Five String Holler

Back Porch Twisters Episode 6: Mitch & The Corndog of Destiny

Well folks, after weeks of speculation, seances, and checking for a pulse… MITCH McCONNELL IS ALIVE! We finally got a good look at him, and fellas… Mitch looks like he just woke up from a 200-year nap and somebody told him Social Security was running out. This week, Banjo Barnett and the Professor of Shred dive into the latest Mitch McConnell update before heading straight down the rabbit hole of the Dead Internet Theory. Is the internet still full of real people… or are we all just arguing with bots, AI-generated garbage, and somebody’s grandma sharing a fake picture of Jesus made out of shrimp? Then we bring it back home to Eastern Kentucky, where things have been plenty wild on their own. We talk about the recent ruckus at the Letcher County Central football game — because apparently the final whistle wasn’t the only thing bringing the action to a stop. 🏈😂 And then we tackle the scandal rocking the Black Gold Festival… 🌭 CORNDOG-GATE 2026. 🌭 A simple trip to the concession stand turned into the biggest festival controversy since somebody tried to charge five dollars for a bottle of water. We’ll just say this: that corn dog came with more drama than mustard. We also get into something a little more serious — are festivals and live music dying? People complain the bands are too loud, crowds aren’t what they used to be, and live entertainment seems to be getting pushed further into the background. Mitch. Bots. Football fights. Corn dogs. Loud music. Just another normal day on the back porch.

• Transcript

Back Porch Twisters Episode 6: Mitch & The Corndog of Destiny

Well folks, after weeks of speculation, seances, and checking for a pulse… MITCH McCONNELL IS ALIVE! We finally got a good look at him, and fellas… Mitch looks like he just woke up from a 200-year nap and somebody told him Social Security was running out. This week, Banjo Barnett and the Professor of Shred dive into the latest Mitch McConnell update before heading straight down the rabbit hole of the Dead Internet Theory. Is the internet still full of real people… or are we all just arguing with bots, AI-generated garbage, and somebody’s grandma sharing a fake picture of Jesus made out of shrimp? Then we bring it back home to Eastern Kentucky, where things have been plenty wild on their own. We talk about the recent ruckus at the Letcher County Central football game — because apparently the final whistle wasn’t the only thing bringing the action to a stop. 🏈😂 And then we tackle the scandal rocking the Black Gold Festival… 🌭 CORNDOG-GATE 2026. 🌭 A simple trip to the concession stand turned into the biggest festival controversy since somebody tried to charge five dollars for a bottle of water. We’ll just say this: that corn dog came with more drama than mustard. We also get into something a little more serious — are festivals and live music dying? People complain the bands are too loud, crowds aren’t what they used to be, and live entertainment seems to be getting pushed further into the background. Mitch. Bots. Football fights. Corn dogs. Loud music. Just another normal day on the back porch.

• Transcript

Back Porch Twisters Episode 5: Séances, Sniffers & Serial Killers

BackPorch Twisters Episode 5 may be our strangest trip down the holler yet. We kick things off, as tradition demands, with Missing Mitch. The mystery surrounding Mitch McConnell has gotten plum crazy, so Banjo Barnett and the Professor of Shred hold another séance in hopes of finally making contact. Mitch, buddy… if you can hear us, knock twice. Then we put the foolishness aside for a serious conversation about some downright disturbing subjects—the controversy surrounding AI-generated CSAM, the questions being raised by recent court rulings, and just how evil and dangerous this material is. We also discuss the Lindsay Clancy trial and the heartbreaking reality of the world our children are growing up in. After that, we desperately attempt to brighten things up… That was a mistake. Because somehow we end up talking about a weirdo with John Wayne Gacy’s brain in a jar, a mummy, the infamous Serial Butt Sniffer, and finally a tale involving a man and a vacuum cleaner that gives an entirely new meaning to the phrase attachments sold separately. By the end, we’ve got missing politicians, séances, mummies, brains in jars, butt sniffers, questionable vacuum usage, and enough weirdness to make you wonder if civilization has officially peaked. Welcome to BackPorch Twisters, where the mummy might have a pulse, the vacuum cleaner needs therapy, and we STILL ain’t found Mitch.

