Inside A Music Festival w/ Craig Finn [Some Sunday Context]

Inside A Music Festival w/ Craig Finn [Some Sunday Context]

Author: Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia September 6, 2026 Duration: 34:47
This past week we talked about Woodstock and the mix of culture, politics, and nostalgia wrapped up in the most famous music festival in U.S. history. Today, Jody chats with Craig Finn, lead singer of The Hold Steady, about what it's like to play music festivals, why they seem to be coming back, and how he mixes his politics into his songs. You can watch his recent re-working of "Constructive Summer" on YouTube. And be sure to check out Jody and Craig's music podcast "Summer Album / Winter Album!" Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now. This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Hosted by Jody Avirgan alongside historians Nicole Hemmer and Kellie Carter Jackson, This Day is a historical podcast from Radiotopia that steps back from the relentless news cycle to find context in the past. The series "50 Weeks That Shaped America" serves as its core, offering a rich, narrative-driven examination of pivotal moments that have fundamentally influenced the nation's political landscape and cultural identity. This isn't a dry recitation of dates but a deep, engaging exploration of the stories and decisions that collectively brought us to the present. Each episode functions as a carefully researched journey, unpacking the complexities and unintended consequences of historical events you might think you know, revealing the surprising threads that connect them to contemporary life. By focusing on these formative weeks, the podcast provides a unique and clarifying lens, arguing that to understand today's headlines, you often need to listen to the echoes of yesterday. The conversations between Avirgan, Hemmer, and Jackson are insightful and accessible, blending scholarly depth with compelling storytelling. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a new set of tools for thinking about America, its ongoing struggles, and its evolving character, all through the meticulous and thoughtful work of its hosts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Podcast Episodes
Seneca Falls: The Legend w/ Deva Woodly (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:04
All this month, we're partnering with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for a series called "Democracy Under Construction." You can find out more about their work at kettering.org and listen to their podcast "The Conte…
Seneca Falls: The Burnt-Over District w/ Deva Woodly (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:41
All this month, we're partnering with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for a series called "Democracy Under Construction." You can find out more about their work at kettering.org and listen to their podcast "The Conte…
Are We Locked In To Two Parties? w/ Alex Lovit [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:57
Every Sunday during our month-long collaboration with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Jody Avirgan chats with Alex Lovit, host of the Kettering podcast "The Context." Today, they follow up on what the battle over th…
Bill Of Rights: Factions w/ Dahliah Lithwick (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:08
All this month, we’re partnering with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for a series called “Democracy Under Construction.” You can find out more about their work at kettering.org and listen to their podcast “The Conte…
Bill Of Rights: We Forgot Freedom w/ Dahliah Lithwick (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:18
All this month, we’re partnering with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for a series called “Democracy Under Construction.” You can find out more about their work at kettering.org and listen to their podcast “The Conte…
Woodstock: Generation Gap (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:30
Our conversation about Woodstock continues with a look at the instant nostalgia for the event, how it captures the mix of culture and politics in the Baby Boomer generation... and how the myth of the event has been re-sh…
Woodstock: Before The Mud (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
For the thirty-second installment of "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we go pehaps the most iconic cultural event in US history -- the Woodstock "Aquarian Exposition" concert in Bethel, New York. Jody, Niki, and Kellie di…
2008 Crash: The Bailout (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:37
Our conversation about the 2008 financial crisis continues with a look at the decision to bail out the banks, the response by the Obama and McCain campaigns, and how the seeds for our era of economic populism got planted…