[SPEAKER_02]: It's a gay celeb on that's a gay ass podcast because Jeff Consoletti is bringing you some of the biggest gayest pride festivals around the Conch Jeff Consoletti.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for coming on this gay ass podcast.
[SPEAKER_02]: How is your gay day?
[SPEAKER_00]: My gay day is going great.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just gotten gayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I mean, it always starts pretty gay when you work in the Pride space.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now I'm on a gay spotcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, we're like, we're full of rainbow.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, also, are you comfortable to deny the rumors?
[SPEAKER_02]: You're calling from West Hollywood, where you live?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is that correct?
[SPEAKER_00]: I actually am not today.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm calling from my alternate location in Palm Springs.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, if you're living the gosh damn dream, I want to have a tech and location in Palm Springs as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am here in Palm Springs where we have a couple of events, you know, it's festival season.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I feel like I have like festival festival rasp happening and that's what happens after Coachella.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as you just continue on the on the train.
[SPEAKER_02]: But would you say that festival rasp is a similar sound to
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they go hand in hand.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think a little bit won't coach Ella sort of like sorority girl homeland.
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they're there.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's sorority girls and gays.
[SPEAKER_00]: So then like, it's just all the rasp again.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, well, this is why we have so much to get into because I am not really, I'm being fully transparent here.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not fully a like concert festival coach.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like Coachella sounds like a nightmare.
[SPEAKER_02]: If I'm being honest, however, when and if I get like a VIP such a taste, I will absolutely do Coachella and like enjoy that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've just been hearing about the ubers.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've been hearing about the lines and I.
[SPEAKER_02]: I love, yeah, so I think it when I was like 12, I can't even sugarcoat that.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is the nightmare.
[SPEAKER_02]: I went to a Dave Matthews being concert at 12 years old and had to weigh in like a three hour line with all my brothers in a car and from that moment on, I said, concerts might not be for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's funny, like making my life in music and live events and concerts because similarly, I only want to be backstage and like with the wristband that gives like all of every, every act.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's always another level that you can get.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm actually always on the hunt for what that is.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I can go one less space where anyone else can.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, listen Jeff, you probably are the person with the most decked out wrist bandages because let's tell the listeners about the deeds.
[SPEAKER_02]: So you are the founder and CEO of JJLA, which basically produces West Hollywood pride.
[SPEAKER_02]: And as much as I just said, I'm not a concert girly.
[SPEAKER_02]: West Hollywood Pride, I have loved every single year and I'm not just budding your biscuit.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's where I feel like I've been able to see some acts that I never thought I would be able to see.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's also, I mean, the line of this year is not so.
[SPEAKER_02]: And so Jeff, Consulate himself was a part of the team bringing the lineup of the pussycat dolls doing their only stop in LA at Pride.
[SPEAKER_02]: Jade, Ava Max, my girl, Ashley Simpson will be there this year, but I also got to see cash to do an incredible set in the recent years, um, actually, my, yeah, I'm like, oh my god.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, Kylie Minogue was the 2024 headliner, Dochi, uh, Kiki Palmer, Carly Rajepson, Adina Menzel.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to be asking you about, you've had moona, Kim Petrus, Tricksie Mithel.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's fully insane what you've been able to do over these years.
[SPEAKER_02]: And um, you really are a business woman.
[SPEAKER_02]: I find you to be very inspirational, but also you're a hot bald man and I find that to be equally exciting as well.
[SPEAKER_02]: So before we get into the hits of it all with the festival, when did you embrace being a hot bald guy?
[SPEAKER_02]: Because hair transplants are all the rage right now.
[SPEAKER_02]: Tell me your bald her story.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I, like, so I mean, it's funny because I'm only a few years older than when it started, but I was in some somewhere in my mid 20s and had just noticed the like things starting to thin, and it was mostly like a back here thing like and I.
[SPEAKER_00]: My like like my team will tell you that like they know I'm about to like lose it or going through it when I'm like on site and I start rubbing my head so it's kind of always been a thing of mine and I just you know was going through one of those early in my career and notice that like hey wait where where is it all going but also in doing so kind of notice that like
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, my head's kind of like nice and round.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I started shaving my head.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I was like 26 or 27 and like never looked back.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, the nice part about it is like it kind of keeps you like as long as you have your skin redger mean, like going quite well, then no one ever really knows is he still 27 is he 87?
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think anybody's asking if you're 87, but I do think people are remarking on the beautiful dome shape.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, don't you think that only parents and recent years have learned to put helmets on their children, but somehow your parents kept that dome nice and roamed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's it's worked out.
