Listen With The Lights On

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Ghost Hunting Sep 27, 2026

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According to an Associated Press Survey from 2008, 34 percent of Americans say they believe in ghosts. Other surveys, like a Gallup poll from 2005, report similar results–about one third of America thinks ghosts are real. But given the immense popularity of “ghost-hunting” reality series that have hit TV ad the internet in the last decade or so, it seems that it’s no longer enough to just believe in them. Seeing (or hearing) is believing.

Why are we as a culture so obsessed with finding spectral evidence of life after death? We try to answer this big question as we tag along with the Tri-City New York Paranormal Societyas they investigate West Hall at RPI.

Listen to our previous episode, The Hauntings of West Hall, for more about the building’s popular lore.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/lwtlo_ep_021_ghost_hunt_web.mp3

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Why Are We Afraid Of Clowns? Sep 27, 2026

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It hasn’t been a great season for those with a fear of clowns. What with the slew of typical horrifying clown masks parading around town on Halloween, and also with a remarkable number of creepy clown sightings making headlines and circulating on social media. On this episode of Listen with the Lights on, we wanted to get to the bottom of this fright…So we talked to a clown.

Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. It’s not an official phobia—it’s not recognized by World Health Organization or the American Psychiatric Association. But some people are just terrified by them. Clowns are supposed to make us laugh. Why do they inspire fear instead?

The fall of 2016 has been a rough one for coulrophobics. Several US cities have experienced a number of menacing clown sightings. In some cases law enforcement was called. The news spread like wildfire on social media. Major news outlets covered it.

Some experts say this type of evil clown panic happens every few years, driven by hype from pop culture. We’ve brought in an actual clown to shed some light on the phenomenon. Meet Ragliacci a working clown out of Troy, New York.

Do you have a fear of clowns? Do you have another type of fear? Tell us about it! Email us at LightsOn@wamc.org.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/LWTLO-ep-21-clowns_mixdown.mp3

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Marking Folklore Sep 27, 2026

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There are historical markers all over the world. They are typically signs, placards or statues denoting some important bit of history that occurred in a particular place. But in some places, history and lore are heavily intertwined. New York State is trying something new to reflect this powerful connection.

If you’ve traveled across New York State, no doubt you’ve seen at least some of the blue and yellow signs peppered across the region. Now, you may have the good fortune to see similar markers in red. These call out bits of lore that define the place or region as much as its history.

We spoke with Ellen McHale, folklorist and executive director of the New York Folklore Society about it’s new initiative to mark lore.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/lwtlo_folklore_web.mp3

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The Baker’s Dozen Sep 27, 2026

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Why is a baker’s dozen 13? There are multiple theories as to how it started. Some say it was a 13th century thing, when English King Henry the Third was annoyed by small loaves of bread. Some say the convention has more modern origins. Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk joins us once more to offer another take on the origin of the Baker’s Dozen, in the old Dutch colonial town of Beverwyck, just in time for the holidays.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/LWTLO_Ep_024_Bakers_Dozen_WEB.mp3

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Santa On The Hudson Sep 27, 2026

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Every year on Christmas Eve, millions of children around the world go to bed with the expectation of waking up to a house full of presents on Christmas morning. The bearer of gifts? A portly, white-bearded old man in a red suit with a cheery disposition and a herd of magical flying reindeer.

Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Kris Kringle. Jolly Ole’ Saint Nick. He’s a legendary figure with many names in many cultures, and the star of many a Christmas story.

The figure of Santa Claus, as we know him today, is a pure blend of history and lore. His origins can be traced in part to a real-life, 4th century Greek Bishop St Nicholas of Myra, who was known for giving gifts to the poor.

Santa’s story is also a blend of British, Dutch, Belgian and German folklore about a gift-giving (or in some cases, gift-withholding) spirit that came out around Christmastime. Those tales reflect a mix of religious and pagan traditions.

Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk joins us again on this episode with another story: How a dour old bishop became a jolly old elf.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/LWTLO-EP-25-Santa-on-the-Hudson-WEB.mp3

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H.G. Wells’ New Story “The Haunted Ceiling” Sep 27, 2026

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Much like the protagonists of the short stories that run in The Strand Magazine, managing editor Andrew Gulli likes a good literary mystery — and he has built a reputation as a man who can solve them. Periodically we check in Gulli after he has unearthed a new story from long-gone master. Today, he joins us to talk about “The Haunted Ceiling” by H.G. Wells, which runs in the latest issue.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/lwtlogullihgwells.mp3

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The Frear Park Demon Sep 27, 2026

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It’s an urban legend you’ve probably heard before in some form. You saw it play out in a movie, or read it in a book. It’s the one about the innocent couple who goes “parking” one fine summer night. They pull up to a discreet spot at the edge of a wood, a spot with a romantic reputation among locals, where the stars light the skies above and love is in the air.

Suddenly, the scene is shattered by the crash of something impossibly heavy dropping on the car roof. The terrified lovers cower as they hear the sound of a metallic screeching, almost as if some being were dragging giant nails across the body of the car. Then, whatever it is jumps off the car and darts into the woods. Only a glimpse leaves them with the impression of something monstrous, something inhuman.

What happens next depends on the story. Sometimes it’s merely an investigation of the damaged car afterward that confirms it was the work of a monster. Sometimes it comes to a bloody end, as the creature re-emerges from the woods to attack the lovers.

In this episode of Listen with the Lights On, we’ll hear a version of this tale from Troy, New York. The Original Albany Ghost Tour leaders Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney join us for a telling.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/LWTLO-Ep-026-Frear-Park-Demon-REVISE.mp3

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Tales From The Tavern: Part I Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

This week we bring you the first of a two-part special broadcast from our first-ever “Tales from the Tavern” live event. We hosted a two-hour panel at the Olde English Pub in Albany with special guests Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney of the Original Albany Ghost Tour. We discussed regional lore both new and old to this podcast, including legends from the New York State Capitol building, tales from the days Alexander Hamilton frequented Albany and stories from the Olde English Pub itself.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/lwtlo-talesfromthetavern1.mp3

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Tales From The Tavern: Part 2 Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

Today we bring you part 2 of Tales from the Tavern, our live event recorded at the great Olde English Pub in Albany, New York. In this episode you’ll hear us talk to live audience members about the stories from their childhood and around the region. We wanted to specially thank Maeve McEneny and Paul Nooney of the Original Albany Ghost Tour for joining us for the live event and Mark Graydon from the Olde English Pub for providing the space and his own story. If you missed Part 1 go back and give it a shot.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Tales-From-The-Tavern-2_mixdown.mp3

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The Kitchen Apparition Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

Along the banks of the Hudson River, roughly halfway between New York City and Albany, lies one of the country’s most famous centers of culinary learning: The Culinary Institute of America. Countless chefs have passed through its venerable Roth hall, a signature behemoth of a building dating back to the early 1900s. Roth Hall houses a variety of classrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and administrative offices. And like many universities, it is home to its share of legends.

https://wamcpodcasts.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lwtloep30kitchenapparition.mp3

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