This Craft Nation

David's story is an interesting one, as his path to being a community leader and philanthropist is unusual. He's also redirected his path by listening and doing. His company, Capstone is a small non profit that has taken previously blighted or vacant lots in the Lower Ninth and developed them into productive gardens and orchards. Located in part of a food desert, Capstone grows and provides food at no cost to those who need it.

You can follow us at ThisCraftNation.com or @Thiscraftnation. You can find out more about David's work at Capstone118.org or by emailing [email protected]

TCN9 includes conversation with Fred, Kyle and Emily at Red Horse Ranch, centered around Fred's Keynote Address to the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and his recent announcement about his future. It's a little longer than usual, but we hope you'll agree it's worth the listen.

TCN8 features Juan F. Thompson, Author & son of Hunter S. Thompson. It's our last content from GonzoFest 2017 -- the literary and music festival celebrating the work of Hunter, in Louisville, KY. While this was a significant milepost for our trip, and we've enjoyed sharing this content first - it's actually a bit of a departure from the rest of our interviews. When we heard they'd lined up an interview with Juan, we were excited, but I was also a little anxious. I didn't really know his story, and hadn't read his book. I took a deep breath and focused on a bit of an internal conversation. A little threadbare from the trip, I was also pretty into the interview groove, having just conducted just under twenty interviews in the thirteen days prior. I thought aloud, "we're going to count on the air of curiosity." Kyle and I joined up with Juan after his panel discussion in the Louisville Free Library, and headed to the basement for a chat, which included our new friend Lara from LEO Weekly. Here's Juan

www.gonzofestlou.com

Stories I Tell Myself - Juan F. Thompson

This is TCN7, which includes Acts I & II of GonzoFest in three acts. In this episode, Kyle and I talk to the founders of GonzoFest, a music and literary festival in Louisville, celebrating the work of Hunter S. Thompson. GonzoFest lived as a bit of a half-way point on our horizon — It was Day fourteen for us, so we were well into the thick of acquiring "Travel patina." We were also fiercely curious, as we really didn't know what we were headed into. Emily joined us that morning, and held down the fort at a TCN booth, as we got a chance to talk with the Denny and Ron who started this festival seven years ago. We also got to talk with Hunter's son, Juan - who's featured in Act III which will be in TCN8.

www.gonzofestlou.com

http://www.tappingmyownphone.com/bio/

The is the first full interview we're sharing from the trip, and it features Gregory Davis, founding member and trumpet player for the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band of New Orleans. Gregory sat with Fred and Kyle on the patio of the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street. The band is celebrating forty remarkable years of music this year, and Gregory generously shares the history of how they came together and how their early days of rehearsal-like jam sessions blended the music of traditional brass bands,R & B, and jazz created the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as we know them. They're an ingenious mix, combining and enlivening traditional methods with a modern perspective and approach. They've not only created an entire segment or style of music, they've also brought daylight to instruments and historical music that could've long since gone away.

www.dirtydozenbrass.com

@dirtydozenbrass

Fred and Kyle talk with vidographers Jeff Hage and Seth Thompson about life, light, collaboration, and the art of it all on Day 12 in Louisville, Kentucky from the hourse recently dubbed, Gonzo House

Green Frog Photo

Beer Portraits

Fred and Kyle checking in at the end of day five from Brooklyn, NY. Sharing stories, looking back and looking forward.

This Craft Nation's third episode, coming from Amtrak Train number 30, the Capitol Limited , between days three and four of what will be thirty five days out. We were running the rails from Toledo to Washington DC, on our first overnight train before connecting to Baltimore. Kyle and I sat in the closed club car a little after Midnight to share some stories and themes from the first few days out on the road discovering This Craft Nation.

Fred, Kyle and Emily talk over coffee, beer and whiskey about how the plans are coming together and how their search for Nick Offerman relates to the Kiss Army.

Were close - we're excited and ready to share even more content from the road and rails.

On TCN 1, we share our ideas about how This Craft Nation came to be, what we hope to accomplish and a whole bunch of other stuff. Buy the ticket, take the ride.