Just Can't Not

Tiwa Topia made a whole stained‑glass thesis about how to put Black skin into stained glass, using experimental techniques so light can do the heavy lifting. Tiwa flipped the usual “light-to-dark” idea and sculpted where the light hits to get depth and warmth for darker skin tones — clever, stubborn, and gorgeous.

Tiwa’s show is at The Yards (at the Public Market) with a closing ceremony on Saturday the 26th from 11am–2pm (go see it in person — photos don’t do the light justice), and you can follow their work on Instagram at @awit.glass (Tiwa backwards dot glass).

We chat about how stained glass is both a craft (all those tools and cuts and lead) and an art (how the sun becomes the final artist), why texture and double‑rolled glass like Kokomo or Youghiogheny give that depth, and how being self‑taught meant a lot of trial, error, and obsession.

We also dig into the story behind the work: Yoruba/Ifa references, family proverbs about Agemo, and the messy love of celebrating culture while calling out the parts that exclude people.

Oh, and we nerd out about glass news — Kokomo stopping production and UK safety rules around lead — because materials and maker safety actually matter when you care this much. Come for the color and the craft, stay for the big, complicated, joyful conversation Tiwa’s putting into glass.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We're putting the spotlight on The Old Ball Game — Jared Engel's live-scored baseball silent films, coming to the Rochester Fringe Festival at the George Eastman Museum's Dryden Theater on September 26 (11am and 1pm).

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/dcb9dc3d-75d9-40df-a90b-866e439dbafb/

I chatted with Jared — a Brooklyn musician/filmmaker originally from Brighton — about how the show works: we take vintage baseball film clips (and Jared's own new silent shorts) and compose and perform original music live, basically turning the movie into a one-night-only concert-plus-movie soundtrack. Jared walks us through the origin story — during the pandemic he and other musicians formed a sandlot team called Fumble (formerly unemployed musicians), and that communal, nostalgic baseball vibe morphed into making performances and eventually actual silent films. We get the whole hilarious historical anecdote behind Day of the Catch — the 1915 Greenwich grapefruit-drop prank that reads like perfect slapstick and maybe even birthed the nickname "Grapefruit League" — and hear how that became a 16-minute film he scored in a frenzy. He also teases a newer piece, The Mascot Race, and shares how these projects let him perform in fresh ways (also: yes, we once scored a screening on a Jumbotron before a Mets game — because why not?). Tickets are $15 at rochesterfringe.com and you can peek at more project details at theoldballgame.net, so if you like live music, baseball nostalgia, and goofy physical comedy, come hang with us — I promise we’ll bring the soundtrack and the puns, you bring the peanuts.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We're previewing the ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL and plugging EGO AND THE ORACLE — come see us at the Blackfriars Theater on September 25 at 10 PM and September 26 at 8 PM (tickets $20 at rochesterfringe.com). I sit with Jim from Jim's Big Ego and Sean Peters as we walk through the show's vibe: think musical divination — part fortune telling, part musical improv, and part group therapy, all rolled into an hour and fifteen minutes of delightful chaos.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/55f37104-71ee-4563-9df4-beae4cad6d70/

The process is simple and beautiful: everyone writes a real question, someone spins a wheel of Jim’s songs, the band plays the chosen track, and Sean interprets what the music and lyrics reveal — equal parts comedy, tenderness, and occasional spooky accuracy. We also riff about the Question Clown, the “question poetry” Jim stitches together from the unread cards, and why the whole thing resonates so well with an earnest Fringe crowd (our audience skews delightfully neurodivergent and deeply into the weird). If you like being seen, hearing great songs that span folk, electronica, and unpop anthems, and watching live creativity teeter on the edge (then catch itself), this is the show for you. Come for the music, stay for the revelations — grab your tickets at rochesterfringe.com and we’ll see you at EGO AND THE ORACLE.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We're shining a spotlight on our show — Dustbowl Fairies' gothic murder-mystery The Cloven Pendulum — where we investigate the death of Hazel, our beloved (and taxidermied) ram head, and you can be part of the whodunnit Sept. 24–26 at the School of the Arts Black Box; grab tickets at rochesterfringe.com.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/70b29833-fbb4-4405-8a08-8d18c6c6013c/

