Brian

Hey there! It's me, Brian. Since you're here, let me tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in Albany and currently live there with my girlfriend Samantha and our two cute little doggies named Biggie and Tiny. Adding to the nuthouse is my son Brody who is growing up incredibly fast, but getting more and more talented, funny, and handsome by the day. I feel very lucky to be able to spend time with you in the morning making you laugh, making you think, and sometimes even making you a little angry. But man, it's a privilege to do the show each and every day with Chrissy. I enjoy writing and talking about all things sports, wildlife, Capital Region nostalgia, interesting local people, and any and all of the quirky things I observe while living in the 518. E-Mail: brian@wgna.com

Schenectady BBQ Joint Ranked #2 In All Of Upstate
Schenectady has great food, we all know that.  Known mostly for it's outstanding Italian food and pastries, the Electric City appears to be making a name for itself in the world of BBQ as well.  A recent survey of Yelp reviews ranked the Top 25 best BBQ restaurants in all of Upstate, …
Iconic Albany Tavern & Pizza Place To Open Second Locale
Square pizzas, good times, and cold brews! Guilderland will soon be getting in on what Albany residents have known - and loved -  for years. An iconic 100-year-old pizza place/tavern will be getting a second location in a new town.
Shockingly Madison’s Journey Ends On American Idol
Wow. I don't think any of us saw that coming. Following her strong performance of "Shallow" in round 1 of the American Idol finale, and a hometown video that gave us chills, Madison VanDenburg returned to the stage to perform a song by the artist she's been most compared to.  In round 2 …
Cohoes’ VanDenburg One Step Closer To Wearing Idol Crown
The journey started months for Cohoes teen Madison VanDenburg. Along this American Idol trek, she remained consistent  humble and true to herself.  While the final chapter of this story has yet to be written, she's just a few pages away from closing the book on a remarkable run that has captivated t…
Idol Judge’s ‘Hair-Flip’ Advice To VanDenburg Is Wrong
We had to get a few things off our chest when we spoke to Madison VanDenburg in a never-been-aired interview we did with her late Friday morning.  Tonight on American Idol, Madison VanDenburg will perform three songs and by the time the show is over at 10 pm, we'll know if she's a top 3 candidate or…
Historic Troy Bowling Alley Destroyed In Three Alarm Fire
On the Facebook page of a historic and popular bowling, thank you's are posted to the firefighters for their brave efforts, and the local community for their support  following a fire that blazed through parts of Troy this morning. While everyone is thankfully safe, this fire marks the dev…
VanDenburg’s Breathtaking Ballad Drives Her To Top 5
The first hour paid tribute to the music of the Woodstock era on American Idol Sunday night, and Cohoes' Madison VanDenburg proved once again, that she can rock out with the best of em'.  But it was during her show-stopping second performance of the evening, a power ballad by Celine D…
Local Reporter Gets Up-Close Video Of Cohoes Bear
The 'Cohoes Bear' is still on the loose and one local reporter has been tracking it's whereabouts all morning.  A Facebook video posted a pretty clear shot of the animal making it's way through a wooded bike path, relatively close to oncoming traffic in Cohoes.
April’s Hometown Hero: All About Family, Fighting Fires and Flowers
Mark Becker from East Greenbush wasn't an easy guy to get a hold of, but for good reason.  This busy firefighter, Army vet, father of three children, and manager of a  family business certainly has his hands full! Yet he still finds time to give back to his community and acts as a great role model f…
Human Remains Found On Schodack Island
Two men fishing came across the remains on Monday afternoon on Schodack Island prompting an investigation by State Police, firefighters, and forest rangers.
Cohoes Teen Blazes Path To Idol Top 6
Girl on Fire! Madison VanDenberg our local teen American Idol hopeful, brought fire, a rockin' new look and impeccable vocals to the stage during "Queen" night last evening on another live show of American Idol.  Proving once again that she literally can sing anything, the humble teen from…
Cohoes Teen Skyrockets To Final 8 On American Idol
The massive wave of Idol momentum continued Sunday night for 17-year-old Cohoes native Madison VanDenberg.  The pitch-perfect teenager advanced to the final eight on American Idol following a performance of a song that many have said they never heard sung so well.
Dream American Idol Run Continues For Young Cohoes Star
Call it Maddy Mania. Here in the Capital Region, people who haven't watched American Idol in years are tuning in to American Idol to see the 17-year-old Cohoes singing star that everyone is talking about.  For about a month now, Madison VanDenberg has delivered one spectacular perform…
Favorite Late-Night Munchie Spot In Albany Closing
Every hometown has a reliable late-night delivery place that when the urge strikes. you call up in a moments notice for a dozen wings or large pepperoni pie, or both.  A little piece of me died when I heard that one of Albany's classic late-night delivery restaurants was turning off the fr…
Cohoes’ VanDenberg Wows Judges; Earns Spot In Idol Top 20
Madison VanDenBerg has done it again!  The 17-year-old Cohoes native had another near perfect performance on American Idol last night; once again impressing the judges (and viewers) while surviving another cut and advancing to the top 20.
Adam Sandler Announces Upstate NY Show This Summer
Adam Sandler, the comedic-acting genius behind Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer (just to name a few) released a schedule of stand-up comedy tour dates.  While it appears that he'll only be making a handful of appearances in 2019, one stop on his "1…
Latham’s Formica Axed From Idol In Blink Of An Eye
Drama, angst, joy, and heartache. Welcome to the crazy world of Reality Television: Latham, New York edition!  Just one night after Latham's Moriah Formica surprised many of us when she appeared as a contestant during Hollywood Week of American Idol, her short-lived run on the show has end…
7th Grader From Shen Advances To National Spelling Bee
Spelling a bunch of words that I've never heard of, let alone spell, a 7th-grader from the Shenendehowa School District will rep the Capital Region in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  The local finals were Tuesday night and it featured young spelling virtuosos from all over the Capital …
February’s Hometown Hero: Young Girl Turns Lemons Into The Sweetest Cause
February's Hometown Hero is an amazing young girl named Carly Waters from Schoharie.  When Carly, 9, learned that both of her sisters deal with hearing loss, she decided to turn lemons into the sweetest way to raise money for kids dealing with the same problem.  Carly's mom Marissa wrote in on behal…
Embattled Cohoes Mayor Arrested By The Feds
Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse has been no stranger to our local newspapers since being elected back in 2015. While he's denied the allegations lobbied against during his term as a public official, things reached a boiling point this morning.  It's being reported that the Cohoes mayor was a…
‘American Pickers’ Looking For Local Hidden Gems
The guys from the hit A & E Television Network show American Pickers are coming back to New York, and could possibly be scouring the area looking for unique gems stashed away in your basement, garage, junkyard and barns.

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