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Yeah, you mentioned SEMA Fest.
Tell us about the Fest, the entertaining people,
because this isn't just a few cars laid up on some top asphalt.
Talk to us, what's the lineup for Friday night for folks?
Give us some insight, Tom.
Yeah, so what we did when we thought of the idea of SEMA Fest,
we knew that our industry was getting to a point where
they were looking for this evolution of what an event is.
And our trade show is 58 years old this year,
but we're constantly evolving it.
And then we looked at this tie to our end user enthusiast,
and we said, OK, how can we connect that all together?
And we got in weird places in our brains,
and we're like, OK, you remember the first time
you drove a car when you were 60?
One of the first things you did was turn on the radio.
You turn the key to get the ignition going,
and then you turn it on the radio.
So there's this.
That was like hand in hand.
Some of us had static, but before Bluetooth,
we got Aiden in studio.
Aiden is 20, 21 years old.
Did you buy your car?
The little monster?
That stereo was important as a decision.
So my first car was an Infinity i30.
And let me tell you, Tom, I feel a little called out,
because that was definitely the first thing I did.
You didn't care about the muffler hanging in the back.
You know, I was all about the M-Tunes, baby.
Yeah, there you go.
I was in the exact same way.
Like my sound system was louder than my car,
so I didn't have to hear the rattles.
But we decided that there was this connection
between music and automotive.
And we wanted to share that,
and we wanted to find these groups of people
that would get ignited with both.
And we've been successful.
This year, our lineup is going to start with neon trees.
We're going to go into black crows,
and then Queens of the Stone Age is going to bring
the house down at the end of the night.
Wait a minute, Queens of the Stone Age,
check the black crows, check neon trees.
People, this is the, man, that's a jam-packed lineup.
Aiden, are you there?
Oh, absolutely.
Oh, yes, absolutely.
Look, you can't have car culture without a little music.
A little bit of bumpin' music, baby.
And Tom, I see you burnin' midnight all.
You're like, man, we need to get to Queens of the Stone Age.
Get these guys in here.
We need them.
Because you're answering to the audience,
and I love that.
I think a part of great event planning.
Union team, you work hard.
At times, event planning, you're sweating.
There's some bit, you're burnin' midnight all
because you want better and better.
Doing this for 55 plus years.
Wow, that's a lineup.
No, and it's great because the other thing we're doing
is we got Optima batteries in that place,
and they're going to be doing something called
Optima Unleashed, where they're going to have
professional drivers that are going to be drifting
and doing all sorts of things with automotive.
And we're going to have vehicles on display,
and we're going to have motorcycles doing things
in a globe of depth, where you get to see them
drive around and seemingly impossible.
Wait a minute, I grew up in the circus, Tom.
It wasn't, I don't think we call it the,
we just called it funny looking short dude
in a motorcycle running around a globe.
You said globe of death.
That's crazy.
I'm old enough to have done media interviews
in those globes.
So, you weren't anybody unless you got in there
and did a hit for the morning news,
but we're excited about that event again
because it's bringing these worlds together
where we've got our enthusiasts
that's expecting to be entertained
and they're coming to the show.
They can go to the show on Friday
and they can see the things.
And it really is this connection that we're making
where it ends this week of business
and this week of automotive innovation and passion
in a way that only SEMA can do it.
About this episode
SEMA Fest 2025 is set to be an electrifying blend of automotive culture and live music, featuring a stellar lineup including Neon Trees, Black Crows, and Queens of the Stone Age. The event aims to connect car enthusiasts with their passion for music, showcasing not just vehicles but also thrilling performances like drifting by professional drivers and motorcycle stunts in a globe of death. With over 55 years of experience in event planning, the organizers are dedicated to creating an unforgettable experience that celebrates both automotive innovation and entertainment.
Original notes
Headliners + Horsepower ! OPTIMA® Batteries
On the latest Wrench Nation, we sat down with Tom Gattuso, VP of Events for Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), to dive into the incredible lineup and what makes this years SEMA FEST a must-see.
Headliners include Queens of the Stone Age, The Black Crowes, and Neon Trees—blending world-class music with the ultimate car culture experience.
Beyond the stage, SEMA Fest brings rare custom builds, concept rides, networking industry training sessioins, and the unique chance for the public to step inside the legendary SEMA Show on Nov. 7.
It’s the perfect collision of horsepower and harmony. Don’t miss it.
SEMA FEST Details : https://www.semafest.com/
Catch our complete WrenchNation interview with Tom coming soon on https://bit.ly/40oWRg1
A big hugs gratitude to many of the SEMA team quietly working to make an incredible event , year after year, while keeping members legislatively on the right side!
We are grateful .
Mike Spagnola Karen Bailey-Chapman
Wrench Nation
Frank Leutz
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