I'm Chris, and I got to sit down with Ryder (leader of the band) who walked us through how the show mixes dark-folk music, live theater, and audience participation — think accordion-driven tunes, a cameo from a musical saw, masks, props, and suspects with theme songs. We explain the format: any ticket-holder can play one of five suspects (witch, alchemist, trophy hunter, wolf, and a mystery fifth), perform during their theme song, and the crowd votes on who killed Hazel — ties get decided by Hazel herself (ram justice!). Ryder also talked about the band’s sound — Balkan and Eastern European influences, post-punk energy, Fae mythology stitched to modern-day political and emotional textures — and why live, unpredictable nights are their jam. We touch on the darker themes (animal rights, taxidermy rescue, grim humor) but promise it’s playful and theatrical — a night of magic, music, and a little mischief. If you want to listen first, our new album O Dread is out everywhere and Ryder recommends Bandcamp to directly support the musicians — and seriously, come see the show; we’d love to ram it home with you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We’re here to chat about "Sorry 4 Da Weight" featuring Drew Jemison, Dre Gray, and Mike Gamble, alongside a surprise guest host and standout featured performers, 9/21-9/24.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/b572f4e6-326b-4029-947f-b22aaa1aa9b4/

Each show will be a wild ride of laughter with a unique mix of sets and improv, ensuring no two performances are the same. We’ll also touch on the importance of engaging with the audience and how crowd dynamics can turn a good show into a great one. So grab your tickets at rochesterfringe.com and join us for some fun and laughter in the heart of downtown Rochester!

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

Behind the Glass

Podcast and gallery focusing on underrepresented artists utilize the space to amplify their work. Curated by @Richardbcolon @qua.jay. Check out the podcast or join them in person first Fridays at 240 E Main St, Rochester, NY!

The main thing right up front: we run the Bop Shop — a record-store-turned-listening-room where live music actually matters, and we're bringing a stacked lineup of Fringe shows to that cozy 50–60 seat space during Rochester Fringe (Sept 15–26).

I'm Chris Lindstrom and I sat down with Tom live at The Bop Shop to have a wide ranging conversation around music, live performance, passion, and nerdery of all kinds.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/4fec7a55-ff2c-4d66-bcd3-08c9c8829883/

Tom has been in the record and presenting game for decades, and what we mean by a “listening room” is simple: people show up, sit, shut their phones (mostly), and pay attention — just real-time music that breathes. We talk through why the acoustics are surprisingly gorgeous (thanks to old ceilings, records on the walls and a whole lot of lucky geometry), how they record almost every show for our YouTube channel, and why artists love playing here — it's intimate, respectful, and actually a fair stop on a touring route.

We also walk through a few Fringe highlights you’ll want to catch: Joe Fonda’s Bass of Operation (original modern tunes), the experimental Sound Signal ensemble with film visuals, Ricky Ford’s powerhouse jazz dates, a soulful organ trio, and a quirky freebie — trumpet plus two cellos — if you see all five shows we book.

Along the way we riff on physical media nostalgia, why Bandcamp and buying directly help artists more than a streaming blip, and how being present — literally showing up — is the secret sauce of enjoying live art.

So if you like good sound, nerdy backstories, and the sort of human moments that make you rethink everything (I promise, someone once said that after a guitar set), come see us at 1460 Monroe Ave in Brighton or grab your tickets at rochesterfringe.com — we’ll save you a seat, and maybe a beet jar recipe if you're lucky.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

Leah McGuire’s spoken-word show Between Flesh and Faith is playing at the ESL Rochester Fringe on September 24 at 6:30pm at the Rock Cinema Theater — get tickets for $5 at rochesterfringe.com (seriously, five bucks — cheaper than my emotional support latte).

