Since its humble beginnings in 2019 at Duke’s, the Boot Scoot basic nation DJ get together has sauntered all throughout the US, as co-founder John Stamps and KNags have efficiently taken the dance night time to venues in Austin, Miami, Nashville and extra.
Now, nevertheless, Boot Scoot is taking its greatest step but, because the much-loved honky-tonk perform groups up with Stay Nation for a three-night tour, together with stops at marquee venues in Indianapolis on Jan. 26, Cincinnati on Jan. 27, and Louisville on Jan. 28.
Forward of the first-ever Boot Scoot tour, NUVO’s Seth Johnson caught up with John Stamps for an interview, discussing the occasion’s evolution through the years. Learn their dialog under.
SETH JOHNSON: When did you first begin listening to nation music? Was it one thing you grew up round?
JOHN STAMPS: My mother and pa’s radio station of alternative was 95.5, which was pop nation radio. Additionally, within the mid-to-late ‘90s, nation music was pop music. Like, you’ll hear Shania Twain on the grocery retailer. In order that was a few of the first music offered to me. The primary track I ever carried out was “Angel in My Eyes” by John Michael Montgomery within the kindergarten expertise present.
Clearly, hip-hop has at all times been proper there too. I wouldn’t say nation has been on the back-burner. However with what I used to be doing beforehand to this, hip-hop was the first factor. After I had the chance to begin doing the honky-tonk DJ night time with Dustin [the founder of Duke’s], it was a resurgence of me realizing how a lot I like nation. And as somebody who’s finished a number of completely different themed nights and events, Boot Scoot has been the one factor that I’ve by no means gotten uninterested in. The place we’re working within the DJ world, it simply looks as if there’s a lot room for innovation [with Boot Scoot]. And likewise, for the style, [I enjoy] making it extra accessible to the common listener.
Photograph by Autumn Dozier
JOHNSON: You talked about Dustin at Duke’s. When did these preliminary conversations a couple of honky-tonk DJ night time begin?
STAMPS: In 2018 or 2019, I began hanging out at Duke’s, and I believed it was actually cool. Kyle [a.k.a. KNags] and I had simply began throwing occasions collectively, and I believed, “This looks as if a chance for me to throw an occasion the place I’m really well-versed within the style, like I’m in hip-hop. But it surely’s additionally outdoors of the standard going-out-to-the-club expertise.”
I can’t keep in mind whether or not Dustin or I got here to the opposite presenting the thought, however he was all the way down to take an opportunity on it and I had by no means deejayed an occasion earlier than that. All I had finished is host stuff at that time. However he was followers of what we have been doing and wished to see how we may apply it into that world.
Right here we’re in 2022, and there have been a number of adjustments to the occasion and to that place. However I nonetheless really feel like I’ve superpowers each time the occasion ends [at Duke’s]. That occasion in that room is pretty much as good because it will get for me.
JOHNSON: What are the parameters by way of the nation music you play at Boot Scoot, and has that modified at everywhere in the years?
STAMPS: It’s at all times primarily been ‘90s and ‘00s honky-tonk nation, however I’ve at all times made it some extent to learn the room. I need to be the kind of one who’s well-versed sufficient within the style and am educated sufficient on the OG’s who’ve come earlier than.
JOHNSON: Are you able to give me some examples of the vary of artists individuals would hear at Boot Scoot?
STAMPS: We love Shania Twain, Religion Hill, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson — that’s our foremost meat and potatoes. Something you’ll’ve heard within the late ‘90s and early ‘00s if you have been in your automotive listening to nation music radio.
However then, outdoors of that, we simply see what the room is feeling. Predating these earlier names, [we’ll play] Willie, Waylon, Johnny Money, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Dolly. I normally like to maneuver as a timeline, beginning with the later stuff after which transferring into the extra present stuff because the night time goes on.
Photograph by Mike Schrader
JOHNSON: You talked about how the occasion has modified through the years. What about Boot Scoot in 2023 is completely different from these early iterations, and what’s nonetheless the identical?
STAMPS: The very first time, it was simply me, Kyle and his turntables. We have been identical to, “We’re going to indicate up and play nation music. There’s probably not one other venue on the town the place we will do that.” We already had a number of mates who hung on the market too, so it simply appeared like attempting to make worlds collide.
