We have the very cute Frankie Sharp! Frankie has nightlife in his DNA and we ask him all about his San Francisco start back in 1998, his influences like Trannyshack, spending time at The Stud, and throwing parties at The Gangway. This episode is a masterclass for any of you P.T. Barnum hopefuls lurking out there. Frankie tells us about growing into the New York nightlife impresario he is today. Frankie is known for hosting popular NY parties such as Westgay at Westway and he loves bizarre and beautiful. He is now the owner/operator of New York’s brand new four-story nightclub “The Q” along with Jake Shears, Billy Porter, Charlie Carver, Zachary Quinto, Bob Fluet, and Alan Picus. We find out everything you need to know about the vibes, the programming, and the queer world created by Frankie and his supporters. The Q is the slightly seedy, very chic, towering enclave that is equal parts theater and club house, and 100% Frankie’s love-letter to New York.

We got chance to catch up with New York nightlife impresario and maestro of legends, Daniel Nardicio! He tells us all about working with Carol Channing, Chita Rivera, and Nina Hagen. He shares about producing ‘Love Letter to Liza, Celebrating Liza Minnelli’s 75th Birthday’ with appearances by Parker Posey, Sandra Bernhard, John Cameron Mitchell, Coco Peru, Nathan Lane, and more! Then we get Daniel to spill the shocking secret of getting a good Liza story.

Our very special guest this week is none other than celebutante-turned-celebrated author James St. James! He is bringing us real life behind-the-scenes story time about the New York Club Kids scene of the late 1980’s-1990’s. We find out all about the inspiration behind some of his fascinating looks including Leigh Bowery, Divine, John Sex, Diane Brill, John Waters, Billy Beyond, Sister Dimension, to name a few. As it turns out, James St. James is the originator of the indelible lunch box as an accessory….so thank you James. We ask him all about his book Disco Bloodbath, which became the movie Party Monster (2003) starring Macaulay Culkin as Club Kid King Michael Alig… and Seth Green portraying James St. James. The book and film are all about James’ relationship with Michael, and the culmination of Michael’s undoing resulting in the death of his roommate and drug supplier, Angel Melendez. Listen in to find out all about Culkin and Green’s process in the making of Party Monster (2003) and get a master class from James St. James on authoring your own great works! We love James St. James! 

This episode has it all: sex, murder, splatter, gore… and Hollywood lore! We ask Bruce LaBruce all about Death Book, a shocking selection of his performances, actions, film production stills and photography. He tells us about a new retrospective he has in the works. We discuss several of Bruce’s films including his new release “Saint-Narcisse” (2020), and spoiler alert, it’s a twincest re-telling of the Narcissus myth, with very recent showings in Berlin and Munich and we can’t wait to see it. We find out more about the vision and process behind Hustler White (1996), a film co-created with Rick Castro which explores the seedy underbelly of the world of sex for hire and taboo fetish, or what Bruce calls a cut rate version of Sunset Boulevard. We talk about the origin of the queercore movement and the punk zine “J.D.’s” and the queer zine scene. Bruce shares some hot inspirational memories from The Stud and Club Uranus days.

We catch up with Pandora Boxx and give our predictions for the re-opening of drag and the quest for coin! She tells us about her debut on RuPaul’s Drag Race back in 2009 and the popularity of drag then and now. We ask her all about coming out in Rochester, New York — the drag hometown of Miss Darienne Lake and Mrs. Kasha Davis. She tells us all about working Club Marcella and gives us a history lesson on the happenings of Rochester’s Midtown Plaza. We ask her all about her writing including the theatrical fan favorite murder mystery/b-horror comedy, “The Lipstick Massacre” — and we talk about her heartwarming piece “My Queer Trek” recently published by StarTrek.com. We get way into the weeds on what we are watching including some of our favorite horror movies. There are so many that I love, but listen in to find out! We love Pandora Boxx! 

You probably know him from his work with Madonna on the Blonde Ambition Tour and bringing Vogue to the masses. Luis Xtravaganza is a vogueing pioneer. He has his own podcast called Werque, and a monthly vogue workshop he plans to bring back in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Luis tells us all about how he first started shaking it to Iris Chacón in front of the TV and later as a performer at the New York ballroom and dance scene where he was a member of the House of Xtravaganza. Luis recounts times spent with Madonna on tour and preparing for the MTV music video awards, and the making of the film Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991), and Madonna’s support of his own work. We find out about ‘Bitchiest Bunch’ drag bunch happening outdoors every Sunday at Luis’ show club, Oscar’s Downtown in Palm Springs. Listen in for a really fun time catching up with Luis Camacho Xtravaganza!

Linda Simpson joins us to tell us all about her book The Drag Explosion, featuring snapshots of the downtown and East Village drag scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. We ask her about the history of the _My Comrade_ zine and all about exploring the East Village scene of New York in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Linda brings us backstage memories about RuPaul, Tabboo!, Lypsinka, Leigh Bowery, Lady Bunny, Michael Alig, Coco Peru, Mona Foot, the Pyramid Club, the Palladium, and more.

We have the legendary Kiki DuRane AKA Auntie Glam, that’s right... it’s Justin Vivian Bond! Viv and Heklina recollect sharing stages in San Francisco and then Mx Viv gives us a pretty jarring (canning?) account of Heklina’s first ever drag performance... Marc is not sure if we should include a trigger warning: it involves creamed corn. We remember the recently departed Bambi Lake. Viv regales us with stories about Eartha Kitt and Bambi Lake. We find out about the Bambi-Lake-inspired San Francisco origin story of Kiki and Herb’s Kiki DuRane and all about the masterclass Eartha Kitt gave Vivian Bond on being absolutely glamorous and perfectly political.

“Golden Age of Hustlers” is written by Bambi Lake and performed by Justin Vivian Bond. The song is featured with permission from Justin Vivian Bond.

We are catching up with actor and nightlife impresario Mario Diaz. Let's face it. Us queens could not do drag without our boys! This (former) roller rat was raised by a pack of feral drag queens and he knows how to treat a wig. You may know him as the creator and casting daddy of the East Village’s The Cock bar, or for running all the best boy parties in New York and LA. He brought back the back room, he’s bringing back sleaze, and brought us the sweetness!

Flloyd joins us! He is a visual, musical, and performance artist living and recording with us from the East Village. He tells us all about coming to New York from Atlanta in the mid-1980’s, where he met and collaborated with a pre-VH1/Supermodel RuPaul. First, Flloyd regales us with an historic tour of his memories from inside the club and party scenes of NYC, including a particular account of “the most glamorous party of all time” captured in the Nelson Sullivan tapes. We talk about Leigh Bowery, Anohni, Hattie Hathaway, Marti Domination, and Black Lips, the Butthole Surfers, and Larry Tee’s Now Explosion. Listen-in to find out the three books that Flloyd found on RuPaul’s bookshelf when they first met and her attempts to exercise complete mind control (!) and become the Queen of the Universe!

We have the celebrated international vocalist, performing artist and comedic monologist, Amber Martin. Heklina and Marc talk to her about supporting John Cameron Mitchell in the Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig and find out about her amazing studio album, A. M. GOLD. It is co-written with award-winning Australian songwriter Brett Every and includes two songs featured in John Cameron Mitchell’s film, How To Talk To Girls At Parties, (starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman). We love this raw, Janis-Bette-Reba inspired, genre-hopping vocal dreamboat; listen-in to hear some exclusive vocal stylings she recorded with us. WE LOVE THIS SHOW PONY FREAK and you will too.