

00:04:37.650 –> 00:04:42.300 Joseph McElroy: where you can find information about hiking and wedding and venues and books.

00:04:42.690 –> 00:04:56.460 Joseph McElroy: And trail maps and resources, the emphasis of smokies adventurous outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information and lodging entertainment.

00:04:56.820 –> 00:05:04.230 Joseph McElroy: Events conventions honeymoons and more The goal of this site is to become the leading information portal of the smoky mountains.

00:05:06.210 –> 00:05:16.890 Joseph McElroy: So welcome everybody I’m here today we’re gonna have a nice little conversation, as I do, every time I’m open it up a craft beer sometimes it’s from North Carolina sometimes it’s from New York, this time.

00:05:17.280 –> 00:05:24.840 Joseph McElroy: Is from the Bronx Brewery in New York City, and it is you can’t you now use can’t leave.

00:05:26.640 –> 00:05:34.170 Joseph McElroy: cheers, now I just saw that it is 10.1% So if I get a little funny but, at the end of this show.

00:05:36.750 –> 00:05:39.060 Joseph McElroy: you’ll know what you know the reason they’re at.

00:05:41.010 –> 00:05:43.320 Joseph McElroy: So either.

00:05:44.790 –> 00:05:45.210 Joseph McElroy: I have.

00:05:46.350 –> 00:06:00.330 Joseph McElroy: got a new guy new guests there today his name is Garrett Woodward and he is an award-winning Journalist, Author, Events Promoter, and musician now living in Haywood County and Waynesville North Carolina.

00:06:00.870 –> 00:06:11.640 Joseph McElroy: He is a weekly Columnist for the smoky mountain news since 2012 and later he was also a columnist for the smoky mountain living magazine.

00:06:12.690 –> 00:06:27.960 Joseph McElroy: Yes, known for his interviews with musicians and compelling human interest stories is also the author of two books and as a regular contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, and, while also promoting live music with his own company.

00:06:28.980 –> 00:06:30.510 Joseph McElroy: Hello Gary how you doing.

00:06:30.840 –> 00:06:33.150 Garret Woodward: hey man, how you doing thanks for having me here.

00:06:33.570 –> 00:06:36.660 Joseph McElroy: I’m doing good and you’re drinking a beer too what you drinking.

00:06:37.320 –> 00:06:44.940 Garret Woodward: Well I’m drinking a beer and solidarity of my native North country which is a moose head Lager.

00:06:45.570 –> 00:06:52.860 Garret Woodward: All right, people forget, although it’s a big beer it’s actually Canada’s oldest and biggest independent brewery.

00:06:53.310 –> 00:06:55.980 Joseph McElroy: Really so it’s the craft beer theoretically.

00:06:56.340 –> 00:07:01.500 Garret Woodward: One of the only it’s one of the only beer companies in Canada that’s not owned by Molson or a bad.

00:07:04.080 –> 00:07:08.640 Joseph McElroy: So you grew up in upstate New York not too far from Canada right so.

00:07:10.860 –> 00:07:12.690 Garret Woodward: I grew up in Canada.

00:07:13.170 –> 00:07:16.260 Joseph McElroy: wow That was a very small town right.

00:07:16.740 –> 00:07:25.860 Garret Woodward: extremely small, to put it in reference, we were the big town up there, but we were probably about the size of Bryson City North Carolina, which is about.

00:07:26.370 –> 00:07:35.220 Garret Woodward: 1800 people, so I grew up in a cow town in northern Adirondacks I always say you hit a golf ball for my childhood home and hit Quebec.

00:07:35.910 –> 00:07:45.870 Garret Woodward: And yeah born and bred there until I got out of high school my dad was an immigration officer for the US Government, he was the one that decided if you come in and out of the border.

00:07:46.380 –> 00:07:53.460 Garret Woodward: which was tough, because when I was a teenager and we would go to Quebec to drink beers because it’s 18 to drink, he would be the one I’d come through.

00:07:54.090 –> 00:07:55.800 Garret Woodward: If I can come back to America.

00:07:57.150 –> 00:08:02.940 Garret Woodward: This is true, this really happen, it would be him in the booth saying is that my son back there in the back of that car.

00:08:07.020 –> 00:08:07.320 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:08:08.040 –> 00:08:10.410 Garret Woodward: Make sure he gets home his mom’s gonna be really mad.

00:08:13.830 –> 00:08:15.180 Garret Woodward: cool feature up there too.

00:08:16.050 –> 00:08:21.360 Joseph McElroy: So the culture, so you know you said it was near the Adirondacks here in the Adirondacks right.

00:08:22.800 –> 00:08:23.610 Joseph McElroy: yeah go.

00:08:24.180 –> 00:08:34.740 Garret Woodward: Champlain Valley Northern Adirondacks my whole existence revolves around places like Plattsburgh new york’s Saranac lake placid Tupper lake line mountain.

00:08:35.250 –> 00:08:39.030 Garret Woodward: all the way up to the border and then you know Burlington Vermont was right there.

00:08:39.780 –> 00:08:50.730 Garret Woodward: 30 minutes south of US was Burlington Vermont and then 45 minutes north of US was Montreal Quebec So for me in a cow town, I had to have the world’s greatest cities within an hour of me.

00:08:51.750 –> 00:08:59.130 Joseph McElroy: So that that was a mountain culture right so, is it defined the similarities between it and the smokies.

00:08:59.610 –> 00:09:04.110 Garret Woodward: Well, a lot of people don’t realize that, in essence, like it’s kind of the same mountain chain.

00:09:04.140 –> 00:09:11.070 Garret Woodward: I mean there are considered the northern Appalachians but it depends, who you ask some people won’t claim it but.

00:09:12.090 –> 00:09:19.200 Garret Woodward: It looks very similar Western North Carolina looks very similar to upstate New York, the people are very similar.

00:09:19.770 –> 00:09:29.220 Garret Woodward: It doesn’t matter what your background is your religion or your political affiliation, the only question that remains is, are you a good person or a bad person.

00:09:29.610 –> 00:09:43.470 Garret Woodward: that’s all people care about up there and that’s all people care about down here, you know, are you here to compliment, and I say that with the letter E, not the letter I, are you here to compliment the Community or here to compliment the Community or are you here to just.

00:09:45.570 –> 00:09:49.560 Garret Woodward: You know absorb it and not contribute, you know but.

00:09:49.650 –> 00:09:54.990 Garret Woodward: yeah that’s it that’s a big thing for me in this area, reminds me a lot of where I grew up the people are incredible and.

00:09:55.560 –> 00:10:10.410 Garret Woodward: And up there, it was definitely mountain culture when I’m home, all I do is the same thing I do down here, which is go hike go swim and freshwater lakes and go find live music at some bar on the corner, so my life has not changed that much since I moved down here.

00:10:10.920 –> 00:10:13.740 Joseph McElroy: The rubric was bluegrass and country music big up there.

00:10:14.400 –> 00:10:27.600 Garret Woodward: It is but it’s different like it’s funny is I grew up one town over from where the Gibson brothers are from and they’re very, very popular award-winning bluegrass band.

00:10:28.260 –> 00:10:40.500 Garret Woodward: And they grew up, they were farm kids that were you know, a generation ahead of me but also 10 miles down the road So when I was growing up, they were always playing the local.

