291. Thirty Minute Thursday! DJ Life, Coachella Chaos & Bieber’s Viral Comeback

Summary

Trading Secrets, Ep. 291 — Thirty Minute Thursday! DJ Life, Coachella Chaos & Bieber’s Viral Comeback

Host: David Ardwin (The Curious Canadian, filling in for Jason Tartick)
Guest: Blake Horstmann
Air Date: April 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode serves as a hybrid wrap-up and deep dive—covering the recent “Two Friends” episode and exploring all things DJ culture, with special focus on Coachella 2026 and Justin Bieber’s headline-making performance. With Jason away on a work trip, David Ardwin and resident guest/DJ Blake Horstmann deliver candid insights into the business of DJing, the reality of music festivals, and the artistry and drama behind one of this year’s most viral performances. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at DJ careers, industry camaraderie, festival economics, and viral pop culture moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DJ Influences and the Rise of “Two Friends”

[02:40] – [05:02]

• Blake credits “Two Friends” for inspiring his own DJ journey, especially their Big Booty Mixes.
• He recounts discovering them at an Orange Theory class in 2017—“I got off and I was like, what the hell is that? That's like the most creative thing I've ever listened to.” (Blake, 02:57)
• Blake’s transition from reality TV personality to DJ was shaped by “Two Friends’” innovative mashup style, proving creativity and passion can build a career.

Quote:
"I am that new age listener...I need a new song every 30 seconds, you know?"
—Blake Horstmann [03:31]

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2. The Creative & Technical Side of Mashups

[05:02] – [07:27]

• Blake distinguishes between musical intuition and the technical skills needed for mashups.
• Use of AI to extract vocals from tracks has changed workflow: “Nowadays you just AI the vocal out of a song. It's pretty great and it sounds incredible.” [06:20]
• Mashups are the creative entry point for aspiring DJs—easier and more accessible than full remixes.

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3. Navigating DJ Identity & Recognition

[08:42] – [09:42]

• Fans increasingly recognize Blake as a DJ, not just a former reality TV contestant.
• He takes pride in audience feedback from festival sets:
  "I had some people come up that...were like, you were like my favorite set of the whole weekend. Man, I just love your vibes.” [08:42]
• There’s still crossover with his prior TV identity, but the growth in his music audience is tangible.

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4. DJ Industry Dynamics—Competition and Camaraderie

[11:04] – [13:05]

• Despite a stereotype of rivalry, Blake emphasizes that DJs are supportive of each other—sharing remixes, feedback, and even gig opportunities.
• The real skepticism comes from diehard EDM fans, who can be territorial:
  "The music industry fans can be very like, get the fuck out of here kind of vibe...but the DJs themselves are actually wildly supportive." [11:53]
• There’s more skepticism for “influencer DJs,” but respect is earned through commitment and talent.

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5. Mount Rushmore of DJs

[13:05] – [16:00]

• Blake’s Top 4: Zedd, Avicii, Chris Lake, John Summit.
• On John Summit:
  “There’s something about his sets, man, that just...the energy never dies...That’s something that is not almost not teachable, you know what I mean?” [14:32]

David adds Tiësto and The Chainsmokers as personal favorites, reflecting on the pivotal 2016 EDM/pop moment.

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6. Coachella From the Inside: Chaos, Celebrities & Economics

[17:15] – [19:47]

• Blake’s fifth Coachella was “insane”—capacity felt oversold, “VIP was shoulder to shoulder,” and even artist areas were packed [17:18].
• He’s performed four out of five years; most years, he’s there as a performer, sometimes on branded invites [18:00].
• Payment for Coachella hasn’t increased yearly—in fact, his highest paycheck was the first year; perks (like extra bands/tickets to resell) sometimes offset this.
• “For three sets, I wouldn’t charge this. I’d want more if it was anything else. But for Coachella...it’s worth it down the line.” [19:47]

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7. Debunking Coachella Misconceptions

[20:16] – [21:15]

• Influencers make up a small slice of attendees (“not even 5%”), despite their outsized online presence.
• Blake insists it’s the “cleanest, most organized” festival he’s attended.
• The diversity of the lineup creates passionate new fans every year.

Quote:
"It is by far the cleanest, most organized logistically...everything’s on time, nothing's late."[20:46]

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8. Coachella Rapid-Fire: Celeb Sightings, Food, and Annoyances

• Biggest celeb sighting: Hailey Bieber and North West. “It was like my For You Page on TikTok.” [21:19]
• Most underrated: The food—solid and not as overpriced as people think (loaded fries: $25). [22:18]
• Most overrated: The Ferris wheel. “It’s really slow and only goes around twice.” [23:12]
• Best performance (except Bieber): John Summit’s surprise Do Lab set. [23:24]

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9. Justin Bieber’s Viral, Unfiltered Headline Set

[24:01] – [31:17]

• Blake details the vibe: demand was huge, he and his partner G staked out VIP and literally napped on the ground for prime spots [24:19].
• Bieber opened with “swag” tracks, mixed in acoustic songs, and then did a “YouTube hack”—pulling up old tracks and singing over them, lag and all, referencing WiFi issues on the spot [25:20].

