No Hair, All Heart

Clayton Parker’s Journey from VW Surfer Van to World-Renowned Muralist

The 104th episode of No Hair All Heart features Mookie Spitz literally sitting down next to legendary muralist and visual artist Clayton Parker for a sprawling, funny, unexpectedly emotional conversation about art, survival, craftsmanship, and the long strange road between obscurity and mastery. Clayton isn’t some gallery darling who emerged fully formed from an MFA program wearing a black turtleneck and talking about “negative space.” He’s the real thing: a working artist who clawed his way through decades of murals, commercial art, restaurant commissions, billboards, album covers, menu designs, historical projects, and anything else that required paint, nerve, and the willingness to show up. Along the way he created the massive 565-foot Vista historical mural — officially recognized as the longest historical mural in the world — and built a career almost entirely through referrals, reputation, and raw hustle. The conversation moves from Clayton’s early years living out of a Volkswagen van while attending college, to the heartbreaking story of having that van, and nearly everything he owned stolen, to the improbable kindness of a banker who took a chance on a broke hippie art student with no collateral and no safety net. Clayton talks about the years of scraping by, painting at Oceanside Harbor to attract customers, turning boat owners into clients, and eventually becoming the go-to muralist for restaurants, tequila brands, casinos, and historical projects across America and Japan. Mookie and Clayton also dive deep into the psychology of creativity itself: why most talented artists never make it, how commercial work differs from fine art, why reliability matters more than tortured genius, and how so many creatives sabotage themselves by refusing to evolve. Clayton explains his philosophy of “illustrative realism with enchantment”: blending photorealistic technique with whimsical color, hidden details, and deeply personalized storytelling that turns murals into lived experiences instead of decoration. The episode is packed with stories: painting over pipes and industrial obstructions to create illusionistic murals, old ladies recognizing themselves decades later in a high school marching band scene, tequila companies delivering cases of liquor to his house, Van Halen playing school dances before they were famous, upside-down left-handed guitar playing that confuses musicians, and why some of the greatest artists in the world still don’t care about social media or personal branding. More than anything, this becomes a conversation about persistence. About surviving long enough for your craft to matter. About why talent alone is never enough. And about how art is ultimately a people business: one built on trust, relationships, vulnerability, and the willingness to keep creating even when nobody’s watching yet. Clayton Parker’s Advice for Artists * Be reliable. Showing up on time and delivering what you promised matters more than most artists realize. Clients remember professionalism. * Don’t pigeonhole yourself. If people think you only do one thing, you limit your opportunities. Stretch creatively and take on unfamiliar themes. * Find the need and fill it. Great art still has to connect to a real-world need, audience, or emotional experience. * Don’t wait for permission. Clayton built his early business by literally painting in public where people could see him working. * Word of mouth is gold. Reputation and referrals built most of his career, not advertising. * Collaborate with clients instead of treating them like obstacles. The work gets better when people feel personally connected to it. * Keep evolving creatively. Artists stagnate when they repeat themselves endlessly. Growth matters. * Learn everything you can. Skills that seem unrelated at first often become valuable later. * Don’t romanticize suffering. There’s no shame in commercial work if it lets you keep creating and feeding your family. * You have to like people. Art is not just self-expression. It’s communication. Connection matters. * Persevere through setbacks. Clayton rebuilt his life from almost nothing after losing nearly everything he owned. * Put yourself where opportunities can find you. Don’t hide in a basement waiting to be discovered. If you’re an artist, musician, writer, filmmaker, designer, or anyone trying to build something meaningful in a world that constantly pushes practicality over passion, this one will hit home. And if nothing else, you’ll hear the story of Santa taking a dump down a chimney. Enjoy! The Guest Clayton Parker is a veteran muralist, illustrator, and designer whose work has appeared in restaurants, casinos, commercial campaigns, and public spaces across the United States and Japan. Best known for the 565-foot Vista Historical Mural — officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest historical mural in the world — Clayton built his career through grit, craftsmanship, and decades of word-of-mouth referrals. Known for blending photorealistic detail with whimsy and immersive storytelling, Clayton has created everything from historical murals and tequila ads to album covers and large-scale public art. A lifelong surfer, musician, teacher, and unapologetically analog artist, he brings humor, humanity, and hard-earned perspective to both his work and his stories. Reach out here to contact him... He's not online. Really, really.  Send the host a text! Let him know what you think [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455321/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/MookieSpitz]

Pat Donohue Is Fingerpicking Good: The Acoustic Maestro Talks Shop

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 [https://www.patdonohue.com/index.html] Send the host a text! Let him know what you think [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455321/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/MookieSpitz]

Jesse Krakow Flips Raving Fandom into a Creative Tsunami

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 [https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bastards-of-prog] HULK: https://jessekrakow.bandcamp.com/album/hulk-rules [https://jessekrakow.bandcamp.com/album/hulk-rules] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessekrakow7127 [https://www.youtube.com/@jessekrakow7127] ToO: https://timeoforchids.bandcamp.com/album/sarcast-while [https://timeoforchids.bandcamp.com/album/sarcast-while] SHAGGS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecAAN6E6yY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecAAN6E6yY] Send the host a text! Let him know what you think [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455321/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/MookieSpitz]

Laurence Juber: Wings and Beyond—A Life of Mastery and Reinvention

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/ [https://laurencejuber.com/] Send the host a text! Let him know what you think [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455321/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/MookieSpitz]

Calming the Storm with Dr. Barbara Minton & Guitarist Peppino D’Agostino

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 [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/ [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/ [https://www.peppinodagostino.com/] Send the host a text! Let him know what you think [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455321/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/MookieSpitz]