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Posts Tagged ‘Only Vans’

Steve Treviño on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

My fairly new and hilarious friend, Steve Treviño, kindly welcomed us into his home podcast studio to film this episode of Only Vans. We talk about sleeping with your road manager, comedy and music parallels, representing Mexican-American culture, The Comedy Store, mentors, and more.

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Comedian Steve Treviño must be one of the most generous, kind, and brilliant human beings. I know he’s hilarious, and we have spent tiny pockets of time together in passing before this interview, but this man is a legit all-around family man, entrepreneur, road warrior, and not to mention, an extreme giver of his time. As you’ll find out, he was going to Canada to do a big show the morning after this interview and still agreed to this somehow– and invited Kyle and I to use his podcast room at his house in the Texas Hill Country (because my RV was in the shop)!

In our Only Vans conversation, Steve and I get into what we have in common, like being on the road, being with a partner who is also an entertainer, and the parallels of the music biz and the comedy biz. I love his insider insight into Nashville vs. Texas and we talk about Steve being an integral part in opening Gruene Recording Studio, seven minutes from my house. His hustle is unmatched and it’s so beautiful how much he loves and supports Texas music. Wait ’til you hear his Pat Green story – and the Randy we mention a lot is, in fact, Randy Rogers.

Steve takes a phone call with his wife Renae mid-podcast, which ends up being our first comedic bit together about it potentially being about Steve having cancer… anyway, Renae is @iamrenaewithana on Instagram. She is equally as talented and brilliant, and Steve would probably argue she is more of those things than him. But give him and her a follow and if you have not seen Steve live, he’s going everywhere and his tour sells out quick! SteveTreviño.com is the website, and if you haven’t yet – what are you doing? – check out his comedy specials for down-to-earth, real-life, feel-good, truly memorable comedy!

KC Johns on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

KC Johns is an incredible singer-songwriter and artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. We had an excellent Only Vans conversation live from the mountain at Steamboat MusicFest 2025! In this episode we get into old fashioneds, cruise ship jobs, Nashville, singing in the mountains, touring overseas, and more.

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KC Johns and I met over social media and we became fast friends. She is a whiskey girl like me and has her own mesquite-smoked Thunder Whiskey. This was a live-audience episode recorded and filmed at MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado. The audio for her live acoustic performances ended up being unusable, totally on our end, and I am so sorry about that. KC is such a great live singer, but unfortunately the recording was too distorted to use. Please go see her sing live if you can, or check her out on Instagram.

During this episode, I jump into talking about her life as a cruise ship performer, and also provide no context when I bring up her super clever song, “I Wanna Rock for Christmas.” Sorry gal, I just love that tune!

Anyway, this is KC Johns. Check out her new single, “Break From the Heart,” and KC, I will come find your next Key West show at Hogs Breath and crash your stage!

And, happy birthday to Only Vans producer Kyle! You rock.

Photo Credit: Bob Pierce

Sundance Head on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Sundance Head is not only one of my oldest friends in the Texas country scene, but also a previous winner of NBC’s The Voice – and probably the most insanely talented individual alive. In this episode we discuss divine intervention, OnlyFans, shooting yourself (accidentally), colonoscopies, and much more.

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Sundance Head has one of the most amazing voices of anyone I know and I was really thankful we got to showcase that at the last special live audience taping of this podcast at MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado. Winner of the hit NBC TV show The Voice in 2016, Sundance has been showcased on a worldwide stage, but please go to SundanceHead.com and check out his current tour schedule so that you can go support him (and have your face melted off in person)!

Sundance is the son of Roy Head, who had a successful music career of his own; Roy Head and The Traits were inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2007 and that musical bloodline and those natural entertainer vibes shine in this episode. Sundance is so funny. Oh, and we talk about the bullet still lodged in his stomach. Everyone laughs and everyone cries. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: NBCU Photo Bank

Dale Brisby on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Dale Brisby is a one-of-a-kind personality, entrepreneur, and real-life (actual) cowboy. In this episode of Only Vans – that was filmed live at The MusicFest at Steamboat 2025 – we talk about when Dale and I used to date, about haters, documentary-making, attitudes, and all things rodeo.

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Dale Brisby is a force of nature when it comes to building a brand and he is a master at creating fun and unique content. Dale wears sunglasses all the time and if you can’t tell, I pause to join him in sunglass-wearing for this super fun chat with a man that can not walk five feet at MusicFest (or probably anywhere) without being stopped and recognized. Dale was a hired emcee at MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado, where we recorded this episode in front of a large live audience. (Thanks John Dickson!)

It’s hard to give a description of Dale, so I highly recommend checking out his Instagram and his YouTube channel if you’re one of the few who are not yet a fan. Also, I really loved his How To Be a Cowboy series on Netflix. You get a sense of who Dale is when he says he’s the man who invented bull riding with one hand.

