Troy Story: A Podcast for the Collar City

On the evening of June 5, 2025, Troy's city council held a symbolic vote on the annual resolution recognizing LGBTQ+ Pride Month. For many reasons, this year's vote had a heightened sense of importance for Troy's LGBTQ+ community and allies from across the Collar City and Capital Region, including a local councilmember's opposition to the resolution which drew the attention of residents and advocates who sought to change his mind.

This episode draws heavily on the public comment of countless Troy residents who spoke out that evening. The original audio source is here.

Listen to our 2024 interview...

In this episode, we take a closer look at the life and accomplishments of Garnet Douglass Baltimore, one of Troy's most famous Black citizens. Baltimore, a civil engineer and landscape architect, was the first Black graduate of RPI (1881) and designed Troy's Prospect Park. 

Many thanks to Suzanne Spellen for sharing her research and archive of materials for this episode.

Episode Notes:

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Co-owner of the The Pickle, Collectiveffort, and Upstate’s Cold Brew, Jamel Mosely walks us through his decision to purchase a bar and music venue in downtown Troy, landing the front cover of Metroland Now, and the twists and turns that shaped his long career in multimedia, production and entertainment. We also explore his decision to leave the corporate world behind and become his own boss, along with memories of attending RPI.

Episode artwork photo: Adrian Lewis

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Fo...

In this extended interview clip, Eric Haskins—RPI graduate (Class of '91) and WRPI's DJ Toast—recalls seeing local act Attica open for Slayer, and seeing the Def Jam tour at the Field House in 1987 featuring Public Enemy, Eric B. and Rakim, Whodini, and LL Cool J.

Hear Eric's full interview here.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldma...

This episode we welcome guest Eric Haskins—RPI graduate (Class of '91) and WRPI's DJ Toast—to revisit Metallica’s first and only concert at the RPI Field House on March 15, 1989. Haskins worked as a student security guard for countless concerts at the Field House, including Metallica's headlining show as a 19 year-old heavy metal fan.

During the episode, Eric takes listeners through the weeks leading up to the concert, his interactions with opening act Queensrÿche during load-in, security expectations for the show, and his meeting Metallica during the after-show. He also shares his memories of seeing some of...

Eric Haskins—RPI Class of ‘91–recalls his time as a security guard while a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and his backstage encounter with the metal legends that resulted in a special keepsake from the show in Troy, New York, on March 15, 1989.

Listen to Part 1 with Jason Bittner

Listen to Part 2 with Jason O’Connell

See the full concert video at troystorypod.com/metallica

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming...

Part two of our retrospective on Metallica's first and only concert in Troy, New York, at RPI's Houston Field House. Then 14 year-old Kevin O'Connell saw the heavy metal icons during their Damaged Justice tour when it rolled into the Capital Region on March 15, 1989.

During our chat, we discuss the era of heavy metal in the 1980s, evolution of Metallica’s stage production during the Damaged Justice tour, the atmosphere in the arena that night, and explore some YouTube comments left by fans and fellow concert attendees. Kevin also revisits other concerts he‘s attended over the years, incl...

 Mike Valente is a well-known figure in the 518 music scene. As the founding member of national touring act Brick by Brick, he’s shared the stage with some of the world’s biggest, and heaviest, bands touring across the United States and Europe. Mike is also the owner of Upstate Black N Blue Productions which books shows at Empire Underground and Empire Live in downtown Albany, New York.

Mike takes us through his early years growing up in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood, the formation of his first band Attica, and the opportunity to open for Slayer at RPI’s H...

On February 11, 1991, the legendary Slayer performed most of their new album, “Seasons in the Abyss,” along with other career-spanning tracks during an 80-minute set at the RPI Houston Field House in Troy, New York, with support from Testament, and local Capital Region band Attica.

We’re joined again by Jason Bittner, lifelong Capital Region resident and world-renowned drummer, and Mike Valente, founding member of national touring act Brick by Brick, owner of Black N Blue Productions, and founder of the Extreme Music Awards, to recount their unique metal memories of that night in the Collar City.

As m...

First published in The Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clark Moore helped shape modern conceptions of Santa Claus and many of our familiar holiday traditions. For our latest episode we invited Kathy Sheehan, Executive Director of the Hart Cluett Museum and the city of Troy and Rensselaer County historian, to explain the story behind this iconic piece of American holiday lore, the more recent debate over authorship, and the poem's two-century connection to the Collar City.

Happy Holidays from Troy Story! See you in 2025!

Episode Notes:

In our latest episode, we revisit Metallica’s concert at the RPI Field House on March 15, 1989. The heavy metal icons were rampaging across America on their Damaged Justice tour in support of their latest studio album “…and Justice for All".

The episode features special guest Jason Bittner—lifelong Capital Region resident, world renowned drummer for Shadows Fall and Category 7, and alumni of other legendary metal acts—who shares his memories of attending the RPI show.

