Podcast: Craig Finn talks music, baseball and Cincinnati

Craig Finn sees several parallels between a touring musician and a baseball player. There are endless nights on the road, empty days and full nights and even adapting to the ballpark or venue.

Finn will have a two-night stint at the Woodward Theater in Over-the-Rhine on Thursday and Friday, opening for the Heartless Bastards.

Finn is on his current solo tour - on a break from his usual band, the Hold Steady - and promoting his upcoming solo record, "Faith in the Future," coming out Sept. 11. Preorders are up on PledgeMusic.com.

Last season, ESPN used the Hold Steady's "Massive Nights" on its commercial for the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby in Finn's native Minneapolis. Finn has also played with the Baseball Project, writing "Don't Call Them Twinkies" about his favorite team, the Minnesota Twins.

Finn joins Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans to talk about the All-Star Game, being a fan of a small-market team living in a big market (Finn now lives in New York) and hearing his own music at a baseball game. We also touch on how Cincinnati's Afghan Whigs influenced the Hold Steady, as well as his appreciation for current Cincinnati band Wussy.

The podcast is now up on iTunes, or you can listen on SoundCloud:

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