When preparing for this Only Vans episode, I was wondering if I would be interviewing the character of Dale Brisby or the man behind him. Are they the same person? Could I carry on an hour-long interview with someone who claims to be the best bull rider in the world while wearing a giant fake belt buckle, but also in reality is a really amazing cowboy….? Bottom line, and you’ll see, Dale is hilarious, but also a genuine person, a good man, and actually a real cowboy. Don’t forget to check out his Rodeo Time podcasts.

I want to apologize to Amy Reitnouer Jacobs and Cindy Howes for not giving them a shoutout at the intro of this podcast, because they’re also the true force behind our partnership with BGS, Good Country, and the BGS Podcast Network! Love y’all.

Enjoy!

Brendon Anthony & Jon Randall on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

This is one of the more serious – and important – conversations I’ve had so far on Only Vans and I was lucky enough to get to have it with two good friends. Brendon Anthony is the newly named VP of Big Loud Texas and a brilliant fiddler. Jon Randall is a hit songwriter, producer, and co-founder of Big Loud Texas. We talk about things like the Texas music scene, the politics of live music, product versus legacy, and the impact of AI.

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Here is another Only Vans recording in front of a live audience at MusicFest at Steamboat in Colorado. Thank you so much to John Dickson and everyone at MusicFest for making this happen!

Today I am joined by two amazing human beings that I’ve known for over a decade (and a half…?), Brendon Anthony and Jon Randall. Brendon Anthony has recently been named the Vice President of Big Loud Texas, which is a record label that was founded by Randall and Miranda Lambert. It is a branch of the Big Loud record label that has artists such as Lambert, Hardy, and Hailey Whitters to name a few. Before that, Brendon was the director of the Texas Music Office and was instrumental in the creation of BMI Texas and the Texas Music Incubator rebate program, which supports music venues in Texas with over $20 million in tax rebates. We talk about a lot of other great things Brendon has done for Texas music and music-friendly communities, and even I was fascinated by it and learned something new. You can also find him playing fiddle on stages with people like Pat Green!

Jon Randall, co-founder of Big Loud Texas, has some hits you may know as a songwriter, including “Whiskey Lullaby,” “Tin Man,” and many of your favorite new Hold My Beer Volume II tracks by Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers. His producer credits are equally impressive: Dierks Bentley, Parker McCollum, Miranda, Jack Ingram, Pat Green – you get the picture.

These two guests are funny, down-to-earth, approachable, and they truly care about art in the midst of a time I’ve been referring to as “The Wild West” of music. When Jon also called it “the Wild West,” I almost fell off my chair with validation. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode!

Thank you so much again to Jon and Brendon and to Dirt Trail Entertainment for sponsoring these very special and very cold MusicFest episodes. Thanks to our show sponsors, Hand Drawn Pressing & CH Lonestar Promo, too!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

Chris Brundrett on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Today on Only Vans we’re joined by Chris Brundrett from the award-winning William Chris Vineyards in Hye, Texas. We dig into wine-making, Texas wines, the creation of his label, and being your best self.

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I’m so excited to share this episode, even though I was a tad nervous – and you can tell by the way I talk too fast. Or was it the wine that we were drinking before noon…?

Anyway, in this episode of Only Vans I talk to one of the owners of one of my absolute favorite wineries, William Chris Vineyards, Chris Brundrett. I’ve never spoken to or met this man and usually I talk on this podcast about music, so this was really branching out for me. I love their wine and I’m also a huge fan of what they stand for. It’ll be so fun in 100 or 500 years to look back (well, for other people to look back) at this episode where I’m talking to someone who has been a true pioneer in the Texas wine industry. Chris has worked really hard to authentically label Texas wines and make the laws in our state require transparency, which I do a pretty bad job at explaining, but Chris does a great job clarifying.

I think it’s fascinating that Chris wanted to learn about wine-making before he was even 21. In our chat, he details his journey into finding his true passion in life; he’s an intelligent and approachable dude. Sorry I thought horticulture was the study of horses and didn’t know what entomology was, either.

We get into the William Chris Wine Club, which is a subscription where you receive six special releases per year and will also have the first option to purchase any new wines as soon as they’re bottled. You can look into that (especially because he said they have open spots!) at williamchriswines.com. But definitely go see the gorgeous tasting room when you’re in the Texas Hill Country area.

Thanks to Chris and the team gave us two really fancy wine glasses, and two incredible bottles of wine and a tour. What a great day! And thanks to our sponsors, Hand Drawn Pressing & CH Lonestar Promo!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

Year-End Bri-View 2024 on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

What an incredible year it’s been for Only Vans! We have big things planned in 2025. As Kyle says, we are going to expand to other industries as well, like William Chris Winery (we interviewed one of the owners)! In our final episode of the year, I shamelessly ask for an Only Vans laptop, we shoutout our sponsors and ask for more, and reveal we are doing FOUR live podcasts at Steamboat Musicfest 2025!