Memorable Moment:
“He pulls up YouTube, and I genuinely think he actually was pulling songs up on YouTube and playing them because there was lag...He was like, damn, WiFi.”
—Blake [26:00]

• Emotional high point: Bieber singing along to his own kid-era YouTube clips; Blake notes it felt like “he was healing...he was acknowledging his past and what he went through but then also...I respect who I was, but, like, I respect who I am now as well.” [27:00]
• Financial genius: Bieber allegedly structured the deal so that, by only using YouTube-played versions (not master tracks), he avoided royalty payouts—maximizing a rumored $10 million payday. [28:38]

David sums up:
"He had a laptop and a mic and a camera and he got to keep all the money from it and didn’t have to pay out anyone. So...that’s my work. I’m still here. I’m creative genius." [28:38]

• In-person audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive, but critics online (who watched via livestream) were harsher—especially for the show’s lack of theatrics vs. other “pop spectacle” performances [30:01, 30:41].
• Blake’s take:
  “Everything I wanted out of Bieberella and his performance, that was it...That’s what I want. So I enjoyed it immensely.” [31:17]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “If you're into music—Mashups is where you start rather than remixes.”
  —Blake Horstmann [07:07]
• “The DJs themselves are actually wildly supportive. Like, wildly supportive.”
  —Blake [11:53]
• “The Ferris wheel is overrated. It’s really slow and only goes around twice.”
  —Blake [23:12]
• “He embraced that [his past]. And I think the way he sang over his old, like, kid voice, it was amazing.”
  —Blake [27:00]
• “If you were there, I haven’t heard too many people who were there be like, Oh, that was a flop.”
  —Blake [30:01]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• DJ Influence & Two Friends: 02:40–05:02
• Mashups & Technical Skills: 05:02–07:27
• Recognition and Brand Building: 08:42–09:42
• Industry Camaraderie vs. Fan Skepticism: 11:04–13:05
• Mount Rushmore of DJs: 13:05–16:00
• Coachella Behind-the-Scenes & Deal Structure: 17:15–19:47
• Festival Economics & Misconceptions: 20:16–21:15
• Celebrities, Food, Ferris Wheel: 21:19–23:12
• Bieber’s Set Breakdown: 24:01–31:17

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Tone & Vibe

Conversational, candid, and lively; full of “insider” knowledge but never condescending. Both hosts balance humor and deep respect for creativity and hustle—whether it’s about persevering in the DJ world, industry politics, or analyzing a pop culture moment as unique as Bieber at Coachella 2026. The episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in music careers, festival culture, or how viral entertainment sausage gets made.

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Transcript

[Blake Horseman]

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[David Ardwin]

and other limits in terms of Apply. Welcome to another 30 minute Thursday. I'm your host today, the curious Canadian, David Ardwin. Our normal host, Jason Tardick, he's on a work trip and it's just so Jason Tardic to be on a work trip and leave his boy hanging. And so you know what I did, people? I went out there, I put my thinking hat on and I said, who's been on Trading Secrets more than anybody other than Jason and myself? And guys, it's the one, the only, it's Blake Horseman. Blake, thank you for joining us on 30 Minute Thursdays, the first 30 Minute Thursday that you've been on so far. How you feeling?

[Blake Horseman]

Feeling good, man. Feeling good. I, yeah, I always love coming on this podcast, man. I have been on here quite a bit of time, so I love it, man.

[David Ardwin]

Well, we love having you. And, and listen, I'm always looking to upgrade from Jason as a co host and I just, you know, I thought what, what better way to upgrade than, than second place on Becca season instead of third place? So there he go.

[Blake Horseman]

I always, I always have to remind him. I always have to remind him of that.

[David Ardwin]

You know, anytime Jay can have friends like us to just give him a little bit of a humble heat check, I think that's what we're here for, right? I think that's what we're here for. That's why he keeps us around. But listen, we had the two Friends episode on Monday release on Trading Secrets. We're always using 30 minute Thursdays to recap those episodes. But then talk what's happening business what's happening Paul culture. When we open up our phones, when we open up tik tok social media, whatever it is, what's being talked about and in nobody better to have on recapping this two Friends episode, talking about the ever evolving DJ industry. I want to hear a little bit more from you. And then I definitely. To tease it. We're going to talk Coachella. I mean, we have to talk Chella, because that's all that's coming up on our phones. You just got back live like an hour ago.

[Blake Horseman]

We walked through the door. Yeah. Yeah. So it's been a hell of a week.

[David Ardwin]

A hell of a week. And God bless you for coming on here. So, you know, when it comes to two Friends, Two Friends doing Big Booty Mix in their basement, a hobby that turns into a passion. Do you know two Friends? Have you got to meet them at all? Tell me about any kind of interactions you've had with them before.

