Understanding Upstate

Get ready to yuck it up because this week we are headed to Upstate New York's funniest region: the Borscht Belt. Join Jim and Rob as they look at the Jewish Alp's impact on comedy and navigate the bungalow colonies and marriage brokers of the Catskill Mountains.

Next week we're reviewing, The Rewrite, a film staring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei which was filmed in Binghamton, NY. Catch the full film here for free, and don't worry, if you can't watch it we'll be recapping the whole movie next week!



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

You may not have heard of the Upstate shoe company, Endicott Johnson. before, but trust us when we say this episode ties a lot of things together. We'll get to the bottom of how this company and its enigmatic owner, George F. Johnson influenced the Southern Tier, the Twilight Zone, spiedies, and maybe even Jumanji.



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

As we mentioned in the episode, please take a minute to check out Kenny Deforest's two comedy specials:

Bad Dreams and Do You Know Who I Am?



Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠

If you've ever left a holiday celebration wanting to smash something, well then we have got the perfect Upstate tradition for you: peppermint pigs. Jim and Rob grab their tiny hammers and smash open this sweet swine from Saratoga to figure out why no one has ever seen hide nor hair of this holiday hog.

Throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something you'd like us to cover 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

This week Jim and Rob tackle... the Buffalo Bills! They'll figure out who's more intimidating between the Bills Mafia and the actual mob, and wether there is such a thing as a halfway Bills fan. Don't forget, this is a special episode you can WATCH on YouTube.

Don't forget to throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something you'd like us to cover 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

This week Rob and Jim will not only make you an offer you can't refuse, but will also talk about an ill-advised Upstate mob meeting. Back in 1957 the Mafia thought it'd be a good idea to get everyone together at a house in the small town of Apalachin, NY. Turns out this meeting would be the beginning of the end for the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. Did the FBI have an undercover mole who found out about the meeting? Did a rat turn states witness and spill the beans? Or did they simply orderer so many steaks and veal cutlets that people got suspicious? Jump in and find out!

When it comes to rating and reviewing the podcast DON'T fuggedaboutit. Throw us a review on Apple Podcasts and toss in a suggestion for something you'd like us to cover on Understanding Upstate!

Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠

Rob and Jim examine the life of Upstate legend and Adirondack resident, Oliver Lamora, who found himself caught between a Rockefeller and a hard place. We'll take a trip into the patient determination and not so subtle sociopathy of William Rockefeller as he waged a years long legal battle against Civil War veteran and father of eight, Oliver Lamora.

Follow us on instagram: ⁠⁠@understandingupstate⁠⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠

Much of the research for this episode was done via the book Oliver's War, written by Lawrence P. Gooley, go check it out!

Buckle up because this week we're going to learn all about the Upstate grocery store Wegmans and what has kept them ahead in the grocer game for so long and why self proclaimed Wegmaniacs ride so hard for a grocery store. While Understanding Upstate is definitely not sponsored by SupermarketWorldNews.com, rest assured, this will be Danny's Favorite episode. Have no idea what that means? Well, this is the episode for you then!

Follow us on instagram: ⁠@understandingupstate⁠

Check out Jim's comedy album: ⁠Upstate Understandings⁠

Also check out Rob's album: ⁠NY Sticky⁠

This week Jim and Rob take a look at one of the most (in)famous people to come out of Buffalo, NY, the one and only Rick James. Strap in, because this episode has more twists than every M. Night Shyamalan movie combined! We get into the wild life and times of the Superfreak himself, and also look at the lasting impact he has had on music and his hometown of Buffalo, NY.

Follow us on instagram: @understandingupstate

Check out Jim's comedy album: Upstate Understandings

Also check out Rob's album: NY Sticky

Buckle up because we are headed back to Binghamton, NY to examine one of the greatest regional foods to ever exist, the magical marinated meat, the spiedie. Jim and Rob get into the origins of spiedie, what makes it so tasty, and why it's such an important part of Binghamton culture. On top of that, journalist and writer, Paul Lukas, sits down with us to talk about being one of the first people to write about spiedies in a meaningful way, starting in the early 90's. Paul shares his insights and experience chronicling the almighty spiedie. Afterwords, Rob leads Jim through his most convoluted quiz yet, all focused on hyper regional sandwiches. Have a listen as we share the good word about a good meat.

Learn more about Paul Lukas and his current work at uni-watch.com

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the show! Drop us a review and a 5 star rating, and we'll read your review on air, along with any Upstate suggestions that you have!

To round out this year's spooky season, Rob⁠ and ⁠Jim⁠ are examining some Upstate ghost stories, including maybe the most famous murder case you've never heard of, the tragic Adirondack murder of Grace Brown. On top of that, Rob dove into the stacks to bring you the most gripping ghost stories ripped from the headlines of Upstate New York newspapers of yore. Jump in while Rob and Jim try true crime podcasting on for size, and whatever you do, steer clear of wealthy skirt barons, and absolutely do not go to Big Moose Lake.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the show! Drop us a review and a 5 star rating, and we'll read your review on air, along with any Upstate suggestions that you have!