Understanding Upstate

This week we’re going to vertically integrate all of your upstate podcasting needs as we examine the beloved upstate convenience store institution: Stewart’s Shops. How is it possible one convenience store has the best milk, ice cream, and gas station bathrooms in the entire state of New York? Listen in to find out!

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠

Fresh from a trip upstate, Jim brings back some tales of the Binghamton St. Patrick's Day Parade. While Jim was abroad, he sat down for an interview with LaRue Simmons, the owner of the upstate vintage clothing store, Stellar Human. LaRue has created an upstate community around fashion, music, and human connection, and we are thrilled to share this conversation with all the Spiedie Freaks!

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠

This week we're looking at the New York oil boom of 1859 and we get an Upstate Update on the wild tale of William and John Rockefeller's horse stealing and con artist father, William "Devil Bill" Rockefeller! Jim and Rob get into the history of the short lived oil boom and its lasting environmental impact that are still being felt today.

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠

What does a naturally occurring eternal flame, the world's largest pancake griddle, and the invention of the potato chip all have in common? Upstate New York! This week Rob and Jim run through a veritable variety pack of six different upstate topics while they also check in on their definition of what is, and perhaps more importantly, what is not "upsate".

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠

Under the banner of Griselda Records, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway The Machine have created a musical force from their lives and experiences in Buffalo, New York that world hasn't seen since the likes of Rick James. Jim and Rob discuss the group's rise from handing out mixtapes to being anointed as successors to the hip hop crown by legends like DJ Premier and the Wu-Tang Clan. Don't miss Jim's veritable clinic on hip hop history, and Rob's ill fated attempt at stumping Jim on all things Griselda!

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Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠

You press the play button, Rob and Jim do the rest. This week Understanding Upstate breaks down the development and demise of Rochester's own, Eastman Kodak. From their pioneering innovations that brought photography to the masses, to practically inventing airplane reconnaissance, through their history around their racist and discriminatory employment practices, to the potential poisoning of French school children, we'll cover it all... and if you think that list escalated quickly, just wait until you hear the rest.

Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠⁠here!⁠

This week Jim and Rob get into the surprisingly complex origins of Thousand Island Dressing. They'll take a look at the sweeping innovations in salad technology that lead to a veritable salad boom in the early 1900's. What makes Russian Dressing Russian? Why did the federal government regulate French Dressing from the 1950's until 2022? Who were the movers and shakers in the early salad game? Toss yourself into this week's episode and learn more than you ever thought you could about salad dressing!

Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets ⁠here!⁠

We're back in Binghamton to examine the history of a former Upstate cultural hub, the Binghamton Masonic Temple, which has since been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. Rob and Jim also will get into a little history of the Freemasons, their potentially successful kidnapping/murder of an Upstate journalist, and how the organization has changed over the centuries.

Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠

March 23rd at Stellar Human in Binghamton, New York, Jim will be headlining a comedy show hosted by Stephen Brown, more info and tickets here!

This week we conclude our two part review of 2014's The Rewrite. Is the combined power of Binghamton, fresh spiedies, and Rod Serling enough to redeem this movie? Jump in to find out!

Haven't seen The Rewrite yet? Don't worry, you can watch the whole movie here for free on ⁠Tubi⁠.



Throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something you'd like us to talk about on Understanding Upstate and we just might cover it!



Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠

In the first installment of a whirlwind two part series, Jim and Rob begin their movie review of 2014's The Rewrite, starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, and none other than our favorite Upstate city: Binghamton, New York. Not since The Twilight Zone has Binghamton been so prominently featured in pop culture and we'll get into why this movie is in many regards terrible but also a pretty good portrayal of Binghamton.

Haven't seen The Rewrite yet? Don't worry, you can watch the whole movie here for free on Tubi.



Throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something you'd like us to talk about on Understanding Upstate and we just might cover it!



Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