Category: Interviews

First Crack 81. Omar Ansari Talks Surly Beer

Fewer than 6 months after seling the first keg of Surly Beer, Omar Ansari and I talk about starting a microbrewery in Minnesota. He shares the challenges of finding brewing equipment, zoning, and getting Surly into local bars and restaurants.

We also do a live tasting of Surly’s new Belgian Saison-esque CynicAle

Listen to Omar Ansari talk Surly Beer [34 min]

First Crack 80. Robert Metcalf and FlySpy.com to Find Better Airfare

A quick conversation with Robert Metcalf from FlySpy.com on the need to find better airfare and the power of TechCrunch.com as a PR channel (same way Ryan talks about Digg).

Drop a message on the First Crack voicemail line: 612-284-4148

Listen to Robert Metcalf and FlySpy.com to Find Better Airfare [12 min]

First Crack 76. Paying Attention with J Wynia

Back from SXSW 2006, J Wynia and I grabbed a morning tea and talked about:

Listen to Paying Attention with J Wynia [33 min]

First Crack 74. Uplifting the AmigoFish with Dave Slusher

As part of the Dave Slusher 2006 Over-Exposure Tour, Dave and I talked about his AmigoFish and the Uplifter.org projects.

Upfront I talk about:

Dave and I talk about:

I throw in a song from Jeremy Messersmith and then we talk Uplifter.

Listen to Uplifting the AmigoFish with Dave Slusher [45 min]

First Crack 73. The Banjo Brothers Bicycling Bags

I sat down with Mike, Eric, and Pete of Banjo Brothers for the low down on their grocery pannier and what got them started in cycling bags. There’s also some bits in there about how they’re partnering with bloggers like The Fat Cyclist to improve their bags.

Of course, you can buy their bags from Gene over at the One on One Bike Shop.

Hey, Mike & Eric gave me a Banjo Brother’s Mini Seat Bag, listen to the podcast on how it can be yours. Digital Dan Hook over at the Hook Show was the first one in.

  • Uplifter Minnesota, first event March 25th 2-6pm at the Acadia Cafe. Bring yourself, your gear, your passion.
  • DEMO LoFi musician showcases every Thursday night at the Acadia Cafe.
  • First Crack Podcast theme song by Jeremy Piller.

Listen to the Banjo Brothers Bicycling Bags [16 min]

First Crack 71. Peanut Butter Goes Nuts at PBLoco

I grabbed a few moments with Keri, Jodene, & Ken – the owners of PBLoco and they share the history of their company and some peanut butter sandwich recipes you probably haven’t tried.

On the business side, they went into the rationale behind launching in Minnesota, rather than either coast.

Listen to Peanut Butter Goes Nuts at PBLoco [15 min]

First Crack 68. Dan Carroll Talks about the IMP Media Player

Dan Carroll and I grab lunch at Joes Garage and we talk about IMP – his music and movie distribution platform currently in beta.

We talk about how it benefits independent artists, how it’s different than iTunes, the decision to go with BiTorrent, and who this platform is intended for.

We start off with a bit about Attention and then get down to business.

Listen to Dan Carroll Talk About the IMP Media Player [18 min]

More about IMP over at the Minneapolis Observer

First Crack 65. First Crack Turns One Through Rich Tatums Ears

Rich Tatum listened to each of the First Crack podcasts in linear sequential order. I thought he’d be the perfect interview for First Crack’s 1st Birthday. I was right.

After we do a run down of the best and worst of the First Crack Podcast, we talk about:

  • Podcasting’s bandwidth problem (it isn’t what you think)
  • The opportunity podcasting and weblogs offer churches to build communities within their congregations

Rich’s favorite First Crack Podcasts of the past year:

  1. First Crack 61. Building an Airplane at Home with Jeff Coffey
  2. First Crack 60. Shellie Gonzales on Borrowing a Porsche Boxster for the Weekend
  3. First Crack 59. Bill Forsberg Throwing Out the First Pitch
  4. First Crack 50. The Challenges of Comedy Theater at the Brave New Workshop
  5. First Crack 14. RIAARadar.com Creator Ben Tesch
  6. First Crack 18. Blogumentarys Chuck Olsen and the Revamps
  7. First Crack 19. Coffee and Community at the Blue Moon

Special thanks to Steve Borsch from Connecting the Dots for the copy of Podcasting Hacks. I’m sure it will help the continuous improvement of the podcast. Here’s to another year.

Listen to First Crack Turns One Through Rich Tatum’s Ears [38 min]

First Crack 64. Urban Exploring with Filmmaker Melody Gilbert

Just in time for a mid-production fund drive, St. Paul, MN-based independent filmmaker, Melody Gilbert and I talk about her latest documentary, Urban Explorers into the Darkness and the independent, DIY, MacGyver, hack-your-environment, attitude shared by Urban Explorers, podcasters, and other high-tech geeks.

Check out excerpts of film and support Minnesota independent filmmaking by attending the sneak preview of Urban Explorers into the Darkness on October 15, 2005 – $12 / ticket (or $35 for VIP).

Listen to Urban Exploring with Filmmaker Melody Gilbert [26 min]

First Crack 63. Coffee Technology with Timothy Tulloch of EuroRoast.com

Timoth Tulloch, CEO and Roastmaster at Minnesota-based European Roasterie (EuroRoast.com), and I talk coffee technology, from brewing to packaging, and why he’s aggressively moving into the single-serve coffee pod program (declaring the Black & Decker Home Cafe the best pod brewer). We wrap up with the culture of specialty coffee and how independent coffee shops can win against Starbucks.

I’ve been really enjoying their Mulawi and the new theme song is by Jeremy Piller.

Listen to Coffee Technology with Timothy Tulloch of EuroRoast.com [27 min]