America turns 250 this year, and the country feels trapped in a cycle of outrage, suspicion, and political tribalism. Every election is described as the most important in history. Every disagreement becomes a moral crusade. Every compromise feels like surrender. Rich Logis believes there is another way, and he knows because he lived the alternative.

Rich wasn't a spectator during Donald Trump's rise. He helped build the movement. He volunteered on campaigns, recruited voters, wrote for conservative publications, produced pro-MAGA podcasts, and believed he was fighting to save the country. When that conviction began to crumble, the hardest part wasn't changing his politics. It was rebuilding his life after politics had become part of his identity.

That experience led Rich to found Leaving MAGA, a nonprofit dedicated to people who have begun asking difficult questions but don't know where to turn. The organization offers private conversations, peer support, practical resources, and a welcoming community built around curiosity, empathy, and intellectual independence. Rich personally speaks with many of the people who reach out, helping them process the emotional challenge of rethinking deeply held beliefs and, for those who choose, share their stories to encourage others facing the same crossroads.

Mookie refuses to let the conversation drift into partisan comfort zones. He challenges Rich on the Democratic Party's own failures, libertarian alternatives, the rise of democratic socialism, media manipulation, algorithm-driven outrage, and the uncomfortable reality that millions of disillusioned conservatives still find voting Democratic unimaginable. The discussion circles repeatedly around a question that has no easy answer: if someone concludes that MAGA has lost its way, where do they go next?

The result is a conversation that reaches well beyond Donald Trump or the next election. Rich argues that curiosity changed his life by leading him outside the media bubble that had shaped his worldview. Mookie wonders if America's deeper problem may be a political system that continually forces citizens into two increasingly polarized camps. Together they explore what it takes to change one's mind, rebuild trust, and recover the independence to think beyond party labels.

Rich's story goes beyond politics and is proof that people can grow, convictions can evolve, and courage sometimes begins with a single uncomfortable question. As America enters its next quarter millennium, that may be the most hopeful message of all.

The Guest

Rich spent seven years as a devoted MAGA activist, pundit and podcaster. He left the movement in 2022 after becoming disillusioned with its extremism and negative impact on American democracy. Not content to simply walk away, Rich founded Leaving MAGA in 2024. Through public speaking, writing, and media appearances, he works fervently to support those seeking a path out of radicalization. Rich refers to himself as a born-again human being, and believes that empathy and understanding are necessary to reduce political polarization. He is the author of One Betrayal Too Many: Why I Left MAGA.

His Organization

We empower people to leave MAGA and tell their stories.
We foster reconciliation with friends and family.
We develop movement leaders to help others leave.

https://leavingmaga.org/

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Honey Gold is what happens when live music, visual art, meditation, technology, and a willingness to leap into the unknown collide.

In this 105th episode of No Hair All Heart, Mookie sits down with Sariah and Taylor, the creative force behind Honey Gold, an immersive audiovisual experience that combines original music, projection mapping, visual storytelling, and intentional design to create something increasingly rare in modern life: a space to slow down.

The conversation explores the origins of Honey Gold, from Sariah's years in California's experimental art and rave scenes to Taylor's decades-long journey as a multi-instrumentalist and performer. Together, they discuss how a small local performance evolved into shows at Louisiana's historic Old State Capitol, a unique presentation at Audium in San Francisco, and an ambitious plan to create a full-dome planetarium experience that could eventually reach audiences around the world.

Along the way, they discuss the realities of building an independent creative project from scratch, balancing a romantic relationship with an artistic partnership, surviving career disruptions, navigating technology's growing influence on art, and why authentic human experiences matter more than ever in an increasingly digital world.

Their free-flowing conversation covers creativity, risk-taking, collaboration, and the strange way life sometimes rewards people who stop waiting for permission and simply start building. Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, musician, dreamer, or someone trying to create something meaningful in a noisy world, Honey Gold's story offers a refreshing reminder that some of the most interesting things happen when people are willing to make it up as they go, while staying true to a vision that's close to the heart.

Honey Gold's upcoming performances include immersive events in Baton Rouge and San Francisco, with larger plans already taking shape for planetariums, virtual reality, and beyond.