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2fe6e2be-1e59-4cb3-88be-50df2658460d/

We sat down with Leah to unpack a 45-minute, diary-based solo performance that mashes up a one-night stand with a famous actor, an unexpected dive into a Hindu community, questions about celibacy and identity, and even an unspooled crush on a monk — basically flesh meeting faith in the ring and neither’s getting a clean knockout. I’ll also say Leah writes most of this from her actual diary entries, poetry and prose, so you get that up-close, slightly messy, very human vibe — spoken word done like someone’s whispering straight into your ear but louder. She explains things like kirtan (that’s communal mantra-singing used in her spiritual practice) and synesthesia (a sensory crossover — like seeing letters or people as colors) so even if you’ve never heard those words, you’ll leave smarter and kinda delightfully discombobulated. Leah’s a novelist who even did a Finland residency and then pivoted from endless agent emails to getting on stage because, as she put it, the Fringe kinda cured her writerly existential crisis — yes, there was crying in the bathroom to Wicked, and yes, we laughed about it. Come see it, follow her on Instagram @leah_thecreativewriter, and we’ll see you out on the Fringe — bring tissues, bring friends, bring your weird color-sensory self.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

Brian Byrne takes Chekhov’s tiny one‑act On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and turns it into a funny, physical solo show. We talk about how the piece started as a half‑hour slot in Pittsburgh and has been stretched, tinkered, and clown‑ified into a roughly 50‑minute tour of petty pomposity, midlife grumbles, and absurd lecture mishaps (yes, it’s literally a guy giving a lecture who goes off the rails). I explain a bit about Chekhov’s original: a one‑character farce/vaudeville style piece where the comic tone lives in language, timing, and the absurdity of a single setting — perfect for a performer who leans on improv and clowning to expand a short text. We also nerd out on practical stuff: how venue size changes intimacy, why tiny costume choices (teeth? gone) shift audience reaction, and how improvisation and physical bits can fill gaps without betraying the original text. Brian’s background in improv, clowning, and physical theatre shows up a lot in the conversation — he wants people to laugh, to maybe be surprised, and to just enjoy being in their seats (no coerced audience line‑dancing, promise). If you want to catch it live, it’s at the Rochester Fringe (Sept 15–26) — shows Friday the 18th at 7pm and Saturday the 26th at 6pm at the MUCC, $10 tickets at rochesterfringe.com — and you can find Brian online at his site under Brian A. Byrne.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We're previewing Ruby's High School Reunion — a rollicking, interactive high-school-reunion-meets-improv show where you actually get to become one of the classmates and help rewrite the evening on the spot.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/6b1e898f-b578-403d-b1f1-eee94fe2d2ad/

I’m hanging with Dennis Porter (aka Ruby), who built this out of his murder‑mystery and clowning chops, so expect big personalities, playful innocence, and a lot of audience-led improv — basically the high school reunion you wish you’d gone to (no yearbook burns required). We talk about how every performance is different because volunteers and crowd choices steer the story, why vulnerability and confidence make the improv sing, and how we create a safe, laugh‑first space for everyone. If you want specifics: shows run Sept. 16 & 17 at 7pm, Sept. 18 at 6pm and 8pm, and Sept. 20 at 4pm and 6pm at the Century Club/Strath Allen; tickets are $15 at rochesterfringe.com (and the 6pm Friday and Sunday shows include an optional dinner add‑on). Come ready to play, maybe become Alexandra Trebek (legally different, obviously), and leave having forgotten the outside world for a couple of joyful hours — we promise the food will be better than your old cafeteria tray memories.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

We're previewing the Rochester Fringe Festival and I’m hyping Pippa White’s two shows — Voices from Ellis Island (Sept 16 at 8pm and Sept 19 at 1:45pm) and Voices from the Resistance (Sept 19 at 3:30, Sept 23 at 5:45, Sept 24 at 7pm) — all at the JCC in downtown Rochester; tickets are $15 at rochesterfringe.com.

Check out the episode on Just Can't Not wherever you get your podcasts or on Lunchador.org!

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/41046cfb-bc9b-4856-a062-fb6183a739c3/

I’m Chris Lindstrom and we riff about Pippa’s journey from the West Coast to Nebraska and now Rochester, how she turned a knack for accents, hats, and solo performance into living-history storytelling. We dig into what makes a one-person show different from straight-ahead storytelling — the costumes, the dialects, the earnest dynamism — and why those little theatrical choices matter. Pippa walks us through the research behind Ellis Island (fun fact: about 40% of Americans have a connection) and the brave, often-unsung folks of European resistance movements in WWII, showing how history still nudges at today’s conversations about immigration and standing up for others. Expect light moments and heavy ones: we laugh at the hat jokes, then go quiet for the real courage stories, and I promise you’ll leave wanting to learn more — and maybe buy more than one ticket.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joe Bean Roasters

Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!