Robert and Cyrus Cozy
Robert and Cyrus Cozy are two brothers who live (and podcast) together in their cozy cabin in Upstate New York. The mission of their show A Place Upstate is simple: to share all the joys and wonders their regions have to offer with their loyal friends and listeners. Born and raised in the comedic wellspring of the Borscht Belt, the Cozy Brothers met in the womb of their mother, Geraldine Cozy, and went on to perform in New York City under the stage names “Noah Forman” and “Mike Antonucci” (so not to be accused of being Nepo Brothers). Like the Leatherman multitools affixed to their belts, they are men of many skillsets: they produce their own podcasts, write their own songs, make their own graphics, build their own fires, and domesticate their own racoons (among many, many other things). Whether they’re whispering sweet somethings in your ears or performing their live variety show in Brooklyn, they’ll take you away to A Place Upstate … without going anywhere. Excelsior!
How would you describe A Place Upstate in 10 words or less?
CYRUS: Two brothers, one mic, and all the wonders upstate New–
ROBERT: That’s 10.
CYRUS: Let’s just say “It’s a podcast that sounds a lot like a podcast.”
ROBERT: That sounds right.
Please tell us the podcast’s origin story.
ROBERT: The origin of the podcast, like the origin of almost everything great and interesting and funny and important, is Upstate New York. Robert and I are Native Brothers of the region, the youngest and strongest of five generations of Upstate Cozies, besides our baby brother Wilhelm, from whom we are estranged…
(The brothers take a long beat of reflection)
CYRUS: Anyway, we were raised in the comedic tradition of the Borscht Belt, the musical tradition of The Band, and the literary tradition of the great Upstate authors: Melville, Morrison, Irving, Twain. But podcasting—that’s a new frontier. Robert secured two microphones from a local Freegan event and together we set out to make The Great American Podcast, which, like Moby Dick himself, could only be born in one place: Upstate New York.
ROBERT: A podcast by the community and for the community - wherever you are. Also, Kelsey Grammar owns an upstate christian brewery. Did you know that?
I am concerned about the cadence of this show. Are you going to be coming back more regularly?
ROBERT: No need for concern! Like a person who insists on eating oatmeal every morning, regularity is the dream. But Upstate has different rhythms than other places, and our bespoke production process cannot always be bent to the demands of modern “Hustle Culture.”
CYRUS: That said, we’re currently in production on Season 2 and will have new episodes coming out late summer/early Fall. We also perform a live show in Brooklyn about every 6 weeks as part of a state-mandated effort to bring upstate vibes to downtrodden downstaters.
Fill in the blank: You will like “A Place Upstate” if you like ___________. (Can be person, place, other podcast, outfit, menu item, tv show, type of car, festival, etc.)
CYRUS: Flannel shirts, fall vibes, fresh produce, Fresh Air (both the NPR show and literally breathing fresh air, preferably in through your nose and out through your mouth.)
ROBERT: I was gonna say “the sound of our voices”
If people haven’t listened, where should they start?
ROBERT: Do You Believe in Magic? Or enjoy music/time travel? If so, maybe start with our 2-part episode What Was Woodstock? We got to interview legendary Lovin’ Spoonful frontman John Sebastian, who has one of the wildest Woodstock stories we’ve ever heard. Still can’t believe he came to the cabin.
CYRUS: All our episodes are self-contained stories or journeys, so you can really start anywhere. I’d say our first episode with our friend Jo Firestone is all about setting the vibe and giving our listeners a sense of peace and a sense of place. So if that’s what you like, start at the beginning.
ROBERT: A word of wisdom from a fool: don’t just listen if there’s a guest with a flashy name! Our favorite episodes feature the real people of Upstate New York who are doing the real work of keeping the vibes chill, the community strong, and the legend alive. To see what we mean, start with Episode 3: Ghosts with Kelly Ripone, Genesee County’s Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director and Founder of The Haunted History Trail.
CYRUS: Oh, and if you love salad we have a whole episode on the origin of Thousand Island Dressing.
ROBERT: We even taste it!
If people haven’t listened, where should they NOT start? (Any difficult guests that bombed?)
ROBERT: Nobody ever bombs on A Place Upstate; much like the Hudson Valley, it’s a safe space for just doing ok and trying your best. But that doesn’t mean the discourse isn’t lively.
CYRUS: For example, Jordan Klepper did not agree with the premise of our episode on Moby Dick, and it got a little heated. But that’s ok, we weren’t threatened or intimidated. We simply kept asserting the premise in different ways until he said “I suppose that’s possible.”
What’s the cabin like? (Physically?)
ROBERT: It’s a log cabin. So there’s wood, lots of wood. The toilet and the shower are very functional. There is a rug. Two rugs actually—
CYRUS: I’ve got this, Robert.
ROBERT: Thank you, Cyrus.
CYRUS: The aesthetic is “Rustic Hygge.” “Hygge” is a Danish term for “So cozy it hurts,” and we take that very seriously. It’s always the perfect temperature, and since we’re always welcoming guests, every room has a murphy bed – you just have to find it!