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah, so it's funny, it's wild, kind of how well this works out because two friends is literally one of the reasons I started DJing. Like, they're one of the reasons I started making mashups, I should say, because I was. I'll never forget, I think it was 2017, maybe. I was in an Orange Theory fitness class and the instructor played a Big Booty Mix. And I got off and I was like, what the hell is that? That's the most. That's like the most creative thing I've ever listened to. And also at the same time, I was, like, motivated throughout the workout. And I was like, I gotta find out what that was. And she was like, it's just a big booty Mix. Like, you gotta check it out. I can't remember what number it was, but it was one of the, you know, like single digits ones. Then I got into. I was like, okay, if they can do this, you know what I mean? I didn't even know, like, there was technology out there that could rip vocals out of one song and throw an instrumental over another. Like, I didn't even know that existed. And so that's kind of when I got into doing mashups. So I've been a big fan of two Friends for a long time. I. I am that new age listener. Like an add almost type listener where I need a new song every 30 seconds, you know? So I base a lot of my sets even off of like a Two Friends, not quite the Big Booty Mix. Like, I like to draw out my. My song's a little bit more than that. 90 seconds to two minutes. But I'm not one of those DJs who will play a five minute mix, you know what I mean? Like a five minute song and let it breathe. Like, I'm like, on to the next Like a live jukebox, you know. And so a lot of what I do, it comes from two friends, and I have had the chance to meet them. I met them. I played a golf tournament in Newport beach last year, and there were so many wild celebrities. There was, like, from, like, music. It was two friends. A couple other DJs were out and about, and Saquon Barkley, your boy Josh Allen. Like, it was a wild, wild mix of. Of people. But I got to sit down with. With them, and it was just fun to pick their brains and just be like. It was cool to hear how they, like, you kind of talked about. They went from, like, you know, their mom's basement or wherever it was, and, like, started doing this just for their buddies, you know, on the weekends. And then now they're selling out Red Rocks, playing Coachella, that kind of thing. So I'm a big fan of what Two Friends does, and they've taken a different path than a lot of DJs, which I think is really cool, because obviously I have as well. So, yeah, I look up to Friend 2 Friends a lot and, like, what they've been able to do in the music scene.

[David Ardwin]

That's awesome. And I. I just love, like, so many other successful people we've had on the podcast. It always starts out of a passion or a hobby or doing something for free, being an intern, just getting into it because it's a passion. It turns into their career, which is so exciting when it comes to mashups for those listening for in the DJ world, what part of it is just, like, creative genius where, like, they hear two songs and it comes into their head and how much of it is like, trial and error, like, oh, I need to get this track in there. But I don't really know to have, like, an instrumental or a beat to play behind the vocals. Is it a little bit of both? Or there's someone who can just be like, oh, my God, I hear this song. With this song, I'm putting those two together.

[Blake Horseman]

That's a great question. So I think some people are a little bit more musically inclined than others. And I'm sure Two Friends is one of those people who can, like, listen to a song and be like, holy hell, that's the same key, the same bpm. Without even looking, you know, just hearing it, they'll be like, that's like, that's. That's D key, 128bpm. Like, that'll go well with this, with resp ct because it's the same bpm and key, you know what I mean? Like, and especially since they've been doing it for so long, they can do that. I'm not to that point. I can definitely hear something BPM wise. I can almost match up just off of ear. I can kind of match up BPM's keys. You kind of lost me with that. That's, that's, that's a different level for me. But yeah, sometimes, you know, I'll hear a song and, or even I'll know like, okay, for example, I actually played. I played a really cool festival in Jackson Hole two weekends ago and I did the Top of the Mountain. They wanted me to be on the top of the mountain. They were going to fill me with drones and GoPros and everything at 14000ft. And I was going to DJ a set and I was like, okay, I need to make a mashup or remix of Ain't no Mountain High Enough. You know what I mean? So I was like, I picked up the vocal. Nowadays you just AI the vocal out of a song. It's pretty great and it sounds incredible. And then I found like a fun house beats that was already being used and I basically just took that instrumental. I laid it over. There's still some work you have to do. I use Ableton. There's still some work you have to do. Sometimes you can't just lay it over and it's perfect. You kind of got to move things around a little bit. Vocals and sounds and beats and things like that to line up, line up everything so it sounds right. But a lot of it is still very technical when it comes down to the nitty gritty of it all. But once you get it, man, once you get it, you can get lost in it. You can sit for hours and just mash up song because it is way easier than full remixes, obviously. So like you can mash up 10 songs in like three or four hours, you know. And you're like, oh my gosh, you know, it's so fun to do. And I'll get lost, be like, wow, what time is that kind of thing? So I definitely, if you're into music like Mashups is where you start. Mashups is where you start rather than remixes.