00:10:41.100 –> 00:10:48.390 Garret Woodward: You know maple syrup festivals, and all the things that go on up there ice fishing tournaments all that stuff and then.

00:10:49.140 –> 00:11:04.680 Garret Woodward: You know they become nowadays, one of the marquee bluegrass men’s in the United States to which they actually just put out an album that was produced by Darren our back or the black keys the last album he called them up and produced it but what’s so funny is.

00:11:06.390 –> 00:11:20.250 Garret Woodward: When when you talk to the Gibson brothers about it when they play in upstate New York, people are like oh my God you’re keeping the high lonesome sound going, and then when they come down Appalachia people are like oh you guys came close.

00:11:22.920 –> 00:11:30.930 Garret Woodward: Like they’re considered traditional bluegrass in New York, but they’re considered like progressive bluegrass in North Carolina and.

00:11:31.980 –> 00:11:36.210 Joseph McElroy: bluegrass mafia around here you better not introduce something new right I.

00:11:36.210 –> 00:11:48.840 Garret Woodward: know it, but it’s so cool is because I cross paths with them a lot when they’re in Nashville or you know they’re always at the IBM a’s which are this Thursday in Raleigh the international bluegrass music association award show and.

00:11:49.950 –> 00:11:57.150 Garret Woodward: it’s funny because I in the south, I don’t really have any personal connections down here with anybody that’s from up there, so when I run into them.

00:11:57.630 –> 00:12:08.340 Garret Woodward: They know that they know everything, and I know everything about where we’re from and what we’re about so we always end up hanging out and having a couple of beers and just you know chewing the ball, a little bit about the north country.

00:12:10.680 –> 00:12:18.810 Joseph McElroy: So so you’re a writer, but you started, you were sort of a track star at Quinnipiac University weren’t you.

00:12:19.740 –> 00:12:25.770 Garret Woodward: yeah well, I was a track star in high school, but then, when you get to college you realize that everyone’s a track star that goes to college.

00:12:27.450 –> 00:12:35.280 Garret Woodward: So we got a rock star yeah you got you go from top dog in your hometown to you might make the team in college, you know.

00:12:37.200 –> 00:12:41.460 Joseph McElroy: What spurred you that into journalism in history was it because you weren’t a good track star.

00:12:42.390 –> 00:12:44.970 Garret Woodward: And I still run every day, by the way.

00:12:45.030 –> 00:12:51.450 Garret Woodward: I have a six-and-a-half-year-long streak of running every day, which is crazy.

00:12:52.620 –> 00:12:54.600 Garret Woodward: It was initially was to.

00:12:55.680 –> 00:13:03.360 Garret Woodward: spite my father because he’s a huge runner he got me into running he’s an older guy he’s turning 80 this year and.

00:13:03.900 –> 00:13:15.030 Garret Woodward: And I’m 36 and he was older when I was born and he ran you know Boston marathon 20 times, he was one of those guys in the 60s and 70s, that kind of was the start of the running boom and.

00:13:16.650 –> 00:13:22.470 Garret Woodward: I was talking to him, it was actually I was in New York City, I was staying with some friends for new year’s Eve in.

00:13:23.520 –> 00:13:34.290 Garret Woodward: In Greenpoint Brooklyn and I didn’t have usually I would run one-day mount bike one day hike one day that’s always been my routine just kind of you know to cross-train.

00:13:34.740 –> 00:13:43.200 Garret Woodward: And I love to exercise and I’m one of the few people that like I really like to exercise that it’s my Zen zone but, just like live music and writing.

00:13:44.370 –> 00:13:56.220 Garret Woodward: So he told me he I told him I’d run like six days in a row when I was in New York because I didn’t have anything else to do so, I just ran every day it was like six days in a row that’s nothing I ran 100 days in a row I don’t think you’ll ever do that.

00:13:57.810 –> 00:13:58.890 Garret Woodward: Now i’m at a.

00:14:00.000 –> 00:14:02.220 Garret Woodward: I think I’m at like 1800 days in a row.

00:14:02.550 –> 00:14:03.150 well.

00:14:04.350 –> 00:14:09.030 Garret Woodward: No, but it’s like to really you know shove, the point home to the old man.

00:14:10.380 –> 00:14:18.150 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know, I think that this is code started I think I’m having a drink 400 days in a row or stuff like that.

00:14:18.960 –> 00:14:20.190 Garret Woodward: I hear you buddy I hear you.

00:14:22.200 –> 00:14:24.720 Joseph McElroy: We all get on the street sometimes so.

00:14:26.610 –> 00:14:42.300 Joseph McElroy: So you know, so how did you well, I think there’s a further discussion here because you know, one of the things I noticed when you made that joke complimentary that’s an irony, you know that is that’s a better joke than a joke that only a writer would.

00:14:44.370 –> 00:14:45.060 Joseph McElroy: You make.

00:14:46.290 –> 00:14:53.400 Joseph McElroy: So I want to get more into your journalism and your and your and your writing career when we come back.

00:14:54.810 –> 00:14:55.980 Joseph McElroy: After this break.

00:17:12.210 –> 00:17:27.690 Joseph McElroy: Oh, this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest is Garret Woodward who is trying to destroy his own computer equipment by boring too much beer fast into a cup.

00:17:30.210 –> 00:17:31.440 Joseph McElroy: Did you save your equipment they’re.

00:17:32.280 –> 00:17:32.910 I’m good.

00:17:34.140 –> 00:17:35.070 Garret Woodward: or bad it’s not.

00:17:35.160 –> 00:17:35.940 Then saved.

00:17:38.490 –> 00:17:50.430 Joseph McElroy: hey you know, they say, like 150 million years ago there was this giant continent that comprise the United States and in Europe and others, and there was a giant.

00:17:50.910 –> 00:17:59.250 Joseph McElroy: mountain range dawn up that that when the continent split apart those mountain ranges split apart and one part of it ended up being the Appalachians.

00:17:59.940 –> 00:18:10.440 Joseph McElroy: And the other part, ended up being over in Europe, and now they have an international Appalachian trail that connects them to together virtually and part of that goes into Scotland and Ireland.

00:18:11.400 –> 00:18:26.580 Joseph McElroy: Now I saw that after college, you went to county Ireland county Kerry and Ireland, so how did you end up there, and did you find those which county is the most mountainous region in our the do you find those mountains similar to.

00:18:28.290 –> 00:18:31.950 Garret Woodward: Well, no trees, they English toral the trees down to build the homes.

00:18:32.670 –> 00:18:33.180 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know.

00:18:33.570 –> 00:18:35.460 Joseph McElroy: The day they didn’t have trees around here either.

00:18:35.850 –> 00:18:47.550 Garret Woodward: yeah they so I actually I was at did it was a semester abroad in college, but I was it was a host family it wasn’t like you were with a bunch of like you.

00:18:48.000 –> 00:18:57.300 Garret Woodward: You weren’t in an American institution or American college with American professors, you were in I was with a host family with five other students for.

00:18:57.930 –> 00:19:07.740 Garret Woodward: four and a half, five months when I was 20 years old, and the reason that it was a big deal to me was my full name is Garrett Kevin Woodward.