[SPEAKER_00]: So like honestly, I've just embraced the Mr. Clean aesthetic for all these years and you know, when it works.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it works.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was that kid who looked at the Mr. Clean mascot and said,
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, please.
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a, yeah, they're sure not over here.
[SPEAKER_02]: Not know.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you also have a gorgeous husband, which I want to talk about, but let's get into some of Jeff Consoletti's history and I'm going to ask you the gay ass podcast question, which is who's fault?
[SPEAKER_02]: Is it that you're gay?
[SPEAKER_02]: Who do we blame, even babe?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, hands down Madonna, and I have an aunt that, you know, everyone has an aunt that's like kind of the cookie on and she was really just like my cookie fun on she got married later in life.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm the oldest of like all of this my siblings and cousins, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: my family.
[SPEAKER_00]: and she took me to I grew up in Boston and she took me like almost like it was probably like once a month I'd have like Jeff weekend with my aunt in Boston and like she was the cool on I could stay up late.
[SPEAKER_00]: She had all of the gay friends and she gave me Madonna's Immaculate Collection which
[SPEAKER_00]: I listened to from morning till night as often as I could so much so where I learned my I had my own choreography to like a prayer that I did with such like earnestness
[SPEAKER_00]: that like I didn't even know I had continued the like that's like a long track it's like what like six and a half minutes it goes on forever and I I think my eyes were closed in my mom had come back probably from her like jazzer size or something and there I was like in the living room fully on my knees doing like my like a prayer choreo give us the age how old were you
[SPEAKER_00]: I had to be like seven, eight, like, like, really, like, full on in, like going for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, my mom just being like, what are you listening to?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm just like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't worry about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: New kids aren't gonna go.
[SPEAKER_02]: But like, oh no, I was just gonna say, there is a certain abandon to like a seven year old boy who doesn't yet realize how gay he's supposed to not be.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I feel like if you're sort of like, you're also in Boston, you're the oldest of all these kids.
[SPEAKER_02]: You probably were maybe starting to learn that you were supposed to be a dude, but you still knew deep in your guts that the choreography of Madonna's like a prayer needed to be performed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I knew that like I felt like I couldn't say it was Madonna and then I had the Madonna CD or like blasting, but that for sure was like first album and like, I mean, I think I still have it somewhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, obviously who's not listening to Madonna's or actually select.
[SPEAKER_02]: I do have to ask as a self-proclaimed gay journalist before I ask about this iconic antivirus, how do you feel about Madonna's, she's releasing now what a sequel to, a question and it's coming out this summer.
[SPEAKER_02]: Some people feel like it's a bad sign when you do sequel so many years later, some people think it's going to be incredible Jeff Constelletti, where do you stand in the political spectrum of Madonna's return?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm ready for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: She's uh, she's the queen of reinventing herself or I don't know of reinventing the word, just like progressing herself from like, her to era and like, when has Madonna really done wrong?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, who's really upset that
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's this woman in her 60s now that still has all of our attention wrapped right around her little pinky and confessions is arguably one of you know the great pop dance crossover albums of all time so like yeah, give me the sequel like let's go.
[SPEAKER_00]: we shall not be disappointed.
[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll have to wait and see, but do you mind if I start using the term industry fodder?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I think you should.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a really nice sense actually.
[SPEAKER_02]: It does.
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, industry fodder is saying like I think that's actually a beautiful phrase and I will be using it to it disgusting degree.
[SPEAKER_02]: So when people say like who's your diva, it's kind of clear
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Madonna's mine.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's evolved.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was like in a OG like Gaga follower.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I remember like, you know, I had the star painted across my face and like went with my gaze from college.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was like after either.
[SPEAKER_00]: our sophomore junior year, like we followed her and like a club tour throughout Europe, like staying in Rando hostels and like we're following God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I feel like I've been, I have been at like every single moment of like her career and have even gotten to work with her.
[SPEAKER_00]: So she, you know, and I think she takes inspo from Madonna.
[SPEAKER_00]: So to kind of see that trajectory.
[SPEAKER_02]: So in a way, you have sort of weaponized your stand-um as a gay guy for good, which is that you've put all of your beautiful fannery energy into producing these festivals that was sort of a capitalized on queer people loving our pop divas.
[SPEAKER_02]: And in fact, if I may, you have a really great quote in an interview recently where you said, we're in the middle of a global pop girl Renaissance and out loud, who is, you
[SPEAKER_02]: producing, we hope that's your organization.
[SPEAKER_02]: It stands at the center of it all.
