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Tailgate on 2: KOCKA Tailgating features unique drinking funnel, its own DJ booth and Pong Tournament

4 hours 14 minutes 10 seconds ago Saturday, September 26 2026 Sep 26, 2026 September 26, 2026 8:20 PM September 26, 2026 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE -- With the Tigers back in Baton Rouge to host Texas A&M on Saturday, the sold-out crowd brought out another large tailgate scene.

Along Nicholson Drive near Burbank Drive, there sits KOCKA Tailgating, which has a little of something for every kind of tailgater.

If a tailgater likes games, they can play some corn hole, throw a football, or if they're an adult, play in a pong tournament.

"When we come, it's such a big community, it's family, it's friendly, it's everything you want in a tailgate, all wrapped into one," KOCKA Tailgating's Samantha Bueche said.

The name KOCKA stands for Krewe of Crown and Krewe'd Awakening.

"Krewe'd Awakening started in 1999; KOC started in 2001. Relatively here in the same area," KOCKA Tailgating's James Roy said.

Roy is the leader of the Krewe of Crown, and around 2013, the two krewes combined their tailgates, and the rest was history.

Before every LSU home game, people can hear music playing at the tailgate by their DJ, Brannon Simar, whom the tailgate calls "Big B."

WBRZ asked Simar what goes into a tailgate playlist.

"You gotta have some Louisiana music, you got to have some Boosie, but you got to play the LSU pre-game, you got ot play Callin' Baton Rouge, and you got to play Neck," Simar said.

One thing the Krewe is known for is an octopus-looking contraption that serves as a funnel for drinks. KOCKA calls it the "Funnel of Death." It involves beverages that are poured into eight different funnels combined into one object. The funnels act as hoses.

However, the krewe is so much more than fun and games. It really functions like a club. It even has a yearly membership.

"It's very minimal, like $75. We actually are a non-profit now haha," Roy said.

The Krewe also has something pretty unique: its own trophy for Tailgater of the Year. They also hand out an award for tailgater of the week.

The reigning Tailgater of the Year for KOCKA is Ben Bueche, their food coordinator and grill master on Saturday. WBRZ asked Bueche what goes into being the best tailgater.

"It's all what you put into it. I come by here, I have a good time, there's a lot of work that goes into the setup, there's a lot of work that goes into the takedown," Bueche said.

Krewe members call Bueche "Brother Ben," and say Bueche is always finding ways to keep everyone happy and ready for some Tigers football.

'We really want them to come and feel what it is to be part of the LSU Tailgate experience, which, in my opinion, is by far the funnest in America," KOCKA Tailgating's Kindra Menard said.

If you want your tailgate to be featured on Tailgate on 2, then send an email to jcollins@wbrz.com. Include what game you'll be at and where you're set up!

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