[David Ardwin]

Well, I went to college not to age myself. My freshman year in College was 08 09. I was at Quinnipiac University. He's playing Division 1 hockey. And that's when I first heard Girl Talk. And I don't know if you've ever heard of Girl Talk before, but man, Girl Talk feed the animals. That thing was like, talk about pre game Central. That might have cost me my hockey career. I used to pre game so hard to to girl talk, but that was. That was kind of the infancy of it. And then big booty mix. Now still coaching in hockey. I hear it and I've heard in locker rooms for the last decade. So to have two friends on was great. To have you on is. Is even better. I will say that to hear Jason talks all the time about AI and how he uses it. He uses AI like chat gbt, almost like a Siri on his phone. Like, it's crazy. I'm still like foreign to it. To hear that it's coming in your world is crazy. One thing I do got to ask you is being around Jason for so long. Obviously knew him well before he went on the show. Now I see him being so successful in his career. He's got the talent agency, he's got, you know, we got the podcast and the rebranding of that. I know how excited he gets when people stop him and want to talk about the podcast. Other than the show, it's got to be similar for you. Are you getting more people coming up to you as Blake the dj, or is there still crossover? Or how does that make you feel? How frequently is he happening?

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah, that's a great question. So, yeah, I mean, definitely, I feel a bit more prideful when it comes to my music, obviously, selfishly, I do. There's still a lot of mix over. But like this weekend at Coachella, you know, I played the absolute tense, the absolute house of heat, and I had some people come up that were at my set the year before, and they were like, you were like my favorite set of the whole weekend. Man, I just love your vibes. It was so fun. It was intimate. It was really cool. I had somebody come up that was at my set in New York a couple weeks or a month and a half ago, and she said the same thing. She's like. And it's always this. And it cracks me up because I don't mind it, but it's always. You're actually a pretty good. You know what I mean? It's like, of course we've been told. They always say we've been to a lot of like, quote unquote, influencer DJs and that kind of thing. And, like, you're actually really good. I'm like, thank you.

[David Ardwin]

I.

[Blake Horseman]

You know, it's like one of those things that come out and hear me before you start judging. But yeah, I I definitely, I'm very similar to Jason, as in, like, he takes pride in his, you know, when people come up podcast, same thing with my music and stuff. It's really cool. I hear people putting it in their stories, you know what I mean? Because I get a notification if it's used in audio over social, so it's pretty cool.

[David Ardwin]

Well, I, I've actually had FOMO of one of your sets from Stagecoach when you're in that massive tenant. Stagecoach. I think I was supposed to be there that weekend and I couldn't make it, and Joe Mariano ended up going in my place. And I was just like, oh, my God. But I, I, I haven't been to one of your sets yet. I gotta go. It's on my bucket list. Before we transition into Coachella, because you just mentioned it, I want to hear all about it. There's so many different things I want to, I want to talk about. I am a, I am an OG believer, so I gotta hear all about that. I'm gonna close my eyes when you talk about. I'm gonna put myself in your shoes. I hope our listeners do the same. But I gotta ask. It seems like everyone and their mother is a dj, right? And I think that could have be said maybe people were saying that about you when you first got on, right? And now you got Kyle Cook from Summer House, you got Xandra from, you know, being coming up in the, in the TikTok influencer game, people using their platform for. Into getting into this career, which is valid, we all know to be successful as you, as you probably take a lot of personally how hard you work to be to, to be on the top of your game? My question is, how close is the DJ industry? Are you guys. So how close is it? Is it is the rivals? Is it all support and love? Is it like we don't with you because you came from this world like, tell give me a little juice. Give me a little insight on, on the DJ industry.

[Blake Horseman]

That's a great question. Because I am unique in the sense where I, I started. Deej. Gosh. 20 the end of 2019, mid 2019 is kind of when I really, like, did this, like, as a career move. You know what I mean? And so I feel like now it's so much more common for me to be a dj. Like, I feel like now, you know, before it was kind of like me and like James Kennedy and Pauly D were like kind of the first in reality TV people anyway to do it. And so I've been doing it now about Eight, eight years, you know, roughly officially. And I've seen a lot of change in industry even in the eight, like short window. I've been, I will say the dj, the music industry fans can be very like, get the out of here kind of vibe, you know, like, but, but the DJs themselves are actually wildly supportive. Like wildly supportive.

[David Ardwin]

It's awesome.

[Blake Horseman]

Which is really cool. We like, we always kind of like, like I'll get sent remixes from some of my other DJ friends I like and I'll send them remixes that I like, that they'll be like, hey, I'm playing, you know, whatever, Stagecoach this weekend. Hey, do you have any music? And I'll send them some of my music because it, it's one of those things where other people listen to your music and they figure out it's you and they hear from another DJ that's going to be like, oh, a big fan of Blake or whoever, you know what I mean? So in that sense it's really cool. But the fans, the fans can be a bit, I don't know, territorial. Like, I don't know the word I'm looking for. But like the EDM fans can be hard, man, they can be tough. They don't like anything mainstream, you know what I mean? So that, that's been kind of hard for me. I've had to really like prove myself a little bit more, which is fine because I also started to step up, you know, I didn't do those eight hour sets for $500. Like I, I skipped that. And it's fine. I don't mind putting in time and like, you know, getting my respect through that. But it's, it is interesting. I was shocked at how supportive the industry is as far as other DJs. It's really cool to see. And even like the, you know, like, hey, I'll send them a song about hey, is this any good? And they'll send back be like, yeah, but man, I need to make the kick louder, put in, you know, a different synth, something like that. And it's so, in that sense it's really cool. And even two friends were like really cool, you know what I mean? Like when I met them and I've met some other huge DJs and I just like keep doing your thing, man, like find your sound, you know, things like that.