00:19:08.220 –> 00:19:14.820 Garret Woodward: and Garret Kevin was the first person for my family to come over to America during the potato famine, so I was named after him.

00:19:15.570 –> 00:19:24.570 Garret Woodward: And it’s always been a dream of mine to go there and when the opportunity came up through Quinnipiac they actually have a direct portal to Ireland.

00:19:25.110 –> 00:19:42.960 Garret Woodward: they’re really big with Irish humanities it’s just a big part of the school, which was amazing of a coincidence that the school actually had a property in Ireland, where they had a host family that you could stay with for five months, and so I jumped on it, and it was in County Kerry.

00:19:44.190 –> 00:19:54.450 Garret Woodward: right out right next to the Dingle peninsula and what was so cool was it was a life-changing experience I recommend anybody if you can figure out where your family’s from.

00:19:54.900 –> 00:20:03.930 Garret Woodward: What town they’re from to go there because it’s one of those experiences that you can’t explain the idea of like time doesn’t exist kind of thing like it’s all.

00:20:04.140 –> 00:20:07.830 Garret Woodward: circle and what was crazy was I’d always heard that.

00:20:09.960 –> 00:20:24.690 Garret Woodward: My family had a pub in County Carlo the town of Boris only like 600 people and I’d heard the Cabinet pub is still there is the exact pub that my ancestor Garrick hasn’t left.

00:20:26.790 –> 00:20:31.980 Garret Woodward: The exact pub and I was like I wonder if it’s still there and it’s still there it’s still a pub.

00:20:32.160 –> 00:20:34.920 Joseph McElroy: Oh, that was spine-tingling right yeah.

00:20:35.340 –> 00:20:42.060 Garret Woodward: yeah it was a pub with a thatched roof it had been there over 150 years and it was still called the Cabinet pub.

00:20:42.660 –> 00:20:53.940 Garret Woodward: So, being the runner that I am I brought my running clothes and I went for a jog around the Community my parents actually met me there because we all wanted to track it down and.

00:20:54.870 –> 00:21:04.530 Garret Woodward: My dad went for a run around one side of the town, I went for a run around the other and we circled back and had got us with my mom in that bar that pub and it was.

00:21:06.090 –> 00:21:09.600 Garret Woodward: Like not to sound cheesy but man, it was a really cosmic experience.

00:21:10.440 –> 00:21:13.410 Garret Woodward: The exact room that your ancestor left for America.

00:21:14.910 –> 00:21:17.940 Garret Woodward: In Europe, like How crazy, is that you know but.

00:21:18.600 –> 00:21:19.050 Joseph McElroy: You know I.

00:21:20.250 –> 00:21:29.190 Joseph McElroy: mean I can go around Haywood county and I can find the things that my ancestors a bit and yeah like old fox hunting cabins and things I get a little bit of that.

00:21:30.060 –> 00:21:45.810 Joseph McElroy: yeah kick it right there so um so you after college you embarked upon this fabulous journalism career so so how did you get into music journalism right.

00:21:46.470 –> 00:21:56.940 Garret Woodward: I since day since I’ve been cognizant as a human being, my life has revolved around music I’ve always been obsessed with it I’ve always loved it.

00:21:57.780 –> 00:22:09.630 Garret Woodward: Well, the second I was old enough to go to concerts I would beg my parents to bring me to shows every weekend the second I got a car and a license I never was home.

00:22:10.290 –> 00:22:10.590 Joseph McElroy: I mean.

00:22:11.370 –> 00:22:17.580 Garret Woodward: You know, I was the 12-year-old kid begging my mom to drop me off at the rock show every weekend I wanted to go see concerts.

00:22:18.090 –> 00:22:27.120 Garret Woodward: And when I was 16 and got a license I worked at McDonald’s That was my first there’s the only job you can get on the border McDonald’s or you work at the Marina and lake Champlain that’s it.

00:22:27.870 –> 00:22:40.470 Garret Woodward: And I spend every dime I made at McDonald’s on gas and concert tickets in its really hasn’t changed since I largely think I became a journalist, I didn’t have to pay for concert tickets.

00:22:42.330 –> 00:22:46.200 Garret Woodward: I think about how much money I’ve not spent on concert tickets.

00:22:48.870 –> 00:22:52.020 Garret Woodward: music has always been my life like it’s always been something that.

00:22:52.260 –> 00:22:58.650 Joseph McElroy: was just that was inevitable than ever there was your journalism was going to be available to be.

00:22:58.680 –> 00:23:00.780 Garret Woodward: I fell in love I fell into journalism.

00:23:00.900 –> 00:23:03.930 Garret Woodward: I plan on being a journalist, to be honest with you.

00:23:05.760 –> 00:23:09.540 Garret Woodward: I’ve always looked at live music as one of the most sacred.

00:23:10.710 –> 00:23:22.470 Garret Woodward: experiences, you can have as a human being is being a room of strangers and having this communal experience that transcends anything you know you can be in a room full of.

00:23:22.470 –> 00:23:26.940 Garret Woodward: people that are completely different of where they’re from what they do, who they are, what they’re about.

00:23:27.750 –> 00:23:35.490 Garret Woodward: But they’re all they’re facing the same direction, looking at something and and and just in anticipation of the magic.

00:23:35.970 –> 00:23:43.440 Garret Woodward: And that’s the thing I do I chased the magic, you know that that one moment every show where you’re just like I’m so glad I’m here right now and.

00:23:44.190 –> 00:23:57.750 Garret Woodward: Even as a kid that I’m like an old soul man, even as a kid I knew that 12 years old, I always thought that, and when I was in high school, this is how I fell into journalism, so I wanted to be an MTV VJ.

00:23:58.170 –> 00:23:58.920 My dream was.

00:24:00.270 –> 00:24:05.550 Garret Woodward: I wanted to be Carson Daly I wanted to be on total request live, I wanted to be.

00:24:06.780 –> 00:24:15.870 Garret Woodward: broadway I wanted to be on the second floor I wanted to host yarrow and I wanted Carson Daly job I still want Carson Jill his job he’s on the today show now.

00:24:15.930 –> 00:24:16.620 But yeah.

00:24:18.090 –> 00:24:29.010 Garret Woodward: So when I was a senior in high school, a friend of mine my mom’s friend from high schools daughter worked at MTV to which was crazy, because where I grew up a lot of people don’t leave that area.

00:24:29.580 –> 00:24:42.090 Garret Woodward: If you have dreams and it’s not pursuing them I love it up there, but people have dreams and they don’t chase them and most people don’t leave my town, and I said I’m bouncing out of here and.

00:24:42.750 –> 00:24:52.590 Garret Woodward: When I was a senior I’d found out that this friend of his daughter my mom’s friend worked at MTV too, and she brought me into the tiro studios in 2002.

00:24:53.280 –> 00:24:56.520 Garret Woodward: Right now, is the biggest show on MTV at that point in.

00:24:57.450 –> 00:25:06.420 Garret Woodward: As long gone well, I think it came back actually but, at the time it was huge to get 1000 people in Times Square, just to watch every broadcast I mean it was wild.