• Transcript

BackPorch Twisters Episode 4: Rain Won’t Quit & Neither Will Mitch!

Pull up a chair and tighten down your tinfoil hat, because the porch is twisted again. Naturally, we kick things off with our favorite recurring segment: Where’s Brother Mitch?” At this point, we ain’t entirely convinced there’s an illness. Could be sick, could be filming weekend at Bernie's, could be charging overnight in a broom closet somewhere in Washington. Until somebody pokes him with a stick and gets a response, the investigation continues. Then we head back home to Eastern Kentucky, where the rain just won’t give us a break. The recent flooding has absolutely hammered our area, with Fleming-Neon nearly destroyed again. But around this porch, you know we can’t just blame Mother Nature and move along. Storm after storm, flood after flood… meanwhile there’s talk of development and giant AI data centers. Coincidence? Maybe. But Professor, fetch the thumbtacks and red string—we got us a map to make. Finally, we bring her back around to music, talking about the chaos of playing multiple gigs in one day, hauling enough equipment around to stock a Guitar Center, and remembering the fast-food joints and forgotten grub from days gone by. We got Mitch on life support, Neon underwater, AI in the holler, dog crap, guitars, banjos, and discontinued fast food. In other words… just another day on the BackPorch.

• Transcript

BackPorch Twisters Episode 3: MeatGate 2026 - No Strings Attached

The conspiracy deepens as Banjo Barnett and the Professor of Shred investigate one of the greatest mysteries of our time: where did the red string around the bologna disappear to… and why did it suddenly come back? We also revisit the ongoing mystery of Mitch McConnell, dive into the controversy surrounding AI data centers, debate whether mountain lions are really prowling the hills of Eastern Kentucky, and unravel another Back Porch Twister Tale with the infamous Nasty Dew. Then, to close out the show, Banjo Barnett finally pulls out the banjo for a little pickin’ while the Professor asks all the questions you’ve ever wanted answered about the instrument.

• Transcript

BackPorch Twisters Episode 2: Weekend at Mitchie’s - Rise of the Meat Ticks

On Episode 2 of Back Porch Twisters, Banjo Barnett and The Professor of Shred are back on the porch stirring the pot again. This time, we follow up on the continued mystery surrounding Mitch McConnell, the Tiger King now calling a Lexington prison home, and dig into the rumors of a secret AI data center hiding out in Letcher County. Then things get even stranger as we cover the explosive diarrhea bug making the rounds and the wild story of genetically engineered ticks causing people to develop a meat allergy. And once the conspiracy smoke clears, we jump into the music portion of the show with a tribute to the late Wayne Charvel and his huge impact on the guitar world. It’s strange stories, wild theories, music talk, and plenty of porch-side nonsense — exactly what Back Porch Twisters is all about.

• Transcript

BackPorch Twisters Episode 1: Enter The Rabbit Hole

The first episode of our new series on Five String Holler, BackPorch Twisters is officially in the books, and Banjo Barnett is joined by none other than The Professor of Shred himself, Travis Fields. On this episode, we kick things off with a pile of conspiracy talk, strange questions, and a few deep dives that may or may not get us put on a list. We talk about AI, how folks have gotten so desensitized that now anything they don’t understand gets labeled “AI,” and how hard it is to know what’s real anymore. From there, we get into COVID, the Disney cruise/Hantavirus conspiracy, and even ask the hard-hitting question everyone’s been afraid to ask: is Mitch McConnell still alive? Then we switch gears and talk music, diving into the recent Fender controversy involving cease and desist letters being sent to guitar companies over body shapes that have been copied, modified, and played for over 50 years. It’s weird, it’s funny, it’s a little unhinged, and it’s exactly what BackPorch Twisters was meant to be. Pull up a chair, put your tinfoil hat on, and come twist with us.

• Transcript

Episode 5: Astor Taylor - East Ky Tyme!