During the episode, Jason recalls: 

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered a sold-out show at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Houston Field House on Nov. 12, 1978, part of the band’s Darkness on the Edge of Town tour which criss-crossed the United States and Canada between May 1978 and January 1979. In the audience that night was 16-year-old Joyce Bassett—now an award-winning sports columnist with the Times Union—who saw Bruce in concert for the very first time at the RPI Field House in Troy, New York, just a mile away from her house in the city’s Frear Park neighborhood. It started with seats in the bac...

On November 12, 1978, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band landed in the Collar City for the latest stop of their Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. In the audience that night was a 16-year-old Joyce Bassett who remembers the non-stop energy of The Boss during the band's two sets.

New episode coming November 2024. 

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming e...

With the 2024 presidential election just a week away, we're revisting then-President Barack Obama’s visit to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York on September 21, 2009. The episode features a conversation with guest Tom Wade, former Rensselaer County Democratic Committee chairman, about his memories of the president’s visit and speech on the HVCC campus.

Wade explains the bipartisan spirit around the president’s visit, his relationship with then-Rensselaer County Republican Committee chairman Jim Walsh, and the nature of national politics during the start of President Obama’s first term. He also recalls his own early years attendin...

55 years after the Stonewall riots—a moment widely recognized as the flashpoint for what became the LGBTQ rights movement—the Collar City held its first ever Pride Fest at Riverfront Park in downtown Troy in 2024. The event was organized by Collar City Pride, a Rensselaer County-based nonprofit that offers peer support, training, and social services for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

We're fortunate to have the founder of Collar City Pride, Meagon Nolasco (they/them) on the podcast to discuss the inaugural Troy Pride Festival, lessons they learned and what’s ahead for the organization and festival for 2025.

Meag...

Joe Moses discusses his family’s roots in Georgia, Ohio, and Kingston, his dad’s service with the U.S. Navy during WWII and later the Troy Police Department beginning in 1955, and his own experience growing up in Troy, including his time attending Doyle Middle School and Troy High.

Portions of the interview draws on Joe’s recollections of conversations with his dad, including about his time with—and subsequent departure from—the Troy Police Department. Joe also explains his desire to understand his own family’s multi-generational history, and his own personal journey that began in the Taylor A...

Joe Moses — the son of Officer Samuel Moses, the first Black police officer to serve in the Troy Police Department beginning in 1955 — recalls his dad’s relationship with Charlie King, the Collar City's second Black police officer and detective.

New episode coming August 2024. 

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.

Connect with Troy Story o...

In this episode, Mike shares his personal history with the Boy Scouts, the details of his Eagle Scout project, how he began his career in journalism, and where he sees the future of scouting in America following the most recent developments in the Boy Scouts’ evolution as a youth organization to embrace inclusion. Mike also explains what he sees as the cyclical nature of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation, and John briefly recaps the final vote total by the Troy City Council on the annual LGBTQ Pride Month proclamation (spoiler alert: it wasn’t unanimous).

“Morally Straight: How the Fi...

With Pride Month underway, we're diving into an often-forgotten part of American LGBTQ+ history, expertly told by Mike De Socio, Troy-based independent journalist, podcaster, and author of the new book “Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—And America” which documents the fight to end a decades-long ban on gay people from the Boy Scouts of America.

“Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—And America“ is available now, wherever books are sold.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Cre...

In this preview clip, Mike De Socio (author of the excellent new book “Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—And America”) discusses the continued evolution of the Boy Scouts of America and the organization’s embrace of inclusion, and what he sees as the cyclical nature of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation. John also notes the final vote by the Troy City Council on the annual Pride Month proclamation.

Full episode coming June 2024.

“Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—And America“ is available June 4, 2024, wherever books...

In this bonus segment, Tri-City ValleyCats vice president and general manager Matt Callahan discusses the history of bobbleheads in minor league baseball, the ValleyCats' process behind deciding who will be permanently immortalized as a member of the team's bobblehead lineup, and the roots of the 'Mayor's Race' event familiar to Capital Region baseball fans.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests and bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and...

In the second half our our interview, Matt explains the ValleyCats' move to the independent Frontier League, and the obstacles the club overcame during COVID and the contraction of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) minor league system. We also dig into the archives to explore Troy’s deep links to baseball’s earliest days, including the first-ever grand slam in MLB history, hit by a Troy Trojan right here in Rensselaer County.

If you haven’t heard part 1 of Chapter 05, we strongly recommend you go back and check out the first half.

Show Notes:

Looking for baseball puns? Well, you’ve come to the right place! This week, we're thrilled to have Matt Callahan, VP and General Manager of the Tri-City ValleyCats as our guest for Chapter 05. We talk all things Gatos, including what fans can expect during this month’s home opener at The Joe in Troy, New York, the team’s now-22 seasons in the Collar City, and the challenges of running day-to-day operations for a minor league baseball team.

This episode also features a preview of a very special clip from a future chapter of Troy Story: A Podcas...

The date was March 15th, 1989. Legions of heavy metal fans descended on Troy, New York to see Metallica at the RPI Field House. The band was rampaging across America on their “Damaged Justice” tour in support of their latest studio album “…and Justice for All,” and the Collar City stop would become a something of a noteworthy show from that era in the band’s history.