00:25:06.930 –> 00:25:14.310 Garret Woodward: And I got to walk around the studios and I said, this is why I want to do with my life, so I ended up at Quinnipiac because they have a really good broadcast journalism Program.

00:25:15.150 –> 00:25:23.430 Garret Woodward: And then I was kind of pursuing that and then when I had to get an internship my junior year I couldn’t find anything.

00:25:24.060 –> 00:25:30.270 Garret Woodward: When I went back to New York for spring break I had to get an internship by the time I came back from spring break or else I couldn’t graduate.

00:25:30.990 –> 00:25:51.390 Garret Woodward: And so I went to a music festival in Lake placid New York, it was called snow down, it was SN he for the band mo so snow down and I ran into a friend of mine who was my aunt’s ex-boyfriend and he’s is kind of cosmic looking dude big white beard he got me.

00:25:52.650 –> 00:25:54.780 Garret Woodward: got me to the grateful dead when I was nine years old.

00:25:55.170 –> 00:25:55.530 hey.

00:25:58.440 –> 00:26:06.510 Garret Woodward: I ran into him at the festival, this is spring break I had two days to find an internship I had called every radio station on every TV station.

00:26:06.930 –> 00:26:13.710 Garret Woodward: For the summer internship when I was back in Plattsburgh nobody called me back everyone said we’d have we have nothing for you.

00:26:14.400 –> 00:26:22.650 Garret Woodward: So I was, I was like I’m going back to Connecticut to college in two days and I don’t have an internship and I ran into him at the show on Saturday night I’d be back in college Monday.

00:26:23.130 –> 00:26:32.610 Garret Woodward: I ran into him Saturday night at the show in Lake placid and I told him what was going on, he goes well, this is kind of funny a friend of mine who owns a music magazine is here tonight.

00:26:33.270 –> 00:26:45.960 Garret Woodward: I know you’re not a writer, but as you should talk to me, probably get you an internship so I ran into the guy that night and he said so, what do I get to do just say that you did stuff and sign a piece of paper, and I said yeah that’d be.

00:26:45.960 –> 00:26:49.440 Garret Woodward: Great that’d be really great I really need this internship.

00:26:49.980 –> 00:27:00.960 Garret Woodward: And so I was able to fudge my way through it, even though it wasn’t TV or radio my journalism Professor said it was okay because it was a magazine so.

00:27:02.130 –> 00:27:07.890 Garret Woodward: I had no experience with creative writing at all or any kind of magazine writing and.

00:27:08.730 –> 00:27:20.940 Garret Woodward: I jumped on it and that summer I started interning at this music magazine in Burlington Vermont state of a mind music magazine, it was a physical magazine is beautiful magazine taught me everything I learned everything I know about journalism now I learned there.

00:27:21.630 –> 00:27:30.240 Garret Woodward: hasn’t changed every single thing it was it was great it was one of those old school music magazines, where they would give you like a six-page bread, where you can really.

00:27:30.270 –> 00:27:34.890 Garret Woodward: dive into like he could really, really nerd out on artists and.

00:27:36.180 –> 00:27:45.450 Garret Woodward: The editor there Mike McKinley gave me the internship and then about a month into it all, I was doing was like dropping off boxes of magazines at dive bars and.

00:27:46.260 –> 00:27:53.760 Garret Woodward: Helping transcribe interviews and then he said, do you ever want you want to write, for us, I don’t know how to write and he goes well.

00:27:54.750 –> 00:28:04.260 Garret Woodward: Are you gotta do is just tell the truth, like, how do you really feel about this thing like what What if you, what do you feel about this album when you feel about this artist, what do you actually feel yeah.

00:28:04.710 –> 00:28:08.820 Garret Woodward: He said that’s all you gotta do is just say that, and then so that’s where it started.

00:28:09.240 –> 00:28:11.730 Joseph McElroy: And then that’s a great way to.

00:28:11.730 –> 00:28:14.340 Joseph McElroy: start a career is to get you to know that kind of.

00:28:14.970 –> 00:28:22.170 Joseph McElroy: talent yeah falling into it and then having some mentors there to help you that you know and being in a place where you can actually get a rich.

00:28:23.010 –> 00:28:32.610 Joseph McElroy: Experience with their lead you to be able to travel, you know I noticed that you travel early on to a lot of places, but then, what interests me as you went to burning man.

00:28:33.630 –> 00:28:34.200 Garret Woodward: place.

00:28:34.920 –> 00:28:43.710 Garret Woodward: Twice where did you go I went in 2008 and 2009 I actually have I don’t know if you can see it get a burning man tattoo right there.

00:28:46.410 –> 00:28:48.720 Joseph McElroy: You go to into the series.

00:28:50.160 –> 00:28:53.790 Joseph McElroy: I’ve done my thing that’s cool another burner all right.

00:28:54.150 –> 00:28:58.830 Garret Woodward: Good on you man, you know it’s a lot different now I don’t know if I never go back.

00:28:59.370 –> 00:29:03.540 Joseph McElroy: I don’t know you know even then it was getting pretty big it’s like 30,000 I was there, but.

00:29:04.380 –> 00:29:04.740 Garret Woodward: For me.

00:29:05.610 –> 00:29:10.020 Joseph McElroy: to share some stories, you have to come over to the motel I got some real good Bernie man.

00:29:12.930 –> 00:29:15.990 Garret Woodward: There now there’s Internet and cell service I don’t know how I feel about that.

00:29:16.410 –> 00:29:29.640 Joseph McElroy: yeah we know when I put in a satellite to my my my my my vehicle, I have one of these original one original sets I had Internet before anybody in Bernie MAC.

00:29:30.030 –> 00:29:30.810 Garret Woodward: You might only.

00:29:30.900 –> 00:29:32.520 Garret Woodward: a person that could call out of there.

00:29:32.790 –> 00:29:40.890 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah I could call, and I could I was doing a newsletter couldn’t do images and heavy media at the time, but I can do some stuff but.

00:29:42.360 –> 00:29:42.960 Joseph McElroy: anyway.

00:29:44.250 –> 00:29:52.230 Joseph McElroy: I’ll have to have another conversation about all those travels that’s pretty good so but let’s get the Haywood county we’re about to you know go to a break.

00:29:53.460 –> 00:29:58.140 Joseph McElroy: So when we come back, I want to talk about your intro to the smoky mountains, yes.

00:32:36.660 –> 00:32:52.350 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest here Woodward Garrett yeah yeah Bob and made us a list of about 100 questions we’ve gone through three of them are they.

00:32:53.670 –> 00:32:54.660 Garret Woodward: Bob is that.

00:32:55.800 –> 00:33:10.020 Joseph McElroy: you’ve you’re good at talking, you know there’s no wonder, you became a journalist, you can write a story man is just a few words you yeah a few questions and ma’am you’re off on a novel yeah.

00:33:10.500 –> 00:33:12.180 Garret Woodward: that’s that Irish blood.

00:33:14.610 –> 00:33:15.720 Garret Woodward: sparing the same.

00:33:16.140 –> 00:33:18.270 Joseph McElroy: sure you can do it, everyone has a podcast.

00:33:18.630 –> 00:33:19.920 Garret Woodward: I was gonna say is that.

