True AF Podcast

A passionate connector and Los Angeles native, seasoned entrepreneur Brian Toll is the Co-Founder and Co-President of The h.wood Group. He and his partner and longtime friend, John Terzian, are responsible for some of the most iconic hospitality brands in the world. Today, Toll oversees operations, finance and business strategy as The h.wood Group expands globally. With a track record spanning almost two decades, he brings a wealth of knowledge and established industry relationships to his work. His diligent approach has garnered a reputation for trust, integrity and professionalism, and his business acumen is driving The h.wood Group’s growth.  With a deep understanding of the inner workings of the industry, Toll’s perspective keeps The H.wood Group ahead of the curve.

Liv Johnson a producer, promoter and visionary. 

Damian has spent the last 20 years becoming one of the most successful electronic music artists and entrepreneurs in the world - playing 150+ shows a year and throwing his own parties in Tulum, Israel, Miami, New York, Berlin, Mykonos et al which The Guardian calls some of the best in the world. He also just wrapped another full-summer Hii Ibiza residency alongside Black Coffee and celebrated the 20th anniversary of his label Crosstown Rebels. All this while raising two kids on a remote goat farm in southern Italy.

Prime Video is gearing up for an exciting stunt, both big in size and impact, to celebrate the Season 2 release of their Original Series “Reacher”, starring Alan Ritchson, which is set to premiere on December 15th. Taking place during Thursday Night Football on December 14th, a towering 15-foot action figure of Jack Reacher will make an appearance at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, uniting Raiders and “Reacher” fans alike. Guests will also have the chance to enjoy the outside activation space, featuring a live DJ, “Reacher” challenges, photo ops, prizes and much more.

Trevor Lawrence Jr. is a highly acclaimed drummer, producer, and songwriter whose versatile skills and distinctive sound have made him a sought- after musician in the music industry. Born on February 17, 1974, Trevor Lawrence Jr. hails from Los Angeles California, and has made a significant impact on the contemporary music scene with his exceptional talent and creativity

Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, today announced the appointment of Francesca Bodie as chief operating officer (COO). In this newly established position, Bodie’s role will increase from capital development, mergers, and acquisitions to a focus on new revenue streams including overseeing all day-to-day operations for OVG globally, as well as leading OVG’s executive committee of highly diverse and accomplished executives into this next stage of growth. Bodie’s promotion comes as OVG announces a major strategic investment in Family Entertainment Holdings (FEH), as well as newly announced Navarro’s activations in partnership with Christian Navarro following OVG’s April 2023 announcement of the venture. Bodie served as the architect of both deals that bring new premium entertainment offerings to OVG venues and partner venues globally.   OVG adds hugely popular touring family content with the investment in FEH, the developers of family-oriented live events including toys-to-life shows of Mattel’s legendary Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, Magic of Lights®, and more. The brand extension with Christian Navarro, one of the world's most influential leaders in the premium wine & spirits industry just celebrated its first ultra-deluxe lounge with Baltimore’s The NINETEEN 62 Club at CFG Bank Arena,  premium concession kiosks at 4 venues, and this week launched navarroswine.com, a new e-commerce destination for Holiday gifting and hard to source wines.

There is something satisfying about watching an act progress. DRAMA first hit my radar at the Life is Beautiful festival, Las Vegas in 2021.  They played a late afternoon set on the second stage and presented something which I had not much seen: a duo fronted by Via Rosa, a charismatic performer backed by Na’el Shehade, who was building the complex sounds live on an entire cluster of instruments and soundboards. It was different, engaging and as sometimes happens at festivals, the music coming from the stage drew an ever increasing crowd. 

18-Year Old Rising Super Star, Zia Victoria, first gained recognition on TODAY (her powerful voice brought Hoda to tears!) when she was just 11 years old. Fast forward 7 years and she just opened for music legend Seal at the UK/Paris leg of his European tour. She is a powerful, young female artist, with a voice that ‘moved music legend Seal to his core’ so much that he personally invited her to open for him! She is also very involved in mentoring and giving back to the next generation of young artists.

On top of his busy schedule, Frank always makes a point to give back in any way that he can. Since 2018 he has been touring the world in partnership with School of Rock, SJC Drums, and Vans Shoes performing motivational workshops for kids. These workshops not only teach kids how to drum, but serve as a way of opening up a conversation with them about mental health awareness and teen suicide prevention.  "I want to use my spotlight to do something for the youth and I feel that’s my responsibility. Being a father is the greatest gift and seeing the joy music brings my sons inspires me beyond.” He continued: "I’m honored that the kids and parents feel so comfortable discussing really hard topics. It’s truly beautiful and there have been so many touching and beautiful moments.”

Bob Lefsetz, a renowned critic, discusses his diverse career journey from skiing to music industry success. Topics include writing efficiency, career transitions, ticket pricing in music, and navigating the evolving landscape of content creation.