[SPEAKER_02]: Queer fans have always stood at the center of driving pop success.
[SPEAKER_02]: What I'm seeing today is synonymous with moments we saw surrounding Madonna, Brittany, Mariah, Christina, the Spice Girls, and even a young Gaga almost 20 years ago.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, hello, you are championing the pop girls because you are a gay guy with what taste.
[SPEAKER_02]: And thank God for the Jeff
[SPEAKER_00]: It's fun to see, and when you even hear that list, I'm like, wait, did I say that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow, but us as gay men, we support and shown up for our pop girlies, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, they have been there and whether we're talking about these icons from 10, 15, 20,
[SPEAKER_00]: 24 whatever it is years ago the shares of it all like I mean the barbers of it all like these are people that have had an allegiance to the the LGBT community forever forever you know so it's great to bring them home you know
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh my god, yeah, and I think it's also a testament to not only the sort of artists who have made gay kids feel so seen, but also just like the girls at the lunch tables in school that made us feel safe just like on a day to day basis like I don't know about you, but I was that kid that had three straight brothers and all of my friends at school were all girls.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's, you know, the girls were the people I felt safe with and so.
[SPEAKER_02]: Can we?
[SPEAKER_02]: I just want to know some of your lore.
[SPEAKER_02]: If you see you're the oldest of these kids, how many kids and are we brothers and sisters?
[SPEAKER_02]: What are we talking?
[SPEAKER_00]: I have two younger sisters, but I'm from a big Italian family in Boston, and it's all women.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am old.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am the oldest, and I have my tribe of girls.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I was,
[SPEAKER_00]: When I was home, we produced the DJ Meredith Marks glow on that is DJ Meredith Marks.
[SPEAKER_00]: We created that and produced it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took all of my sisters.
[SPEAKER_00]: I called them all my sisters to the show in Boston and like the Meredith was even like, wait, there's more of your family.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: like I I walked the walk of like I played football.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did like all the things I also did theater and then I like had my own like at built-in theater troupe where it would be holidays and I cast the show and it was from like Thanksgiving dinner was like from audition.
[SPEAKER_00]: to full production by the end of the day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everyone with their parts, some people crying and being being like ready together.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are moving on.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're moving on to the next scene.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can do this.
[SPEAKER_02]: I love cutthroat.
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you talking original spectacles?
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you producing like a bridge versions of musicals?
[SPEAKER_02]: What are your friends having to live through?
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, it was kind of wherever like it would take us there.
[SPEAKER_00]: We we lived in this in this like two story Victorian home and it when it was winter time there would be these like icicles that literally could probably kill you that would.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hang off the side of the home that would be like literally six feet tall and I would hang out the window to break it off the side of the house to bring in where we would then perform some like our OG you know something that we create called like ice clean the musical or whatever with like
[SPEAKER_00]: So like that would be an example of like no we like we needed our own story because that was the environment and set around us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, all my family leaned in and they're like any time I'm like, and now I'm doing this they're all like of course Jeff is like, you know.
[SPEAKER_02]: And so then that begs the question if you were growing up as a slick.
[SPEAKER_02]: on a win tour of your friends, your family is seeing Jeff Beige as hell, but also do the football, the boy drag.
[SPEAKER_02]: When you did come out, was your big Italian family mostly supportive, because I feel like there is, in Italian families, such a machinist with men being like, you know, the head of the house and boop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-bop-o-
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, my parents are like Tony and Carmella soprano, like they're even kind of part, they look like them and their like personality wise.
[SPEAKER_00]: But my dad is and always was like this piece of big softy, like he'll start telling his story and like just start crying, like and we're just like big John, like.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're good.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're good, buddy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So like I was, I think when I look back on it now, it feels like I was doing the things because I felt like I had to or was more program to, but not necessarily because I was being forced to.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I came out, I like I was fully prepared.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have to come out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was I was 19.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was I was already in school in
[SPEAKER_00]: trip back home and I like I couldn't wait to go to college to just be like I'm finally gay like weekend we can say this and I came home just being like okay like I've never been lying to my family ever and I feel like I gotta clue them in and but I need to be prepared that they're gonna be like get the F out and they weren't they weren't for even one second like they were they were like
[SPEAKER_00]: no problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for me, I think partly it's like how I grew up and it was a very supportive household and just, you know, everyone, I had a very blessed childhood and
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, they, uh, like, I all, I say this because like, I didn't, I didn't have this like transformative moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't really, what, like, I'm kind of the same.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm, I was the same then.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I've, I've always been confident and I've always been able to like,
[SPEAKER_00]: feel like I have a seat at the table, and I've always been a helper of those around me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I didn't, I wasn't withdrawn even as a young child.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think when I would go to like football practice to then theater rehearsal, you know, if there was some dick in high school that was like, oh, concept, what are you doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd be like, what the fuck?