00:33:20.700 –> 00:33:26.910 Garret Woodward: No vulgarity all vulgarity aside, when I was younger my father I don’t know if you ever watched that 70 show.

00:33:28.710 –> 00:33:34.050 Garret Woodward: My father was like red foreman still is, but tough love tough to read kind of guy.

00:33:35.430 –> 00:33:44.250 Garret Woodward: never really said much like if you had the best day of your life as I would I would break a school record and he’d be like did you puke at the finish line I said no.

00:33:45.510 –> 00:33:47.190 Garret Woodward: He didn’t run hard enough.

00:33:47.820 –> 00:33:51.600 Joseph McElroy: yeah my dad was an old mountain man, I had that same.

00:33:51.600 –> 00:33:52.380 Joseph McElroy: sort of dad.

00:33:52.740 –> 00:34:01.950 Garret Woodward: yeah so So when I got out of high school, I was, like all right, I get my diploma and I’m walking out of the auditorium from the.

00:34:02.850 –> 00:34:10.710 Garret Woodward: ceremony and he walks up to me and I’m like God is the moment it’s going to tell me he’s proud of me, this is the moment and he walks up to me.

00:34:11.430 –> 00:34:19.200 Garret Woodward: He doesn’t extend his hand he just looks at me right now, and he goes well, he graduated high school you’re bullshitting and you’ve come from a long line of bullshit.

00:34:20.940 –> 00:34:21.930 Garret Woodward: And he’s walked away.

00:34:24.150 –> 00:34:25.800 Garret Woodward: That was him telling you I love you.

00:34:27.750 –> 00:34:33.150 Joseph McElroy: said, your identity, be the same identity So there you go he’s being a father.

00:34:33.480 –> 00:34:34.470 Garret Woodward: I know I know.

00:34:35.790 –> 00:34:39.150 Joseph McElroy: So um let’s talk about the smokies how’d you end up here.

00:34:40.680 –> 00:34:43.110 Garret Woodward: um desperation, but I love it here.

00:34:45.660 –> 00:34:55.230 Garret Woodward: Right after I got out of college, I worked out in my favorite places in the world Jackson hole Wyoming I was living out there as a journalist when I was 22 years old and then.

00:34:56.370 –> 00:35:05.070 Garret Woodward: When the economy tanked I ended up back in New York freelancing covering music festivals for a while and then around the spring of 2012.

00:35:06.210 –> 00:35:18.210 Garret Woodward: I needed to get a full-time job again that was the gig I really needed to get back into it, I was just on the road hustling it was rough when the economy tanked, especially as a journalist, it was rough out there.

00:35:19.710 –> 00:35:20.010 Garret Woodward: I.

00:35:21.330 –> 00:35:32.940 Garret Woodward: I applied for 100 jobs and 30 days so three to four applications a day I was mailing out physical applications to every newspaper that was hiring in June of 2012.

00:35:33.990 –> 00:35:45.840 Garret Woodward: I was applying for jobs in Omaha Nebraska Sarasota Florida, you know Santa Barbara California just anything I just really wanted to be back into a full-time gig instead of just you know.

00:35:47.100 –> 00:35:53.370 Garret Woodward: Whatever I could piecemeal together and I applied to the smoky mountain news and the next day.

00:35:53.940 –> 00:36:08.580 Garret Woodward: The boss, the publisher Scott McCloud who started the newspaper who still my boss, and one of my best friends, he called me up and he was a little apprehensive he’s like would you really moved down here from New York really like your stuff and I said man I just really wanted.

00:36:11.790 –> 00:36:12.060 Garret Woodward: and

00:36:13.350 –> 00:36:17.310 Garret Woodward: I’ve been asked before but I’ve never been in sight unseen I came here.

00:36:18.120 –> 00:36:22.170 Joseph McElroy: wow well how do you how did you find acceptance here.

00:36:23.160 –> 00:36:24.510 Garret Woodward: How did I find acceptance.

00:36:24.930 –> 00:36:25.710 Garret Woodward: I mean, I think.

00:36:26.610 –> 00:36:41.700 Garret Woodward: The biggest thing was not being full of shit like I sincerely like the people I talked to I’m a history buff I’m a history nerd I’m an old soul it’s just what’s in my DNA is talking to people.

00:36:42.990 –> 00:36:50.970 Garret Woodward: Especially in Haywood county, as you know, I’ve always felt that if you don’t give people the time of day you’re not going to last long around here.

00:36:52.110 –> 00:37:08.190 Garret Woodward: You know, like I walked out mainstream and mainstream Waynesville is four blocks, but it might take me 40 minutes because I’ve had 20 people stop me to say hello, or by the way, I have a story idea or I read your column what was that about you know.

00:37:09.030 –> 00:37:17.280 Joseph McElroy: I think I think it’s still got it, yeah this whole area is got this immense amount of still small the small town charm.

00:37:19.290 –> 00:37:25.830 Joseph McElroy: yeah even though it’s you know there’s been changes over the years, still is still wonderful so let’s talk about your writing.

00:37:27.150 –> 00:37:36.240 Joseph McElroy: I mean you have a really great regular column that’s you know, really, I think a lot of ways, you speak with a lot of souls searching and.

00:37:36.720 –> 00:37:54.270 Joseph McElroy: And thinking about things and I recommend anybody read your columns but you have also written some things I think you’ve won awards you run you, you want the North Carolina Press Association Award for a cover story called the state of women in bluegrass so tell me what.

00:37:54.270 –> 00:37:56.160 Joseph McElroy: Is the state of women in bluegrass.

00:37:56.730 –> 00:38:06.150 Garret Woodward: Well, so all the years I’ve been reading about bluegrass which I lived before I moved here, but when you move here becomes part of your life, thankfully, you know I I love bluegrass.

00:38:06.630 –> 00:38:12.030 Garret Woodward: it’s at the core of everything you know they’re there wouldn’t be rock and roll or would it be country music without bluegrass.

00:38:12.630 –> 00:38:29.400 Garret Woodward: If you really look into it and it’s The more I learn about it, the more questions I have and I noticed about maybe possible disparities between male and female performers and so I decided to kind of do like a state of things kind of thing, where it was about.

00:38:31.890 –> 00:38:41.670 Garret Woodward: I interviewed about five or six female bluegrass musicians from small and unknown to some of the biggest stars in the country.

00:38:42.180 –> 00:38:50.460 Garret Woodward: You know Randy and get in and Claire lunch, I mean really get it from Carolina chocolate drops, and I mean she’s won Grammys she’s won everything I mean she’s she’s you know.

00:38:50.910 –> 00:38:57.630 Garret Woodward: One of the biggest names in Americana music and then her and Claire lynch who’s won multiple IBM awards.

00:38:58.110 –> 00:39:06.480 Garret Woodward: And then, all the way down to eight counties Danielle bishop, who at the time was you know, an up and coming female artists and it was more about.

00:39:07.140 –> 00:39:19.740 Garret Woodward: You know where do we stand, right now, and this was in 2015 you know this is before a lot of things kind of change in the realm of like disparities but are things that still need to change, but the.

00:39:20.760 –> 00:39:29.850 Garret Woodward: kind of overarching question was you know if you lead if you’re a female leading a bluegrass man, how do you feel about where you’re at in the industry in the genre.

