Welcome back to Trigger Warning, the podcast for people who like their conversations the way we like our martinis: strong, unfiltered, and possibly a bad idea. This week, Adam and I return to bless your ears with another round of “Should we say this publicly?” and the answer is always a confident yes.

We’re joined by the broadway icon, the legend, the PhDiva herself, Michelle Dowdy—who casually drops stories about playing Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray while I try not to combust from jealousy. We spiral from John Waters gossip to Michelle’s honorary doctorate (because apparently everyone but me gets one), and then straight into some truly feral stories from nightlife, including an adult party performance so vividly described it may haunt you.

Michelle also spills about her upcoming wedding, theater gigs, and the glamorous struggle of dealing with straight men in musical theater. We touch on Drag Race, pageant villains, cabaret dreams, and my unhealthy attachment to British Bake Off contestants.

Basically: it’s camp, it’s chaos, it’s Trigger Warning.

Your timestamp survival map:

• 00:00 — Welcome to the chaos
• 00:49 — Burning Man but make it unhinged
• 03:13 — Enter Dr. Michelle Dowdy, Beyoncé of Hairspray
• 03:30 — Michelle’s life as Tracy Turnblad
• 04:19 — John Waters lore we absolutely should not know
• 05:34 — Michelle’s doctorate and our collective jealousy
• 15:08 — Wedding bells and straight men behaving suspiciously
• 20:38 — Drag Race, gay culture, drama: the holy trinity
• 24:38 — Pageant divas and their villain origin stories
• 25:20 — Bianca’s beauty tips you cannot trust
• 26:22 — Straight men in musical theater: a sociological study
• 28:01 — Starstruck meltdowns and cabaret fever dreams
• 29:17 — Trash TV appreciation hour
• 30:53 — New Orleans, chaos, and the world’s wildest performance
• 38:22 — Trigger warnings and manners (who are we?)
• 48:10 — Goodbyes and questionable wisdom

@triggerwaringnyc

@redeye_ny

@pridehousemedia

Write to us at: Questions@TriggerWarningPod.com

Okay queens, buckle up—this episode is basically our chaotic nightlife scrapbook come to life. Adam and I are dragging you from the techno dungeons of Berlin all the way to Fire Island, with plenty of glitter, weirdos, and questionable decisions in between. We’re talking festivals filled with chaos, concerts I had very strong feelings about, and memories that honestly might explain a lot about who Adam and I are today.

And THEN—DJ Johnny Dynell strolls in like the nightlife historian we never deserved but desperately needed. This man is a LEGEND and does he have stories. Jackie 60 secrets. Police encounters. Celebrity parties. Elton John’s Oscar after‑party. At one point we even detour into a farm tale involving rattlesnakes and pigs, and honestly… that’s the kind of range I bring to podcasting.

If you love queer nightlife, legendary club history, or just hearing us get overly excited about our crazy antics, this episode is for you. It’s messy, it’s nostalgic, it’s fabulous.

Timestamps:
00:00 Me pretending to set the scene
00:14 Berlin chaos begins
01:53 Concerts I lovingly drag
08:18 Nightlife memories & Scissor Sisters joy
10:23 Johnny Dynell enters like nightlife royalty
12:40 Legendary parties & light police involvement
17:37 Jackie 60 is born (you’re welcome)
21:17 Meeting Chichi—iconic behavior
22:07 Michelle Visage being Michelle Visage
22:32 Why Jackie was for everybody
23:26 Fire Island & the Ice Palace shenanigans
25:02 Austin Derrick: wizard of sound
28:19 Elton John’s after‑party—casual
31:50 Rattlesnakes, pigs… my brand of storytelling
33:59 Nightlife, aging, and pretending I’m wise
36:55 Trigger warnings & me trying to wrap things up

@triggerwaringnyc

@redeye_ny

@pridehousemedia

Write to us at: Questions@TriggerWarningPod.com

Buckle up, because this week’s episode is pure Storm Large energy — loud, honest, messy, hilarious, and somehow heart‑melting all at once. Storm, known for tearing up stages with Pink Martini, rocking out on Rockstar Supernova, and unapologetically being herself everywhere from America’s Got Talent to the pages of fetish catalogs, joins us for a conversation that goes everywhere.

We talk music, sex, politics, art, grief, joy, and the deep spiritual importance of rescuing tiny creatures with ridiculous faces. Storm spills all about the state of live music post‑COVID, why physical presence still matters, her iconic Clone‑A‑Willie modeling experience, and the wild stories behind her activism. There’s also a “Bella Ciao” remix, a Patti LuPone moment, and more than a few chaotic detours.

It’s raw, it’s funny, it’s tender, it’s unfiltered — in other words, quintessential Trigger Warning.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:27 Storm Large's Background and Career Highlights
01:48 COVID-19 Impact on Performances
03:00 The Importance of Physical Presence
06:58 Clone-A-Willie Modeling Experience
13:58 Reflections on Music and Service
18:45 Discussing the Rider
20:00 Pet Adoption and Volunteering
22:44 Stray Pride Event
23:57 Animal Activism and Fundraising
25:49 Triggers and Pet Peeves
34:49 Patti LuPone Controversy
36:16 Dating and Relationships
37:39 Conclusion and Farewell

Click to hear the remix of Bella Ciao by Johnny Dynell and Storm Larger

@triggerwaringnyc

@redeye_ny

@pridehousemedia

Write to us at: Questions@TriggerWarningPod.com