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For our year-end podcast, producer Kyle and I get on Zoom and chit chat! The audio isn’t perfect here because, hello Zoom.

Thanks to Kyle Tomchesson for all of the hard work throughout the year. He really does all of the things: coordinating sponsorships, making the reels, editing the audio, all the social media posts, you name it, it’s him. We also thank the BGS Podcast Network for picking up the podcast – it’s still unbelievable to me (thanks Amy, Cindy, and Ed)! We also thank my amazing PR team, Richlynn Group out of Nashville, Tennessee, for helping us promote the pod.

I also have a correction: The green room that I call amazing but slightly treacherous was actually The Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan, oops, not the Rumba Cafe in Ohio like I said. It’s absolutely not treacherous, unless you’re drunk. But they’re an awesome venue, sorry I got those two confused.

Lastly, Kyle and I talk about our new projects, and we manifest a Red Rocks show… As always thank you so much for your unbelievable support of this podcast.

Thanks to our sponsors, The MusicFest at Steamboat, Lakeside Tax, & CH Lonestar Promo!

Photo Credit: Haley Hays

Michael & Michaela Kelton on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Today we have one of my favorite couples on Only Vans! Michael is currently Pat Green’s drummer and also has a solo artist career. Michaela is the creator and artist behind More Than Music Creations. We talk about losing brain space, being parents, and their unique side hustle.

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On this edition of Only Vans, my friend Michael Kelton met Kyle and I on the RV when his wife, Michaela – you heard that right, their names are Michael and Michaela – also walked up. She is one of my dear friends, so I invited her to sit down and be a bonus guest on Michael’s episode of the podcast. Michael is currently the drummer for established Texas legend Pat Green (who also had a national hit with the song “Wave on Wave”), but Michael does a lot more than just drum for Pat. I loved talking to him about his Sideman Song Swap show, where “sidemen” such as drummers, guitarists, fiddle players, and even tour managers showcase their own “frontman” talents alongside Michael. It’s very impressive.

Michaela, meanwhile, is a master upcycler and has found a way to take used guitar strings from a bunch of bands – including my own – and turn them into one-of-a-kind jewelry items that we can sell at our merch tables with some of the profit going back to a good cause.

Oh! And the carbon monoxide alarm goes off at the end of the episode in the RV and it is loud. Super sorry about that, my deepest apologies, but I’m warning you now in case you’re driving. It’s also kind of funny! Enjoy!

Thanks to our sponsors, The MusicFest at Steamboat, Lakeside Tax, & CH Lonestar Promo!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

Alli Mattice on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

Today’s guest on Only Vans is my peace, love, and all-things-groovy friend, Alli Mattice! We talk about the making of her record, setting boundaries, her journey as a yoga teacher, and how she merges yoga practice with her art. You’re gonna love it!

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Make sure you check out Alli Mattice’s full length record, No Drama, that just came out last year. In this episode of Only Vans we talk about her band, the Billie Jeans. It’s an all-female band that’s really incredible. We also talk about the studios at Fischer in Canyon Lake, Texas, which is near New Braunfels, where I live and Canyon Lake is where Alli lives. So, we talk about that really incredible studio, Alli’s journey as a yoga teacher, and more. As you can tell, I really love this girl. She’s peace and love and all things groovy. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to our sponsors, The MusicFest at Steamboat, Lakeside Tax, & CH Lonestar Promo!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

Bleu Edmondson on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

On today’s episode of Only Vans, we have one of my all-time favorite Texas country singers, Bleu Edmondson! We talk about Robert Earl Keen, self-worth, getting Stoney’d, and making a record with Wade Bowen.

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Our guest this week on Only Vans is exciting for me, because I’m a big fan of Bleu Edmondson and I have been for a long time. As you’ll find out, he’s been on a multi-year hiatus, but he’s back. In our conversation we talk about Texas music staple and legend Wade Bowen, who is producing Edmondson’s new project – which, of course, we are highly anticipating.

We also chat about Lloyd Maines, who we mention a lot on the podcast. I’ve never really introduced him properly, but he’s a GRAMMY Award-winning, Texas-based producer, session player, musician, and he’s in the Austin City Limits Limits Hall of Fame. No big deal. Also, his daughter is Natalie Maines, who is the lead singer of The Chicks.

Elsewhere in our chat, we also talk about our friend Brandon Jenkins, who passed away unfortunately in 2018 from heart surgery complications. He’s dearly missed and remembered by all of us. Enjoy our Only Vans episode featuring my friend, Bleu Edmondson!

Find Bleu Edmondson on social media here and here.

Thanks to our sponsors, The MusicFest at Steamboat, Lakeside Tax, & CH Lonestar Promo!

Find our Only Vans episode archive here.