On the first one we ever did, we had a line dance teacher named Jeff, who simply occurred to indicate up as a result of it was his birthday. He got here out, danced all night time, and we have been like, “Alright. This must be a part of the occasion.” So I went as much as him on the finish of the night time and was like, “Hey. Would you have the ability to come out to this once more? We are able to’t think about this occasion with out you.” He’s now our line dance teacher at Boot Scoot.
From there, we have been identical to, “Okay. What else can we do to get individuals out to this?” That’s once we began rotating in numerous classic Western put on distributors for every occasion. From that, we’ve prolonged into having particular visitors, like Willie Jones and Margo Value. So mainly, it’s developed from hanging out, taking part in information, and having a great time to a full-fledged, coordinated occasion.
JOHNSON: You guys held the first-ever Boot Scoot Fest at Hello-Fi Annex final summer season. How did that come about?
STAMPS: We’d been promoting out Duke’s each time we did it, and we simply wished to see what number of tickets we might actually promote. We had made all these connections with artists that we actually favored, between doing exhibits at Duke’s and me transferring to Nashville, and wished to place collectively a cool, youthful showcase, whereas respiratory our personal distinctive vitality into a rustic occasion. We initially wished to do it within the parking zone at Duke’s, however it was identical to “Yo…This is able to be loads.” So somebody urged speaking to the Hello-Fi, since they’d every thing already arrange [for an outdoor concert] and have been simply 10 minutes down the road. I reached out to them, we set it up, and the remaining was historical past.
JOHNSON: Will there be one other Boot Scoot Fest in 2023?
Photograph by Autumn Dozier
JOHNSON: When did you first begin taking Boot Scoot on the highway?
STAMPS: I believe the primary time I ever did it outdoors of Indy was in Ohio. There’s a leather-based firm there, who’re mates with Howl + Conceal. They’d seen the occasion, they usually requested if I may come do it for them. Then, I had the residency in Nashville after I obtained there, which was on the Graduate Resort. From there, I began doing Chattanooga. After which, we’ve finished it as soon as a month in Austin for a yr at a spot known as Latchkey. Then, we began doing it as soon as a month in Miami at a spot known as Mama Tried. We’re about to begin each month in San Antonio too.
JOHNSON: How would you say your background in hip-hop has helped you to develop Boot Scoot into what it’s?
STAMPS: A lot of it [with Boot Scoot] has simply been taking what I’ve realized by means of my music profession and making use of it to this. There’s additionally the best way we play the music, with our perspective and our banter. Plenty of that could be very rooted in hip-hop. You possibly can go see some other nation DJ, and it’s going to be a distinct expertise. That’s to not say they’re not nice at what they do — it’s simply that the best way we do it is rather completely different. It’s such as you’re going to a membership on the weekend besides you’re listening to nation music.
JOHNSON: You can be taking Boot Scoot on its first official tour by means of Stay Nation from Jan. 26-28, with dates in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville. How did talks surrounding the tour come about?
STAMPS: Adam Mattox (who’s been my drummer for hip-hop exhibits) has labored for Stay Nation for some time, as an worker on the Previous Nationwide Centre. He was at work someday, and anyone at one of many roundtable conferences requested if anybody had heard about us across the time we introduced the competition. So Adam was like, “Effectively, what do you guys need to know? I’m actually shut mates with the blokes organizing that.” They requested, “Effectively, what’s it about?” And Adam mentioned, “Effectively, he does this occasion everywhere in the nation. It’s type of like a rustic response to ‘emo night time,’ in a means.” They usually have been like, “Okay. That is actually fascinating. Preserve us within the loop.”
Following the competition, I gave Adam the small print on attendance, tickets offered and all that great things. After that, they wished to satisfy with us. After a sit-down assembly, it was like, “Okay. How can we take this to the following stage?”
I’ve been on the lookout for a partnership like this without end creatively, and I have a look at this partnership with Stay Nation nearly like a file deal for an album. It’s a very unbelievable alternative to get to work with a enterprise that’s going to throw every thing at this, and all we’ve got to do is give it our 100%.
Cowl picture by Autumn Dozier