ROBERT: Is the internet spotty? Of course! But these days that’s a feature, not a bug. Also, and this is important to say: the Cozy Family Cabin is not for sale and it will never be for sale.
CYRUS: One time a tech bro offered us $5 million cold hard cash to buy it straight out and Robert chased him off our land with a jumbo scented candle.
How do you prep guests before they come on the show?
CYRUS: Most people have never been interviewed by two brothers at the same time, so that’s always an adjustment. But mainly, we tell our guests why our curiosity and passion for all things Upstate has led us to their particular doorstep and where we hope our conversation might lead. Our priority is giving our guests a cozy time and spotlighting their specific expertise and charm. They know so much more than we do!
How do you prep yourselves for an episode? (Any cozy tips for podcasters especially?)
ROBERT: We are creatures of practice and ritual. On recording days, we usually go on a quick 3 hour hike, maybe stop off at an antique shop to see if anything new (but still old) came in, brew a hot pot of coffee or tea. Did you know anything can be tea?
How are you two different and how are you alike? What do you both bring to the table?
CYRUS: Well, we are brothers, so we’re practically twins. But many people will tell you that one of us is slightly taller, one of us is slightly smarter, and one of us is slightly more attractive. Feel free to sound off in the comments!
ROBERT: As far as what we bring to the table? Hmm, usually I bring the tablecloth and the napkins. I’m the fabrics guy. Textiles? They’re important to me. And then Cyrus is the one that grabs the bowls and big spoons from the cabinets and sets them at our places for dinner. He’s great at handling concave objects, and making things look nice.
CYRUS: Dinner is spaghetti with meatballs, unless otherwise noted.
Who is your dream guest on A Place Upstate?
ROBERT: The easy answer is Paul Rudd, who is probably the third most well known semi-official Upstate Ambassador after us. If you’ve never heard of Paul Rudd, he’s probably best known for owning a popular candy store in Rhinebeck.
CYRUS: We have some big questions for the NYS Parks Commissioner. Erik Kulleseid dodged our multiple attempts to reach out through his public contact form, but has since stepped down from the role. Now, we think the Answer Man we’re looking for is Commissioner Pro Tem Randy Simons. Our question is simple: Why doesn’t New York State have a single National Park? California has NINE and they don’t even have drinking water. We can do better.
ROBERT: It’s a great candy store, Paul Rudd’s.
Have you considered inviting Connor and James III to your cabin? I think they’re up to something fishy you should check it out. (I really think this would be a great collab episode.)
ROBERT: We’ve considered it, yes. Collabs are very popular these days.
CYRUS: Raccoons, in many ways, are Tiny Dinos.
ROBERT: And we domesticate raccoons.
CYRUS: So we would have much to talk about.
(Robert sneezes)
CYRUS: Gesundheit!
ROBERT: Allergies. Upstate is in bloom! Let’s continue.
If you two were going to make another podcast, what would it be? Don’t worry about any of the logistics or whether or not anyone would like it. Your budget is $1M.
ROBERT: We heard Paul Rudd won’t do a podcast for under $1M. So we’d do this podcast, which currently has a budget of zero dollars, and have Paul Rudd on one episode.
What’s a podcast you love that not enough people know about?
ROBERT: Just as Rip Van Winkle woke from his slumber to find himself nestled amongst the beauty of the Catskills, so do many great podcasts … do that.
CYRUS: We thought our podcast was the only game in town until we were featured in a lovely article in the Times Union of Albany about “The Booming Hudson Valley Podcast Scene.” And it is booming!
ROBERT: There’s Cidiot: Learning to live and love life in the Hudson Valley. That’s a good podcast for Cidiots learning to live and love life in the Hudson Valley.
CYRUS: Also Hudson Valley Bride: Wedding Planning Made Easy in the Hudson Valley, NY.
That’s a great podcast for Hudson Valley brides who want wedding planning made easy in the Hudson Valley, NY.
ROBERT: Did you know Malcom Gladwell has a podcast studio upstate but he doesn’t do a show about upstate??!?!?!
What’s a podcast you love that everyone already knows about?
ROBERT: All the big ones.
CYRUS: We love those.
Are there too many podcasts?
CYRUS: Absolutely not. We think the current number (15) is a sweet spot for the industry.
What should I have asked you about that I didn’t?
ROBERT: Well, we’ll tell you what we’re glad you didn’t ask us about.
CYRUS: That’s right. We’re glad you didn’t ask us about our third brother, Wilhelm. It’s a can of worms we don’t wish to open at this time.
(At this moment, the brothers excuse themselves to an adjacent room where they appear to gather themselves for several minutes before re-entering without comment.)
ROBERT: Our next live Cozy Brothers show is August 16th at Young Ethel’s in Brooklyn, 7/7:30pm sharp. You will hear songs, laugh at jokes, and see some of your favorite comedians. And you could even win a bottle of Thousand Island Dressing!
CYRUS: Also thank you for noticing our absolutely spectacular website. We have no idea how it got there.
Thanks, Robert and Cyrus!