The Guests

Honey Gold is produced and creatively led by Sariah Sizemore and Taylor Matherne, with visual direction by Wes Kennison of Version 47. The project is shaped through close collaboration across music, imagery, and environment, with each element developed intentionally as part of a unified experience. Sariah and Taylor lead the creative vision for Honey Gold, composing the original music and curating the visual content that informs the tone, pacing, and emotional arc of the experience.

Their Website

https://www.honeygoldexperience.com/'

More Resources

Honey Gold at Louisiana's Old State Capitol

Honey Gold at Audium

Donate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honey_gold_experience

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The 103rd episode of No Hair, No Heart has Mookie sitting down with Pat Donohue, one of the most respected acoustic guitarists alive and a player whose reputation among musicians is legendary. A Grammy winner, National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion, longtime performer with A Prairie Home Companion, and an artist once praised by Chet Atkins as one of the world’s great fingerpickers, Pat joins Mookie with zero ego and tons of good advice.

What follows is a sharp, grounded, often funny discussion about talent, discipline, and staying sane in a noisy world. Pat talks about his life in music, the long road from learning guitar as a kid to becoming one of the most admired players in the business, and why he still carries himself with the modesty of a working craftsman instead of an icon.

The conversation also gets into something rare these days: an artist intentionally keeping politics out of the music. Pat explains why he prefers to let the songs speak for themselves and why not every stage needs to become a soapbox. In a culture addicted to public declarations, Pat's voice and approach are a refreshing stance.

Pat also shares stories from his years on A Prairie Home Companion, where he spent decades as part of the famed Guys All-Star Shoe Band, performing for millions of listeners each week and contributing to one of America’s most beloved radio shows.

For younger listeners and aspiring players, Pat also offers the most practical advice imaginable: get out there and play. Don't theorize endlessly, or wait until you’re “ready.” Play live. Play often. Learn in public. Make mistakes. That’s where musicians are forged.

The Guest

Pat is one of the most listened-to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the “ Guys All-Star Shoe Band” of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, for twenty years, Pat got to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week. Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, Pat’s influences are rooted in bluesmen Blind Blake, Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and Miles Davis. He manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless. Over the years he has captivated audiences with his unique original compositions, dazzling instrumentals and humorous song parodies, including Sushi-Yucki and Would You Like to Play the Guitar?

If you're in the city, come out and see Pat Donohue & Friends Dan Newton and Mike Cramer at the Midway Saloon in St. Paul.

His Website

https://www.patdonohue.com/index.html

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On this 102nd episode of No Hair, All Heart your favorite bald host Mookie Spitz is thrilled to go full ADHD with the legendary musician, producer, bandleader, teacher, radio host, and industry connector Jesse Krakow: He's the musician's musician thanks to playing with everyone cool while somehow showing up wherever the interesting stuff is popping.

Jesse's jet fuel is fan obsession. As a kid, he dove headfirst into the weird end of the pool—Zappa, Beefheart, outsider bands, avant-prog—and never stopped swimming. That energy carried straight into Time of Orchids, his long-running experimental band, and into a career defined by constant motion: new projects, thrilling collaborators, and endless experimental rabbit holes.

One of the wildest threads is his deep connection to The Shaggs, the famously unpolished, totally singular band from the ’60s. Jesse loves them, tracked them down, organized a tribute, built relationships with the surviving members, and helped bring their music back into the world as a full-fledged multimedia revival. That’s how he rolls: If Jesse's energized, he dives in and makes it happen.

His conversation with Mookie moves like his career: fast, sideways, and occasionally off the rails. Jesse tells wild stories, contemplates the value of failure while revelling in success, and bursts with ideas and enthusiasm. They talk about The Muse ignoring then inspiring the greats, and how brillance can end any second, stressing the need to double-down before she goes belly-up.

That mindset is all over Jesse’s process. He’s always thinking about music, working ideas out, playing gigs and publishing. Collaboration is baked into everything—bands, revivals, and teaching. His advice to young musicians is exciting and clear: make it good, believe in yourself, and listen to people who have been there and done that.