[David Ardwin]

So that's amazing. That's amazing. And I get that. Listen, people in any industry who have been there before, even as a fan or a consumer, than someone new shows up. It's like you don't get my support just because you. You spin music. And yeah, your music might be good, but, like, you know, you got to prove yourself and. And you've obviously done that over time. For those who may be a naysayer, you've been doing it for eight years. But to show that you've been a. An OG, a fan of the EDM industry, give me your Mount Rushmore. Maybe your top four DJs of all time, maybe the ones who have shaped you, or when you close your eyes, those are the music that you're playing. I got a couple that I probably would throw out there, but I'm gonna. I'm gonna hear yours.

[Blake Horseman]

So I'm a big fan. I mean, I love what's going on right now in the. In the electronic music world, don't get me wrong. But I mean, the golden era of. Of EDM just hits different for me. I mean, I. I put Zed up there. Yep, Zed. Zed was big for me. Obviously. Avichi. Avichi also, I think. And it's interesting, I say those too, especially because, like, they were kind of mainstream, you know what I mean? And so they brought me in kind of thing. And now I love all kinds of different electronic music. So it's not always, you know, bad when. When DJs go mainstream. But I would definitely put those two up there and then I'll. I'll pick some, like, modern too. So Chris Lake is. Is just, dude, his. He's produces so much music that people don't know about. As far as other DJs, when it comes, like Fisher, these other massive DJs, he produces a lot for those guys. So Chris, he's changing the game. I love his sound, the tech house sound. I wasn't a big fan until I really got into him. And then right now, because I literally just saw him at Coachella again. I've seen like five times. It's. It's got to be John Summit. I mean, yeah, there's something about his sets, man, that just. There's never. The energy never dies. And the way he can. He can really control a crowd is really impressive. And as a dj, like, maybe I'll look at things a little different. Be the way he can bring a crowd all the way up to where they can't breathe. They're so excited. And then bring him down, but not completely lose the energy. Like, that's something that is not almost not teachable, you know what I mean? It's pretty impressive. So those would be my four. Those would be my four.

[David Ardwin]

I think John Simon is such a. An. I'm glad you said his name, because how he is someone who I think has grown such a fan base because of social media and because you see him do these crazy sets and then go get on a private jet and. And run a half marathon and then. And then PJ back and it's just like, this guy is nuts. He's an animal.

[Blake Horseman]

He's like, I think one of the coolest thing. And I'll say this about a lot of DJs, a lot of DJs, necessarily, but producers, they're nerds, man. They just. They love tech and they can. And they can be a little awkward at times. Yes, yes, 100 exactly. And so I think John's embraced that. Like, he's a goofy accountant and he's kind of embraced that. He's just like a kid living his dream and he's just loving every second of it. And I think a lot of people relate to that. It's like, oh, this guy's just living his childhood dream. You know what I mean? He's goofy. He's not trying to be too cool. And I think people love that. So, yeah, John's definitely built a huge fan base on social media.

[David Ardwin]

My Mount Rushmore I gotta throw, because I am a EDM guy at heart too. I gotta throw Tiesto on there. Adagio for strings is like, brings me to a different world in my life. That's my favorite Tiesto song. And then listen, going in college in. In the 2008-2012 era and then getting like, out of college and like your first job and you're making money in 2016, which we all know 2016 is like chain smokers. They just hit those, Those. Those notes and. But I love Alesso. I love Angelo. I love all those guys. So. So that's a good little recap. I like what we just did there for the first half of 30 Minute Thursday. So nobody better to chop it up with on that than Blake, our resident DJ here at Trading Secrets. But we're going to turn the page to Coachella. Everybody who's listening to this at some. In some way is consuming Coachella content, whether they're getting on the Justin Bieber live stream at 3am their local time and they're seeing that. Or it's just Tik Tok Instagram and we're going to talk the money behind it, too. My. My first few questions, and I'll keep some of them pretty basic. How many times you been to Coachella? That's the first one, and how was this one different? In a quick summary and we're going to get to the details of it, but really quickly, how many times you been and how is this one different?

[Blake Horseman]

So this was my fifth Coachella.

[David Ardwin]

Wow.

[Blake Horseman]

I know, I know. It's crazy, right? I've been to quite a few Coachellas. This one, the energy felt different. The energy around Bieber, and I will say Saturday, from opening door to when the fireworks went off for his set, I have never. Five times. I have never seen so many people. It was ins. Like, they clearly oversold. They clearly over tickets. It was insane. VIP was shoulder to shoulder. And it's never, ever like that. Even I even heard artists, like, area was shoulder to shoulder. Like, it's never been. Like, that's crazy.

[David Ardwin]

And how were you there? Like, when you go, are you there On. On brands, are you there? Sponsored, are you there because you're a performer? Like, tell me how you get there. And has it been the same for all five years?