Did you see Metallica at the RPI Field House in 1989? We would love to hear from you for a special episode we’re working on.

Help us revisit and celebrate this...

In the second half of our interview with Amanda Tobias, we explore her decision to run for City Council in 2019, the controversial but ultimately necessary closure of the Lansingburgh pool, the importance of young people getting involved in local elections, her favorite things about Troy, and what she wants to see happen in the community during the next 10 years.

Please stick around after the interview for a preview of a very special episode revisiting a major concert in Collar City history: Metallica at the RPI Field House, March 1989  (and an opportunity for you to be part of t...

We’re back with Chapter 04 featuring our interview with Amanda Tobias, resident of Troy's historic Lansingburgh neighborhood, graduate of Lansingburgh High School, and middle school teacher.

During our chat, we explored Amanda's early life growing up in Rensselaer County and Troy, her years attending various schools in Lansingburgh Central School District, the teachers who inspired her decision to pursue a career in education, her advice to current high school students thinking about their future, and her own family’s roots in the segregated South. 

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus conte...

In the second half of our conversation, Dan revisits his long career in the food service industry, the difficulties of balancing work and family life as he rose through the ranks of various positions within the corporate food industry, and the obstacles and challenges he and countless other restaurants encountered beginning in 2019 through the pandemic and post-pandemic period.

Listen to part 1 of the Dan Frament interview on Apple Podcasts.

There was so much to unpack during the course of the interview, and Dan did so with candor, grace, and positivity. It was a genuine privilege...

For Chapter 03, we talk with Troy restauranteur Dan Frament about growing up in Troy, his career in the service industry, a serious injury that permanently changed the trajectory of his life, and the ups and downs of running his own restaurant (Muddaddy Flats) for the last 11 years. This is part one of two-part episode!

Please note the fourth segment in this episode includes a detailed description of a severe hand injury (segment begins at 31:04). Listener discretion advised.

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Credits:

...

In this sneak peek, Dan Frament remembers his childhood growing up in Troy's North Central neighborhood during the 1960s. Chapter 03 premieres Tuesday, March 19, 2024, available everywhere you get your podcasts.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.

Connect with Troy Story on:

In this preview clip, former Muddaddy Flats owner Dan Frament explains the value of knowing his neighbors. Chapter 03 premieres Tuesday, March 19, 2024, available everywhere you get your podcasts.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.

Connect with Troy Story on:

In the second half of our chat, Mark discusses some of the major projects undertaken during his tenure as mayor, his working relationship with then-New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, and the 1999 mayoral election when he sought a second term to lead the Collar City into the new millennium.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Notes:

Credits:

In this episode, we spoke with former Troy mayor Mark Pattison who revisited his early life growing up in Rensselaer County, volunteering on his father's successful campaign for Congress in 1974 following the Watergate scandal and President Nixon's resignation, his decision to run for Troy mayor in 1995, and the challenges and difficult decisions he made leading the Collar City including through Troy's major financial crisis in the 1990s. 

This is part one of a two-part episode. Part two premieres Feb. 27, 2024.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

In this clip, Mark Pattison recalls working on his father Ned Pattison's successful campaign for U.S. Congress in 1974 following President Nixon's resignation. Chapter 02 premieres Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, available everywhere you get your podcasts.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.

Connect with Troy Story on:

In this special preview clip, former Troy mayor Mark Pattison explains why he decided to get into the Collar City mayor's race in 1995. Chapter 02 premieres Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, available everywhere you get your podcasts.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests, chapters, and special bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs Records

Visit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.

Connect with Troy Story on:

In this bonus segment, former deputy mayor Chris Nolin discusses HBO's multi-season production for 'The Gilded Age' in the Collar City, including how Troy's historic architecture attracted HBO to Troy, how the show transformed areas of the city to stand in for 1800s New York City, the city's positive working relationship with the production team, the importance of film and television productions on the local economy, and his excitement for Season 3.

Subscribe for email updates on upcoming guests and bonus content.

Credits:

Produced, edited, and hosted by John Salka
Theme music...

In this wide-ranging interview former Troy deputy mayor Chris Nolin explains why he accepted the offer to become deputy mayor, major municipal projects he oversaw (paving, parks, and long-term planning), his take on the 2023 mayoral election results and the subsequent transition process, his perspective on being the first openly-gay person to serve as Troy’s deputy mayor, and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in local government. 

Links:

C...

For more than 200 years, the City of Troy has occupied a seven mile stretch along the eastern banks of the historic Hudson River. Once an industrial powerhouse, the Collar City later fell on hard times, suffering for decades through a rapidly shrinking population, urban renewal, and, yes, even local government corruption and financial mismanagement. However, Troy’s fortunes are on the rise again, the latest chapter in Troy’s story of rebirth and renewal. Today, that story is still being written. So, how did we get here? Where are we going as a city and community? And who are the peop...