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you have to say about it?
[SPEAKER_00]: And do you want me to tell your girlfriend what you were looking at in the chat?
[SPEAKER_00]: And like, I could shut it down with confidence.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not to say that I didn't have,
[SPEAKER_02]: Behind the scenes sadness but Consos that would you said they called you on so it's my like nickname my like bro I usually hate bro nicknames, but conso for you actually kind of works
[SPEAKER_02]: So I go home and like my, you know, a lot of my like straight friends, like they still call me console, which I kind of like I like it, like well let's okay, so let me give them a tease to the listeners because once we go to the sub stack portion of this at the end, I do want to hear about you sort of going to DC and showing your gay flag.
[SPEAKER_02]: First boy boy kissing.
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to hear about Boston closet cases that you throw to it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to hear about your select stories as of late.
[SPEAKER_02]: Whatever you're willing to tell Jeff.
[SPEAKER_02]: Sorry.
[SPEAKER_02]: Whatever you're willing to tell Conso.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to make you fucking spill it for the paid girlies.
[SPEAKER_02]: But before we get over to the Substack, let's do a quick pivot into some of Jeff's lore as an adult in a different interview.
[SPEAKER_02]: you were talking about living in West Hollywood and you say that one of your recommendations is the sunset tower hotel because you're quote a martini drinker.
[SPEAKER_02]: So any place I can shake an icy cold martini is good by me.
[SPEAKER_02]: Be honest Jeff, do you like martinis because they get you drunk the fastest?
[SPEAKER_00]: Correct.
[SPEAKER_02]: And what are you hiding from?
[SPEAKER_02]: What are you running from?
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, no, I mean, it's just like, let's get to the point.
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, I don't have time for a mixer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I don't have time, like, when people are like, or like, when the cocktail menu comes at a restaurant and everyone needs to be like, Oh, oh, the blue mermaid.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, look what's in the blue mermaid.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, and it's got this and egg white and what, like, I don't need, I'm here for a meal.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to eat a meal.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just need to drink my icy cold kettle one straight up with a twist.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I would earn that to me and I am happy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then like, let's order all of the apps and all of the entrées is like, that is what I want.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is what I want to consume.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would just like to have my icy cold martini and then another.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then another.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if we go to another after that, it's probably, it's probably a problem.
[SPEAKER_02]: So this explains the raspy voice.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you the dumb of the table?
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you are you ordering for your husband?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is it that with is that what council is doing yet with rob 100% rob Like planet dinner and like we'll be with like his friends or even family and then we'll sit there and then he's just like okay So I'm like
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, so I'm okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: I understand I'm ordering now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Got it.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: So that was good.
[SPEAKER_00]: I won't get order.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure you are, but I think this is not very much discussed when it comes to actual relationships and maybe queer relationships, which is like, if you have two people of the same gender, we're not exactly going to play the roles a society has to give enough.
[SPEAKER_02]: So.
[SPEAKER_02]: The really the question is, who's the order at the table, who is the chatty Kathy at the bar?
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm the chatty Kathy at the bar, I'm the annoying one, but the tables have started to turn because I used to be the orderer, but my husband Matt does not like that I try to become friends with the server, and so lately he's been taking the reins, and it's actually been sort of hot, but also devastating, because I like to be the talker.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, of course.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rob as he's like also gotten a little older and we've been we've been together for a long time.
[SPEAKER_00]: He also is like now suddenly like like doming every situation.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm just like, is there a power struggle or do you play with him doing well?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean right now I'm like, there people are going to be like, oh, he's not okay with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I actually think I am okay with it, but I find it like, oh, so all of a sudden, now it's like, well, ten years later.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: What do you Madonna and having a change?
[SPEAKER_02]: You are an Italiano and I feel like from watching the Jude Ice family enough that I can say that all Italians are screamers.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not going to be canceled for that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you an angry screamer, Jeff?
[SPEAKER_00]: not, not any, I used to be.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like I, in my, in my 30s, I was like, you know, I was building JJLA, like everything just felt like so high stakes and I was all in on like the business and I think sometimes I got the best of me and like the littlest thing would turn into this like
[SPEAKER_00]: So chill, like I just, I mean, I don't know if I'm so chill, but like I'm definitely, I just, I don't, I, you have more personality act like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't, like I don't get real, like, I've found like can take on.