[Blake Horseman]

So four of the years I've performed, which has been awesome. I'm very lucky to be able. I mean, to say that I perform at Coachella is so cool next to these massive artists. And then one year I got tickets through a brand, but I just. I didn't have anywhere to be or anything. I didn't go to any parties. I literally. That was when I was like, still, like. I mean, I still obviously am in it for the music. Like, I go early and go to the music. I do hit parties, too. And that was the first year or the one of the years where I was like, I'm going just for the music. I got a ticket. I'm going just for the music. I'll be there six hours every day kind of thing. Like I said, I'm lucky enough that I haven't. I know prices now have gotten astronomical.

[David Ardwin]

Yes.

[Blake Horseman]

Especially this year. But, yeah, I've been lucky enough that I've. I've. I've been able to work with people

[David Ardwin]

to go when you go. You said you perform for four years in a row. Are you making more money every year when you get asked to come back in your negotiations?

[Blake Horseman]

That's a great question. So, actually, no.

[David Ardwin]

Okay.

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah, the very first year, I got paid really good. Great. You know what I mean? And so, no, the first year, I got paid the most. And then the last, like, three have been. They were less than the first, but they've been pretty steady. And then, honestly, there's also a lot of perks. They'll give you a Bunch of bands. And then if you want, you can turn around and sell those bands and then you can kind of. And they know that. Yeah, you kind of make up a difference with that. But I haven't done that last two years just because I've had like, you know, we brought the fam. We bring friends and things like that. But there are, like little things like that where brands would be like, hey, here's an extra five tickets you can sell for a thousand a pop.

[David Ardwin]

Yeah.

[Blake Horseman]

Or whatever. 2000 a pop. So, yeah.

[David Ardwin]

If you're comparing them to other gigs that you get. Is this a higher paying gig because it's Coachella or is it lower paying gig because it's Coachella?

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah. So it's. So I would. I play every day. So I play all three days for basically the price that I'd play two sets for.

[David Ardwin]

Okay.

[Blake Horseman]

You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, but I see what you're saying. Because some people pay to play.

[David Ardwin]

That's what I mean.

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah. But no, it's probably. I would say I definitely. For three sets, I wouldn't charge this. Like, I'd want more if it was anything else. But for Coachella and the tickets and the full everything, you know, it's. It's worth it down the line.

[David Ardwin]

It's like all those people who pay to play on the Bachelor for the special date where they have to stand there awkwardly and dance. So.

[Blake Horseman]

For the promotion. Exactly. Y.

[David Ardwin]

All right. Some quick rapid fire too. And then we're going to get all into Bieber because I have to just hear more of it. Okay. What is the biggest misconception about Coachella for someone who's never been.

[Blake Horseman]

I. I want to talk about this because it's so frustrating to me because you see all the hate, right, at Coachella about Coachella and everything. And I get it because you get blasted on the algorithm with it. But, like, there was. I think I read there were 250,000 tickets sold for the two weekends. 10 of that, not even 5% of that are influencers. Like, there are still a ton of people and they're not in. It gets a bad rep if you haven't gone. But like, it is by far the cleanest, most organized logistically. And everything else, everything's on time, nothing's late. Like, it is one of the best, most well put together festivals in the world. And there's a reason people come back year after year after year. They have. They have huge names and then they have these up and comers where, you know, you go as a Fan. And then you leave being a fan of that person. You're like, you may be a fan of beer, but you leave being a fan. So, like, it is an incredible festival and I get it, why it gets hate, right? But it is a really fun festival and there's a reason. It's one of the biggest in the world. People continue to go back.

[David Ardwin]

Biggest celebrity sighting that you saw in person this, this year.

[Blake Horseman]

Oh, my gosh. There was. It was. I mean, Haley Bieber. Yeah, the big one. She was a big one. I saw Northwest.

[David Ardwin]

Okay. Yep, yep.

[Blake Horseman]

Because I saw her.

[David Ardwin]

Wow. 12 year old.

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah, I know. Artist area was crazy, but yeah. And then obviously all the Kardashians were there. It's just wild. I would said this to g. Walking out on Sunday. We. We left a little early Sunday. We had a kid walking out Sunday walking past. It was like my for you page on Tick Tock. Like, oh, my God, I recognize you. Oh, my God. All these streamers. It was like Neon. I. It's crazy. I know him, but Neon was there. Nick Sarion, he, like, all these people were like passing me and I recognized every. It was kind of a weird moment. I was like, damn, this is a wild festival.

[David Ardwin]

I just love the concept of that, though, because you're seeing them, like, not on their phones. You're not seeing them on the stream, you're not seeing them influencing. Like, you're seeing them hopefully enjoying the moment and hopefully not like, so wrapped up in what they have to do next. So that's really cool. Most underrated thing about Coachella, the food. Okay.

[Blake Horseman]

It's got solid food, man. Like an ex. This year it was funny. I saw somebody post, but this year the lines were short for food. And everybody's like, that's because everybody's on GOP one. Yes. Because we were getting food. Like, there was literally no line. Every day, there was no line to get food. But the food is very underrated.