00:39:30.330 –> 00:39:38.910 Garret Woodward: And also part of like an old boys club and a lot of ways, and so I learned a lot, you know and a lot of times in that process with that story.

00:39:41.130 –> 00:39:44.700 Garret Woodward: Unless I had posed the question they wouldn’t have said anything you know they would.

00:39:45.990 –> 00:39:52.680 Garret Woodward: You know, push forward hell or high water get it done, but what I sat down and kind of dug below the surface.

00:39:53.730 –> 00:40:00.570 Garret Woodward: I got some really not surprising sadly not surprising answers about you to know discrimination about.

00:40:01.830 –> 00:40:03.030 Garret Woodward: You know hey little ad.

00:40:03.960 –> 00:40:04.590 Garret Woodward: You know this is.

00:40:05.550 –> 00:40:07.170 Joseph McElroy: My car I.

00:40:07.230 –> 00:40:19.170 Joseph McElroy: don’t even have a chance to read that I’m a go look up that story so who do you think are the top women bluegrass and Western going now who do.

00:40:20.640 –> 00:40:20.910 Joseph McElroy: I mean.

00:40:21.030 –> 00:40:24.420 Garret Woodward: yeah bluegrass is a pretty flexible word these days.

00:40:27.180 –> 00:40:42.810 Garret Woodward: there’s the aggressive bluegrass is neo-traditional but in terms of Western Carolina I mean real-deal bluegrass like real deal traditional Darren and Brooke Aldridge me Brooke Aldridge is four times in a row, and the reigning.

00:40:43.980 –> 00:40:48.210 Garret Woodward: Female vocalist of the year at the IBM is and she’s from every county North Carolina.

00:40:48.990 –> 00:40:54.630 Garret Woodward: She just played rock fest last week up in Wilkes Barre oh she’s amazing she’s just want to see these people you’re meeting your life.

00:40:55.230 –> 00:41:08.790 Garret Woodward: boys have a songbird Darren and Brooke Aldridge I mean she’s blowing up and it’s that’s more of a traditional thing, but then, when you look kind of the bluegrass blues roots kind of thing you got you to know Amanda and platinum honey cutters and things like that and.

00:41:11.460 –> 00:41:19.320 Garret Woodward: what’s the other 100 hill rose, I think, too, but yeah it’s just he can’t throw a rock around here that hit the bluegrass musician yeah.

00:41:20.160 –> 00:41:30.420 Joseph McElroy: So another bluegrass you actually wrote a book in your debut novel right, I want to make sure I hit some of your highlights here because we’re running out of time we haven’t hit.

00:41:31.380 –> 00:41:31.860 Garret Woodward: Well, I guess.

00:41:31.890 –> 00:41:33.000 Garret Woodward: Clearly we have to do this.

00:41:34.200 –> 00:41:35.910 Joseph McElroy: A 10th of what you do.

00:41:37.500 –> 00:41:38.220 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:41:38.460 –> 00:41:39.000 Garret Woodward: You don’t get.

00:41:41.340 –> 00:41:43.380 Joseph McElroy: Your debut work.

00:41:45.780 –> 00:41:53.640 Joseph McElroy: Was the I love this title knew him to tell me what it means you can’t play get off the stage right.

00:41:53.880 –> 00:41:55.410 Joseph McElroy: The opposite say stay.

00:41:55.920 –> 00:42:00.750 Joseph McElroy: aggressive Western North Carolina and beyond what was the meaning of that title yeah.

00:42:01.200 –> 00:42:02.100 Garret Woodward: Well, so.

00:42:03.510 –> 00:42:08.190 Garret Woodward: I was kicking around the idea of putting together a bluegrass book free for a couple of years.

00:42:09.210 –> 00:42:19.200 Garret Woodward: I had all these interviews, together with you know legends of North Carolina Raymond Fairchild Steve Sutton Carol best balsam range.

00:42:19.920 –> 00:42:24.900 Garret Woodward: Just everybody mountain hard all these great bluegrass musicians and I was sitting all this material.

00:42:25.440 –> 00:42:31.680 Garret Woodward: And there was so much of it, I told my boss, you know we really we had a few too many beers at a Christmas party and I said, you know.

00:42:32.340 –> 00:42:39.810 Garret Woodward: Next year, be kind of grave put a bluegrass book with all this stuff we’ve been sitting on, and I was still conducting interviews during that.

00:42:40.350 –> 00:42:51.750 Garret Woodward: whole year after the summer and I was interviewing Bobby Osbourne from the Osbourne brothers rocky top and Ruby I mean those are legendary bluegrass songs I mean.

00:42:51.810 –> 00:42:52.140 State.

00:42:53.760 –> 00:43:01.320 Garret Woodward: And you know Bobby I was when I was on his tour bus in been blossom Indiana at the Bill Monroe bluegrass hall of fame jam very.

00:43:02.010 –> 00:43:13.350 Garret Woodward: Covering Raymond Fairchild for Maggie valleys induction bluegrass often and I was interviewing Bobby and I said, you know what is it about this, music and being up there, and he goes.

00:43:14.430 –> 00:43:17.850 Garret Woodward: damn it soon, if you can’t play get off the friggin stage.

00:43:18.120 –> 00:43:18.990 And he didn’t say free.

00:43:21.780 –> 00:43:33.540 Garret Woodward: So, when he said that when he said if you can’t play get off the stage I was like you know that’s the title it’s a little aggressive of title, but it was on purpose because it makes you kind of stop and I had people that were kind of.

00:43:34.680 –> 00:43:38.040 Garret Woodward: up to my craw about it, the same it was too aggressive.

00:43:39.660 –> 00:43:41.340 Joseph McElroy: aggressive, but you did do.

00:43:41.610 –> 00:43:42.060 Joseph McElroy: I love it.

00:43:42.570 –> 00:43:57.300 Joseph McElroy: Maybe it made me think man it’s like yeah that’s a good title yeah bluegrass and a lot of ways are gotta you know a little bit an outsider status in this United States and in some ways, you know.

00:43:58.290 –> 00:44:05.130 Joseph McElroy: mainstream culture, and so you know it’s like, but the people who do it love it and do it for a reason because they love it right.

00:44:05.190 –> 00:44:06.570 Joseph McElroy: Well, I want to be good that.

00:44:06.810 –> 00:44:16.680 Garret Woodward: They take it so seriously, and you know Raymond Fairchild who you know you know you know very well before he passed, I mean he’s an icon and Maggie Valley.

00:44:17.730 –> 00:44:32.850 Garret Woodward: He told me, and I believe them he always talked about how bluegrass bands like a team of horses, that if one falls, all of them fall, so if you’re up there you’re up there, and you gotta pull your way, just like a horse in a team of horses and if you don’t do it.

00:44:34.980 –> 00:44:35.760 Garret Woodward: Why do you up there.

00:44:38.670 –> 00:44:41.190 Joseph McElroy: Do you have any other books you got any other books.

00:44:42.060 –> 00:44:44.220 Garret Woodward: I am working on a rock and roll book right now.

00:44:45.330 –> 00:44:46.170 Garret Woodward: Ah.

00:44:46.380 –> 00:44:47.730 Joseph McElroy: yeah I am stone.