The Guest

Jesse Krakow is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, sideman, teacher and music director. He was a co-founder of the experimental rock band Time of Orchids, a touring bassist for Shudder To Think and a member of The Shaggs/Dot Wiggin Band. He has worked with John Zorn, Paul Rudd, Kate Pierson (The B-52’s), Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart), Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Gilbert Gottfried, Nona Hendryx (LaBelle), Roddy Bottum (Faith No More), Julee Cruise (“Twin Peaks”), Chris Butler (The Waitresses), and longtime NYC institution The Losers Lounge, among many others. He was awarded a Fellowship from The Brooklyn Philharmonic, hosted the weekly radio show “Minor Music” on WFMU, a Professor at Bootsy Collins’ Funk University, and has recorded re-creations of albums by Hulk Hogan and Corey Feldman. Currently he is the MD for MANDONNA: an all-male tribute to Madonna. His most recent recording is "Bastards of Prog", released on Cuneiform Records in July 2026 under the name KRAKHOUSE.

Get More Jesse

BoP: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bastards-of-prog

HULK: https://jessekrakow.bandcamp.com/album/hulk-rules

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessekrakow7127

ToO: https://timeoforchids.bandcamp.com/album/sarcast-while

SHAGGS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecAAN6E6yY

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In the 101st episode of No Hair, All Heart, Mookie is thrilled to chat with legendary guitarist and songwriter Laurence Juber—a player whose illustrious career adapts and expands at every turn. From studio sessions with George Martin to lead guitar with Paul McCartney's Wings, to becoming one of the most respected fingerstyle guitarists in the world, Laurence's career has evolved with every opportunity enthusiastically taken, every new skill masterfully learned.

Mookie zeroes in on something rare: Juber’s ability to absorb new musical environments from rock to film scoring, jazz to classical, altered tunings to popular orchestrations, and translate them into his own distinct and thrilling aesthetic language. Central to his success has been Laurence's inspiring flexibility where patterns, theory, and instinct seamlessly blend into his distinct and masterful style.

Going beyond “rock guitarist,” “session guy,” or “fingerstyle player," Laurence lives a life of incessant creative and technical exploration: standard tuning, DADGAD, orchestral voicings, counterpoint that sounds like multiple instruments at once. Mookie frames it clearly: most people get overwhelmed by possibility, while Laurence embraces it and rocks it. New context? Learn it. New constraint? Conquer it. New sound? Build around it. "Cerebal plasticity" is what Mookie calls Laurence's secret sauce, and together they explore the enthralling variants.

Along the way they get into:

• How Laurence immediately took to reading music, and why “pattern thinking” is the perfect complement
• How alternate tunings unlock harmonic colors musicians cannot access otherwise
• The discipline and benefits of studio work fueling the freedom and exploration of solo performance
• Why counterpoint on guitar feels like bending or blocking time—second by second, and frame by frame
• And why AI, for all its usefulness, still can’t replicate the lived, physical experience of playing an instrument

Enmeshed in soulful nostalgia, with a masterclass in adaptability, Laurence reveals how an artist stays relevant and intriguing by constantly learning. And yes, Laurence picks up his guitar and plays for us, just like yesterday and everyday!

The Guest

Laurence Juber is a Grammy-winning guitarist, composer, and arranger best known for his time as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney’s Wings. A London-trained musician and former National Youth Jazz Orchestra standout, he first made his mark as a top session player in the 1970s.

Over a decades-long career, Juber has released more than two dozen solo albums and become one of the world’s leading fingerstyle guitarists, known for his orchestral approach and acclaimed Beatles arrangements. His work spans numerous film and television soundtracks, as well as compositions for video games, theme parks, and theater.

He has collaborated with artists ranging from Ringo Starr to Harry Styles, moving seamlessly across rock, jazz, classical, and acoustic traditions—building a career defined by versatility, precision, and constant reinvention.

Visit his website at: https://laurencejuber.com/

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Mookie is thrilled to celebrate the 100th episode of No Hair, All Heart by bringing back Dr. Barbara Minton after her first appearance on the podcast in August—and this time to share the other half of her "Music as Medicine" project: a scientist-musician partnership with guitar virtuoso and master storyteller Peppino D’Agostino. Together, they create music designed to shift the brain into healthier states.

As a therapist and researcher, Barbara works directly with the brain and has been chasing a practical question: can you compose music so intentionally—tempo, range, structure, resonance—that it reliably helps people settle their nervous systems? Not as background “relaxation” muzak, but as entertaining music with melody, emotional intelligence, and craft. To realize her goal, she teamed up with Peppino and created Calm the Storm: compositions designed to enthrall listeners while their bodies relax.