[David Ardwin]

And I. And for relatively. Is it underpriced for everything else of the markups? Because everything that I see across my Tick Tock, where it's like prices of things at Coachella, it's like a hundred dollars for a charging station for your phone and like a good. Like, some food is like a little more affordable or.

[Blake Horseman]

No, it's. It's more affordable than that for sure. But it's still pretty crazy. I think we got like loaded fries for like 25.

[David Ardwin]

Yeah, okay. Yeah.

[Blake Horseman]

I mean, it's expensive, but it's not like a hundred dollar. You know what I mean, I play EDC Vegas, where like a hot dog is like 85. You know what I mean? That kind of.

[David Ardwin]

Yeah, we've all. We've all. We've all seen that chicken fingers at a poolside thing for like $7,000. Yeah, yeah. Most overrated thing at Coachella.

[Blake Horseman]

Oh, the most overrated thing. Other Ferris wheel, man. The Ferris wheel is overrated. It's really slow and only goes around twice. So then they pop people in and out of that thing.

[David Ardwin]

And then the best musical performance that you saw. Not named Justin Bieber.

[Blake Horseman]

Okay. Not named Justin Bieber. John Summit doing a pop up. He did a surprise Do Lab set, which was insane. And I love the Do Lab. That's one of my favorite stages. He.

[David Ardwin]

He does pop ups all the time. How do you. How do you go about doing that? Have you ever done a pop up?

[Blake Horseman]

Not really to that extent. Like, I've done for brands. I have. You know what I mean? Where. I'll do. I'll do a surprise set for a brand, but never just like, hey, like, I'm gonna pop up at this coffee shop and play kind of thing. You know what I mean? I would always love to do that. I love playing something like that. And he got. He got leaked obviously before, so that the stage was packed. But yeah, it. He does. He just. He can do that. You know, he can pull that. It's crazy to show up somewhere randomly and then thousands of people show up.

[David Ardwin]

It's great. Okay, so then Saturday night comes up. Bieber hits the stage. I'm just gonna close my eyes, man. Just like take me through it. How. How early did you get there? What's the build up? He comes on stage, he's playing like, is your phone out the whole time? Is it not out the whole time? Just lay it on me for a little bit.

[Blake Horseman]

So luckily there, there, actually I was a little frustrated. There were a lot of people I wanted to see, kind of like before Bieber and even during Bieber. But I was like, no, not gonna happen. So the Strokes were playing before Bieber. I was like, let's go to the Strokes. So we went to the Strokes. We posted up in vip, pretty close, like the fence area. And we watched the Strokes. And then there was an hour break between the Strokes and Bieber and we didn't move. We laid down. Me and G laid down and took. We literally fell asleep. There are people walking over us, around us. You know how it is. But we were like, we're not giving up this spot. And then, you know, the energy Starts in the. You know, turn the lights off. The energy. Starts in the. In the crowd. And he opened up with one of his SWAG songs, which was great, actually, because I feel like he opens up with his banger, like, you know, or like one of his old oldies. It'll blow the top off, and you can't recover from that. So I like the way he started it. He kind of went into. He played like, four songs of Swag, and people were going. Still going crazy for swag. It was great. And then he threw in. Stay with Kid. Laroi popped up, and he threw it. Everybody went crazy because it was like, a hint of, like, what to come. Went crazy. It was so fun. And then what was interesting about this set was he went acoustic for about four songs. Acoustic for about four songs. I didn't mind it. I was getting, like, the crowd. We were getting a little restless. You know what I mean? And then it got to the point where it's like, what if he only does this? Like, what if he doesn't play his old stuff? You know? How is he gonna swing that? So people were getting a little restless. People were starting to sit down, that kind of thing. Hallelujah. Acoustically was incredible. He actually started to get really emotional and cry during it, which was. He was feeling it, you know? And I'll say, up to that point, I was like, this has been good, but, like, if he ends now or he. It's gonna be a flop. I was like, if he doesn't continue and then could play some of his old stuff, this is going to be a flop. And then the whole time he had his laptop, which I thought. I was like, oh, this is kind of cool. Like, this is fun. He was basically live streaming. People were commenting, and he'd pull it up every once in a while. I was like, oh, that's a fun play on it. Like, it's cool. I don't think the people were actually picking the songs, but, like, it was fun to, like, you know, have the whole act of it. And then he whips up YouTube, and I genuinely think he actually was pulling songs up on YouTube and playing them because there was lag and there was, like, hits a couple times. He was like, damn, WI Fi. Like the WI Fi. You know what I mean? Yeah, it was like. It was kind of interesting. But then all of a sudden, he pulls up to the laptop and he plays the one and. Or, sorry. Play Baby plays Baby. And the place goes bonkers. And for the next 35 minutes. 30, 35 minutes, he played only his songs, his old songs, and to the point where he played, like, his YouTube sing alongs when he was like 6, 7 years old, which I thought was so cool. I actually got weirdly emotional when one of them, because he would like. I think the coolest part about the whole experience in his set, it truly felt like he was healing. Like, in a weird way. Like, it really felt like he was acknowledging his past and what he went through, but then also being like, this is who I am now. I respect who I was, but, like, I respect who I am now as well. And so I love that in an artist. Like, I like artists who don't completely just, like, that was me then, that's not me anymore. I'll never be that again. I'm not going to play my old songs that, you know, that you like. I'm not going to do that. But he. He embraced that. And I think the way he sang over his old, like, kid voice, it was amazing. It was so cool the way he was singing and then he would still sing and the way he'd look at himself in his videos, it just seemed like he was almost admiring it. Like, wow. Like, that was cool. Like, it is pretty wild. I'm here now, you know, playing this. The highest paid artist of all time at Coachella. But that's where I started. Like, it was a really cool moment. And he played probably Dude Bang. I mean, he played the Karate Kid song, you know, that he did. He played every old song I could want him to play. And the crowd went crazy. And I felt I got goosebumps, like, the whole time because I've been a believer since the beginning, so it was really cool. And then he finished with a couple swag, and then he finished with Davey Daisies and the fireworks went off. And I personally felt. I know there's been a little bit of mixed, you know, some mixed reviews here and there. Like, oh, he just pulls up YouTube and plays and is in, you know, looks like he's homeless up there and there's no band, there's no dancing or whatever. But, like, that was him. I enjoyed it. I. 10 out of 10 for me. 10 out of 10, probably. That and Lady Gaga last year, the two best performances I've seen at Coachella.