00:44:48.870 –> 00:45:03.000 Garret Woodward: yeah I have so many interviews over the years, with rock legends that I’ve always loved and people that I’ve pursued and it’s a little bright over here sorry the sun, all of a sudden just popped up in my window but.

00:45:04.860 –> 00:45:11.580 Garret Woodward: They yes I’m working on a rock and roll book this winter to hope to hopefully get out in the spring, but it’s you know I’d.

00:45:12.330 –> 00:45:16.470 Joseph McElroy: love to bring you back on that love to bring you back on to talk about it, oh.

00:45:17.970 –> 00:45:18.570 Garret Woodward: yeah.

00:45:18.690 –> 00:45:19.080 glass.

00:45:20.370 –> 00:45:20.850 Joseph McElroy: Program.

00:45:21.660 –> 00:45:24.030 Garret Woodward: it’s a really great program I’m definitely coming back.

00:45:26.820 –> 00:45:40.830 Joseph McElroy: Okay we’re taking a break down we’ll come back we’ll talk a little bit about your knowledge of what’s interesting in Haywood county and the Western North Carolina and then how another thing like.

00:47:45.420 –> 00:48:06.660 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with a gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Garret Woodward so Garrett, I imagine you’ve done just about every music event festival and concert in the smoky mountains area, so what is the number one place people should not miss.

00:48:07.500 –> 00:48:08.910 Garret Woodward: In terms of live music.

00:48:09.660 –> 00:48:10.620 Joseph McElroy: Live music.

00:48:12.120 –> 00:48:20.370 Garret Woodward: Definitely merle fest that is that just happened last weekend, that is, the premier Americana blue grassroots festival in the country.

00:48:21.090 –> 00:48:21.780 Garret Woodward: More not.

00:48:22.920 –> 00:48:34.560 Garret Woodward: it’s four days of the world’s best musicians and the world’s best up and coming musicians at the works Community college campus that 80,000 people there over four days.

00:48:35.850 –> 00:48:54.210 Garret Woodward: Last weekend, Sergio Simpson, Margo Price, Sam Bush band Sierra Feral Charlie Crockett balsam range from Haywood county and it’s just incredible it’s a huge celebration, other than that you know anything and astral Asheville right now is one of the hottest music scenes in the United States.

00:48:54.630 –> 00:48:57.840 Joseph McElroy: If I mean music and food right, yes, like.

00:48:58.290 –> 00:48:58.560 Garret Woodward: Beer.

00:48:58.620 –> 00:49:01.080 Joseph McElroy: Music food beer beer yeah.

00:49:01.890 –> 00:49:05.160 Garret Woodward: I mean we’re not gonna lie to you man we’re spoiled out here.

00:49:06.900 –> 00:49:19.380 Garret Woodward: I mean what I want to go see a show do I want to try a new brewery do I want to go to a new art gallery do I want to try this great restaurant or do I want to go hike and disappear into the woods it’s all within an hour of my apartment you know.

00:49:20.310 –> 00:49:28.410 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know I come to Maggie valley every weekend right for the motel but you know to spend the rest of my

00:49:28.920 –> 00:49:42.210 Joseph McElroy: life in New York City, and you know, one of the things that I don’t have to suffer for is craft beer, the quality is on par down there with anything in the world that I’ve ever.

00:49:42.480 –> 00:49:45.120 Joseph McElroy: Of course, I knew it as well right yeah.

00:49:45.450 –> 00:50:02.820 Garret Woodward: Yes, yes man, you know I wrote, I wrote a cover story about seven years ago about the history of moonshine in Western North Carolina for the spoke about news and, to this day, seven years later, I still have random moonshiners walk up to me at parking lots.

00:50:04.290 –> 00:50:10.800 Garret Woodward: bars at grocery stores saying you think you’ve had the best follow me to my car and then they give me a job.

00:50:11.370 –> 00:50:12.570 What happens to this day.

00:50:14.520 –> 00:50:18.690 Joseph McElroy: that’s good right now I have people walking up to me at

00:50:19.710 –> 00:50:24.900 Joseph McElroy: the grocery stores and not happy with me because I put them Maxine mandated at the motel.

00:50:28.260 –> 00:50:31.080 Joseph McElroy: Did it for ethical reasons, not political, but so.

00:50:32.190 –> 00:50:32.730 Joseph McElroy: People.

00:50:33.630 –> 00:50:36.930 Garret Woodward: But anyway, John doesn’t kill a covid it right cuz.

00:50:36.930 –> 00:50:37.740 Joseph McElroy: I know right.

00:50:38.130 –> 00:50:40.200 Garret Woodward: Great I would be all over that.

00:50:41.340 –> 00:50:50.250 Joseph McElroy: is already great rock and roll places our concerts are things, something that’s not you would just not even think about is the smoky mountains.

00:50:51.120 –> 00:50:53.490 Garret Woodward: Well, in terms like bands or venues.

00:50:54.630 –> 00:50:55.650 Joseph McElroy: or a concert or a.

00:50:55.650 –> 00:51:03.750 Joseph McElroy: festival or anything that you would just say hey This is something that’s fantastic new world-class that you would not expect in the snow.

00:51:03.810 –> 00:51:08.070 Garret Woodward: Well, I mean in terms of rock and roll there’s.

00:51:09.180 –> 00:51:17.550 Garret Woodward: festivals in braveheart and Asheville this weekend is the French broad river fest which is kind of like a reggae root.

00:51:18.630 –> 00:51:25.200 Garret Woodward: rock and roll American festival up in hot springs, which you know is two towns up from Waynesville.

00:51:26.430 –> 00:51:34.470 Garret Woodward: Who oh nine French broad river fest that that one is very eclectic it’s not the normal run of bill bands that you see rolling through.

00:51:35.010 –> 00:51:43.980 Garret Woodward: Some of the festivals out here, most of the stuff west of Asheville it’s bluegrass roots-oriented unless you go to the casino, I mean there’s a lot of really great bands.

00:51:44.760 –> 00:51:52.860 Garret Woodward: That next weekend three dark nights playing there and then in December Dionne Warwick plan like random stuff like that yeah.

00:51:53.460 –> 00:51:53.850 Garret Woodward: yeah.

00:51:54.270 –> 00:51:59.670 Garret Woodward: 30 minutes from downtown now you valley go see three dog night up in the casino.

00:52:00.840 –> 00:52:01.320 Which is great.

00:52:04.110 –> 00:52:13.950 Joseph McElroy: So I’m gonna million play questions about where you would think are great things to do, and you probably have a lot of no’s we definitely have to have you back on, so we can pick your brain but.

00:52:14.400 –> 00:52:24.990 Joseph McElroy: let’s do the itinerary what What would you do let’s talk about Waynesville North Carolina and where, would you eat breakfast in the morning, if you recommend somebody coming there where would you tell them to go.

00:52:25.380 –> 00:52:37.260 Garret Woodward: Well, first and foremost, I will say that Western North Carolina is a pick your own adventure book, I have the shortest attention span known to humanity, I was only going to live here for six months that was nine and a half years ago.

00:52:38.160 –> 00:52:38.670 Garret Woodward: I have.