Barbara and Peppinio also share how they collaborated. Barbara brings the science-driven constraints and a clear target: music that supports regulation. Peppino effervesces with artistry, intuition, and a composer’s instincts about what enthralls a listener. Putting egos aside, they co-created by testing ideas, adjusting, rewriting, and finding the sweet spot where the music stays expressive while still serving the physiological goal.

Their musical talent is central to the magic: Peppino's intimate fingerstyle guitar paired with Barbara's deep, grounding power of pipe organ. Along the way, learn more about Dr. Minton’s practice and the work she’s doing in the world, and go see Peppino on tour and be amazed. And stay tuned for their workshops!

https://musicandhealing.net/album/3496530/calm-the-storm

The Guests

Dr. Barbara Minton is a neuroscientist, therapist, and classically trained musician whose work bridges brain science and the art of sound. With decades of experience in EEG brain mapping and neurofeedback, she has developed evidence-based methods for using music to influence neural patterns tied to pain, anxiety, focus, and sleep. Drawing on both her clinical expertise and her background as a performer, Dr. Minton collaborates with world-class musicians to compose and curate music designed to calm, energize, or re-balance the brain’s networks. Her approach blends hard data with artistic intuition, making the science of music accessible, practical, and deeply personal.

https://drbarbminton.com/

Peppino D’Agostino is an Italian-born acoustic guitarist and composer who emerged in the early ’80s as part of the second wave of top-tier fingerstylists who helped redefine the instrument in the ’90s. Known for jaw-dropping technique, open tunings, and percussive effects, he blends melody, harmony, rhythm, and groove into what he calls “minestrone music”—warm, playful, and always musical. He’s performed in more than 30 countries, played major festivals and theaters, and shared stages with players like Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke. His album Every Step of the Way was named one of the top three acoustic guitar albums of all time by Acoustic Guitar magazine readers. Voted Best Acoustic Guitarist by Guitar Player readers and praised as a “guitarist’s guitarist,” D’Agostino also bridges classical and rock worlds on recordings like Penumbra and continues to teach widely through workshops and TrueFire.

https://www.peppinodagostino.com/

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On this MLK Day 2026 solo rant, Mookie Spitz does what he does best on the 99th episode of No Hair, All Heart: he pulls the pin on a cultural grenade and refuses to flinch when it goes off.

Starting with Martin Luther King Jr.’s most misused line—“judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”— he dives headfirst into the uncomfortable paradox of our moment: a second Trump administration aggressively dismantling DEI and “woke” institutions, while simultaneously benefiting from a multiracial, working-class electoral coalition that flipped traditional political assumptions on their head.

Mookie dissects how MLK’s aspirational color-blind ideal has been selectively weaponized, used both to justify rolling back civil-rights protections and to argue against identity-based policies that were originally designed to correct historic inequities. Along the way, he tears into the lazy binaries that dominate public discourse: woke vs. anti-woke, left vs. right, victimhood vs. bootstraps, moral purity vs. brute power.

His rant ranges wide and wild to dive into:

• The Trump administration’s executive-order purge of DEI language and institutions
• Why some Black intellectuals openly support dismantling affirmative action
• The difference between race neutrality as an aspiration and as a premature policy assumption
• The transgender debate as the cultural fulcrum driving radical political oscillation
• Free speech, religious liberty, and where human decency actually draws the line
• Why corporate virtue signaling and pronoun theater feel hollow, even to people who support civil rights
• How chaos, disruption, and even political ugliness can create conditions for real transformation

At the emotional core of the episode is a deeply human story—told via a friend—that accidentally lands closer to MLK’s dream than most policy papers ever will: a second-grader who proudly submits Taylor Swift as her Black History Month hero, not out of irony or provocation, but because admiration came before identity.

That moment becomes the lens through which Mookie reframes the entire conversation. Not as a denial of racism, not as a dismissal of history, but as a glimpse of what genuine color-blindness might actually look like when it isn’t coerced, gamed, or politicized.

Layered on top is a broader meditation on power, disruption, and truth in a post-institutional age. Mookie draws lines from Trump to FDR, from Nietzsche to Feyerabend, from social media chaos to the collapse of old moral scaffolding. He argues that we’re living through a brutal revaluation of values, and whether it ends in disaster or renewal depends on whether we’re capable of thinking beyond tribes.

His rant is long, messy, provocative, and intentionally unresolved, much like him.

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