[David Ardwin]

Well put. You walked us through the whole thing. I loved it. I wish I was there to experience it. People are talking about how genius it is, about just how he thought of really his life cycle. Like, like you said, clearly he was acknowledging the life cycle of, like, him as a little kid uploading things on YouTube, and he's showing that and singing that and getting emotional to it. But then you tie into, like, that kid who uploaded things on YouTube got found by Scooter Braun, who was in control of all these aspects of his life. Bieber, obviously, has been through a ton of trauma, a ton of drama. He sold all of that, all of his whole catalog of music, and he's not supposed to be able to play those songs. And the only way that he can play him is he pulls them up on YouTube is sing along to him. And so he did a $10 million deal to be at Coachella. He had a laptop and a mic and a camera, and he got to keep all the money from it and didn't have to pay out anyone. So it was like. It was a really nice, like, you, like, that's my work. I'm still here. I'm creative genius. It kind of goes when he played at the Grammys, when he got up and he made the beat and he sang the song, he walked off, and it's just like, he. His aura, man. He is just building this aura about himself. And it was so amazing to see. And I was gonna ask you, like, as you walked out of there, was it. Was it like, oh, my God, Justin Beer's best, Or was it, like, people being critical off the hop?

[Blake Horseman]

Like, no, actually, I think the energy was. So most of the critic, you know, critiquing this or one of some of the constructive criticism, if you will, of it has come from people who watched it at home, maybe, and, like, people who weren't there. Like, people who just heard, oh, he pulled up a laptop or saw videos of him, like, laying on the ground singing, you know, with no, like, stage. You know what I mean? But, like, if you were there. I haven't heard too many people who were there be like, oh, that was a flop. I've heard some be like, oh, you know, it wasn't my favorite of all time, but that's fine. You know what I mean? But I didn't see anybody be like, that sucked at all. But I've seen people on Social say that. I've seen a lot of the comparison. Right, Chris, Christina Carpenter, her set was just incredible.

[David Ardwin]

Like, as far as, like, the dancing at Theatrics.

[Blake Horseman]

Yeah. In the fountain, note out of the car. But, like, that's not Bieber. You know what I mean? Like, if Bieber did that, I'd be like, what the hell is this? You know, it used to be him, but it's not him anymore. He's not going to be up there dancing around with backup dance. That's just not who he is. You know, he's very on stage. Even G called it at one point. He's like very Kanye on stage. It's just him fog, dope, lighting and like him just being like moody. You know what I mean? Yeah, Swaggy, exactly. So, no, everything I wanted out of Bieberella and his performance, that was it. Like, that's what I want. So I enjoyed it immensely.

[David Ardwin]

Amazing. Well, listen, 30 minute Thursdays, it's creeping up on the 30 minute mark. I love the recap of that. I love the recap of two friends. I love the recap, a little bit of what's going on in your life. Listen, Jason, your work trip, man, I don't know if you should come back from that because we're two dads here. He just got back. He just got back from Cachella an hour ago. You guys brought Heath with you. I was up at 3:45am this morning. I had a double connecting flight with my 3 year old. My 4 month old came back, went to work. Kids are down to bed. We're hopping on the ones and twos on this night here. And, and Blake, I just want to say that thank you so much for hopping in the last second. Always appreciate you having you on. Literally couldn't have been a perfect person to come on and do this 30 minute Thursday. So I appreciate you and thank you very much.

[Blake Horseman]

Good to see you, man.

[David Ardwin]

Love it. That's a wrap. Leave five stars, comments, all that good stuff. I'm sure if you leave a nice thing to Jay, he's gonna. He's gonna send something your way from his influencer closet he always talks about. So, Jay, hope you're enjoying work. See you next week. 30 minute Thursdays.

[Blake Horseman]

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