Episode 3: Soundtracks, Stage Lights & Stuck in the Middle | 2 | Black Tee Society

There’s something magical about the music that shaped you—especially when you weren’t expecting it.

In this episode of Black Tee Society, we jump headfirst into the deep end of music nostalgia. We talk about those unexpected moments: like learning Alice Cooper is not just a rock icon, but also a golf fanatic. Or discovering that your favorite opening act, years later, would headline stadiums.

From those small discoveries to massive moments—this episode is full of them.

The Opening Act Matters More Than You Think

Ever been to a concert just to find the opener was better than the headliner? We have. From Johnny Marr to The Posies, we share stories of musical discovery—some of which changed how we saw music forever.
 Fun fact: Green Day’s first-ever live show under their name was as the opener for Operation Ivy’s last performance. You can’t make this stuff up.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives

We dive deep into the great movie and TV soundtracks that didn’t just accompany scenes—they defined eras.
 Some of our all-time favorites:

• Pretty in Pink (John Hughes never misses)
• Singles (Peak grunge greatness)
• Valley Girl (the Rhino re-release is a treasure trove)
• Bohemian Rhapsody (one band, one epic catalog)
• Stranger Things (nostalgia done right)
• Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino’s music supervision is legendary)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (every single track’s a banger)

And yes, we’re still mad that “Coconut” is stuck in our heads because of Reservoir Dogs.

Festivals: Finding the Line Between Curated and Chaos

We break down the current state of music festivals—and how some have lost their genre identity altogether.
 Case in point? Stagecoach booking both Jelly Roll and the Backstreet Boys. Confused yet? We are too.

But not all is lost—Cruel World in LA is doing it right:
 One day. Two stages.
Acts like OMD, New Order, The Go-Go’s, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds? Now that’s how you do it.

We also unpack the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (ten days long and hundreds of artists deep) and the Tortuga Festival (country? hip hop? reggae? all of the above?).

Conclusion: great music is out there—you just need a festival that knows who it is.

Cassettes, Fan Letters, and Finding That One Band

We also share personal stories—from writing actual fan mail to The Posies and getting a handwritten letter back, to keeping mixtapes and fake IDs in the same memory box. Because that’s what music does: it sticks with you, long after the encore.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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Got a favorite opening act? Soundtrack that changed your life? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on social.