This week on Five String Holler, we pull up a chair on the front porch with Eastern Kentucky bluegrass legend Astor Taylor. For more than 40 years, Astor has been a fixture in the mountain music scene, carrying the traditions of bluegrass from local stages to festivals across the country. A Vietnam veteran, retired coal miner, and longtime frontman of the legendary East Ky Tyme, Astor shares stories from a lifetime spent making music. From picking all over the region to spending time with icons like Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe, his memories offer a firsthand look at a golden era of bluegrass music. Join us as Astor reflects on his life, his music, the people he met along the way, and the traditions that helped shape the sound of Eastern Kentucky. It’s an honest conversation full of history, laughter, and stories that deserve to be preserved. Pull up a chair and listen in—this is one you won’t want to miss.

• Transcript

Episode 4: Gary Joseph - From Gospel Roads to Honky Tonk Shows!

This week on Five String Holler, Banjo Barnett sits down with singer, songwriter, and music promoter Gary Joseph. Gary’s musical journey has taken him through just about every corner of the music world. Growing up deeply rooted in gospel music, he learned the value of faith, family, and traditional music at an early age. As the years rolled on, his love for music led him into the world of bluegrass before eventually finding his home in country music as a member of The Country Troubadours. Join us as Gary shares stories from a lifetime spent around music, the influences that shaped him, the challenges and rewards of performing, and what it’s like helping promote live music across Eastern Kentucky. From church pews to bluegrass festivals to honky-tonk stages, Gary’s story is one of dedication, passion, and a genuine love for keeping real music alive. If you enjoy country music, bluegrass, gospel, and good stories from one of Eastern Kentucky’s finest musicians, you won’t want to miss this one.

• Transcript

Episode 3: Randy Wyatt - From The Jail to The Stage

Episode 3 of Five String Holler is one for the books! This week we sit down with Honky Tonk Pappy himself, Randy Wyatt — bass player, guitar picker, banjo man, former radio DJ, and retired law enforcement officer with enough stories to fill up a Waffle House jukebox. Randy talks about hosting the legendary Bluegrass Express alongside Fiddlin Verlin Sanders, life behind the microphone, years in law enforcement, and memories from hanging around icons like Gary Stewart, Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, and more. From Carter Stanley showing up at his mamaw’s house when he was a kid, to road stories and music memories from Eastern Kentucky’s and Virginia's golden days, this episode is packed tighter than a Double Kwik parking lot on payday. If you love country music, bluegrass, old radio stories, and hearing how things USED to be around here, you absolutely don’t wanna miss this one. Pull up a chair and join us for laughs, memories, and a whole lotta holler talk.

• Transcript

Episode 2: Travis Fields - The Professor of Shred

This week on Five String Holler, we sit down with Eastern Kentucky’s own Travis Fields — musician, songwriter, educator, podcast host, and all around good man. Travis has spent years shaping young minds in the classroom while absolutely melting faces on stage with a guitar in his hands. We talk about growing up around music, becoming both a teacher and musician, guitars, songwriting, life lessons, and the stories behind his brand new album that just dropped. Whether you know him from the classroom, the stage, or somewhere in between, one thing’s for sure: Travis Fields leaves an impression wherever he goes. Join us for a conversation full of music, laughs, inspiration, and a little bit of guitar nerd talk from one of the finest musicians this side of the mountains. Teaching kids and melting faces… Travis Fields has mastered both.

• Transcript

Pilot/Episode 1: Brent Amburgey - FastLane to the Teardrop Inn

Welcome to the very first episode of Five String Holler! To kick things off, I sat down with one of my biggest influences and a true standout in the banjo world, Brent Amburgey. Known for his work with Fastlane and the classic “Tina at the Teardrop Inn,” Brent has spent years shaping the sound of modern bluegrass with his driving style and unmistakable tone. In this episode, we talk about his journey, the music, the stories behind the songs, and what it really takes to become the kind of player others look up to. More than that, Brent is just a good, honest man—and it shows in everything he does. If you love banjo, bluegrass, or just good conversation from the heart of Eastern Kentucky, this one’s for you.