00:52:38.910 –> 00:52:47.460 Garret Woodward: I have never been bored in this town, I have never been born in this board in this county and I’ve never been bored in western North Carolina if you’re bored here you’re boring.

00:52:47.820 –> 00:52:53.760 Garret Woodward: Because that’s a great man there’s so much going on outside your front door if you can’t have fun here I don’t know why you’re here.

00:52:55.290 –> 00:53:05.520 Garret Woodward: You know, and for Waynesville I mean I love breakfast-wise, I mean on an average day beach mountain, the new spot hazelwood neighborhood of Waynesville.

00:53:05.970 –> 00:53:13.650 Garret Woodward: I love beach mountains have a huge menu the food’s great it’s very plentiful, they only opened about six months ago but they’ve already taken.

00:53:14.040 –> 00:53:20.220 Garret Woodward: The breakfast and heard of it, I haven’t been there, so I’m gonna go there, go there very soon, so what would you do in the morning after.

00:53:20.340 –> 00:53:21.420 Joseph McElroy: The meal.

00:53:21.930 –> 00:53:24.120 Garret Woodward: After I have a food coma leaving beach mountains.

00:53:25.380 –> 00:53:31.140 Garret Woodward: You know that the water and whole have actually the best brunch and Haywood county, in my opinion.

00:53:32.370 –> 00:53:44.490 Garret Woodward: The legendary watering hole they actually have bluegrass musicians play in the afternoons on Sundays Sunday brunch huge portions of food and then you got what’s the one in megabyte POPs has really good.

00:53:46.170 –> 00:53:48.870 Joseph McElroy: They got that shrimp and grits it’s unbelievable yeah.

00:53:48.990 –> 00:53:58.260 Garret Woodward: Oh yeah and if you jump over the Ridge in the silver, which is not far away, you have loose in the rye, which is a gourmet breakfast spot I love Lucy in there I’m in.

00:53:59.700 –> 00:54:02.370 Garret Woodward: Line potatoes for the hash browns.

00:54:03.630 –> 00:54:13.530 Garret Woodward: But then, after you eat a big breakfast you know you gotta have some coffee, I would go to orchard coffee downtown Gainesville it was ranked the number for coffee spots in the United States.

00:54:14.010 –> 00:54:14.370 Joseph McElroy: By.

00:54:15.330 –> 00:54:16.830 Garret Woodward: Like food and wine magazine.

00:54:17.100 –> 00:54:20.460 Joseph McElroy: wow coffee we’re oh my God.

00:54:21.390 –> 00:54:35.040 Garret Woodward: it’s right across from the courthouse in Waynesville it was ranked by food and wine magazine the guy that owns it my buddy capital is the owner and he is a two time United States latte champion I didn’t know that that existed.

00:54:35.370 –> 00:54:36.090 Okay.

00:54:37.230 –> 00:54:47.850 Garret Woodward: he’s known as one of the best latte makers in the United States and it’s at the corner of Main Street and depot so right where the tipping point used to be, which is now sauce and then.

00:54:48.450 –> 00:54:50.880 Joseph McElroy: You just taught me something listen I didn’t even know.

00:54:50.970 –> 00:54:51.810 Joseph McElroy: I didn’t even know.

00:54:53.970 –> 00:54:54.300 Joseph McElroy: I would.

00:54:55.470 –> 00:54:57.330 Garret Woodward: say the roaster on beans on site.

00:54:57.870 –> 00:54:59.730 Joseph McElroy: wow wow.

00:55:00.120 –> 00:55:00.420 Joseph McElroy: All right.

00:55:01.680 –> 00:55:03.960 Joseph McElroy: let’s do a quick lunch and a click afternoon.

00:55:05.280 –> 00:55:09.960 Garret Woodward: Quick lunch oh man threw me on the spot there I love.

00:55:11.010 –> 00:55:24.510 Garret Woodward: The patio downtown Waynesville church tree depot burgers are amazing ham patty Hincapie delicious Fries, oh third Bay filling station they used to be the old mechanic shop there on the corner of.

00:55:25.380 –> 00:55:27.990 Garret Woodward: Good oh it’s amazing the food’s amazing.

00:55:30.030 –> 00:55:31.560 Garret Woodward: third day filling station.

00:55:33.090 –> 00:55:41.010 Garret Woodward: The best gourmet sandwiches and soup for lunch and downtown Waynesville you got a little time you got a little extra cash in your pocket go to the suite on in.

00:55:41.220 –> 00:55:42.870 Garret Woodward: that’s always been my favorite spot.

00:55:43.080 –> 00:55:44.670 Joseph McElroy: is always good that’s good for.

00:55:46.080 –> 00:55:58.590 Garret Woodward: Privacy public, but then for me in the afternoon I’m going hiking man I’m going out into the Cataloochee valley I’m going to go to mount sterling sunburst go swimming at sunburst down there are 215 the tough life man.

00:55:59.940 –> 00:56:11.430 Joseph McElroy: Tough life alright so we’re going to call it quits here so tell me how people can follow you get in touch with you or keep track of what you’re doing or buy your books.

00:56:12.420 –> 00:56:22.080 Garret Woodward: Well, so my Instagram is Garrett G A R R E T K and then the last name Woodward W O O D W A R D Garret K Woodward that’s my Instagram

00:56:23.160 –> 00:56:39.570 Garret Woodward: email garret@smokeymountainnews.com all spelled out, I mean I read for all these travel stuff that we do with the newspaper, so if you have any questions get ahold of me I’m always down to point people in the right direction, I love living here come on down.

00:56:39.720 –> 00:56:48.090 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool well Thank you so much has been a wonderful interview and definitely have to get the other again because there are a million questions and things to talk about.

00:56:48.510 –> 00:56:49.830 Garret Woodward: That we didn’t do any better real

00:56:49.830 –> 00:56:51.210 Garret Woodward: pleasure, I really appreciate the.

00:56:51.210 –> 00:56:51.870 opportunity.

00:56:53.550 –> 00:57:04.050 Joseph McElroy: So this is the gateway to the smokies podcast you find out more about us a gatewaytothesmokies.fun we’re on the talkradio.NYC network

00:57:04.920 –> 00:57:15.480 Joseph McElroy: there are some great shows on this network following this one is about New York City and tourism there so come to come to talkradio.NYC and listen to some of the great shows.

00:57:16.680 –> 00:57:28.590 Joseph McElroy: I want to mention the Meadowlark motel This is my new once in a while call to action is having weekday getaway specials through December 31.

00:57:28.980 –> 00:57:42.510 Joseph McElroy: And it’s going, you can visit Maggie valley in the heart of the great smokies go see the great colors of the trees and leaves and get a Union three-night getaway price for the.

00:57:42.990 –> 00:57:58.290 Joseph McElroy: getaway package for the price of two that’s good Tues Sunday through Tuesday or Monday through Wednesday and you get King room spa rooms cabins and cottages reach out to eight to 828 9261717 speak to Boyd.

00:57:58.740 –> 00:58:14.880 Joseph McElroy: they’ll get your reservation again eight to 828 9261717 speak to Boyd, and thank you we’ll see you next Tuesday from six to seven for another great show and I won’t be drinking another 10% on the show because of the boy.

00:58:18.330 –> 00:58:18.930 Garret Woodward: Thanks man.