Just Can't Not

About Just Can't Not

Just Can't Not is a show focused on people who Just Can't Not do positive things to make their communities better. Based in Rochester NY and hosted by Chris Lindstrom and Matt Austin, this show aims to talk to people associated with the Lunchador Podcast Network as well as anyone that Just Can't Not try to make the world a better place.

Publisher

Lunchador Podcast Network

Category

arts · business · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Jan 2024

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

86 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Texture, Light & the Diaspora: How Tiwa Topia Let Dark Skin Shine Through Glass

   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!

2. 

   18 Sept 2026

   We made a silent baseball movie — and live‑scored it too! (Old Ball Game at Rochester Fringe)

   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!

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   We Solved Hazel's Murder? Inside Our Gothic ‘Cloven Pendulum’ at Rochester Fringe

   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!

Contact Just Can't Not

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.