[SPEAKER_00]: a role of like advisor and helper and like coach and be much more thoughtful with my responses and strategic with like how we're growing and developing things.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think out loud could have existed in my even though it was an idea and my 30s like it took to my 40s to like really get it to come together and power it forward and I think a lot of that has to do
[SPEAKER_02]: How can you help us anxious over thinking type a girlies who are ambitious, realize that the freaking out and whether it's the screaming or the worrying won't serve us?
[SPEAKER_02]: How do you get there?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, well, I mean, it's okay to like, to have those feelings and freak out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think for those, and like for you, I think you were talking about this on a recent previous episode, but you know, you're finding yourself as like your an entrepreneur entrepreneur.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're running your business and like, yeah, you regardless if like, you know, you're a business owner that's out there, like when you have your own ideas or you care about something deeply, it's really easy.
[SPEAKER_00]: to get strong out in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But number one, like it's, that is 100% normal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like if you believe in yourself and your ideas and like something that you're passionate about and how you're going to push it forward, like there has to be a little bit of crazy baked in that and a little bit of like, you know, just a little bit of angst that you should use to empower yourself to push that forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think what you also have to keep in mind is as you push forward,
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to remain grounded and confident.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to know who your network is to seek out help on the side.
[SPEAKER_00]: No one asks for help and know that you can't possibly be the expert in all of the things that it takes to pull off that great next creative idea.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is also something that I think I found in how we've developed out loud.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ten or 12 years ago, I think I would have thought it could only have been me that I'm the only person that could have pulled this off and And out loud and where out loud is now and how it has developed is so so so so much bigger than me like I'm I'm a little part of it like I was also I read you know leading it for sure and like and but like it's
[SPEAKER_00]: It is like, it is a critical group of set of creative queer, fun, vibrant, smart, like, such dedicated people that, you know, work so, so hard to bring this vision to life and like,
[SPEAKER_02]: well especially when you're like a group of queer people playing doing working in high stakes industry like events and working with I mean even having these interviews talking about how you like try to land a unicorn for every year of pride where you're trying to land these big names and as somebody who's also constantly booking people on a podcast or a live show whatever the fuck it really it is a wrap.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you have them but then like nope there's a whole
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it's also like you think you either have them before they book or they do book and then they cancel.
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like I've gotten a lot better at the emotional roller coaster of like, okay, they canceled.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not that my job now is to feel devastated.
[SPEAKER_02]: My job now is to have a quick moment of like Dan that sucks and now what are we going to do?
[SPEAKER_02]: I will say this because I it's just literally hot off the presses, but I'm you know doing this podcast and this solo show and I'm trying to get booked in different cities, but God bless you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah, Jeff, you came.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for coming.
[SPEAKER_00]: not an easy thing to be a touring artist and hats off.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's amazing.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you know, as well as anyone, but I also am finally starting to audition for like some like TV commercially things and I just found out literally an hour ago that I'm on a veil for like a really big commercial.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the reason why I'm telling you this is because I had to ask a robot what on a veil means.
[SPEAKER_02]: because I had forgotten because it's been so long and on a veil for a commercial means you're not, you didn't book it.
[SPEAKER_02]: It means that you might book it and I just want to make sure you're actually available.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I could be an in group of like five people for this one part and still not get it.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I saw the email had in a moment of like, yay, I'm great.
[SPEAKER_02]: And then I had then Google it and then
[SPEAKER_02]: Like I had to manage my excitement because very big chance I won't get it, but also I should still take the opportunity.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and it's the same thing like when you book somebody and then they cancel it's like I'm not a piece of shit because they canceled it's just I have another challenge So that to me is the hard thing about like maybe it's the industry or just like being a creative person.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like you have to really gauge your own emotions or you have to really like have ownership of like
[SPEAKER_00]: 100% I mean it's your Broadway guy like me like the show's got to go on and you know we had out loud last year was just like it was just one of those years or just like it just things just kept shifting we had we had a big unicorn headliner that then like dropped out last minute
[SPEAKER_00]: But luckily before we announced, we were able to land Lizzo, which was great, little noss, then went through everything that he went through.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he dropped out of the show, obviously we were announced when that happened.
[SPEAKER_00]: So then we had to very quickly pivot to our replacement.
[SPEAKER_00]: We replaced with Remi Wolf, who's a wonderful artist, queer, like we wanted to have another queer representation in the top line of the bill.
[SPEAKER_00]: opposite Lizzo, but like, you know, at the time, I don't know that Remy, like, the is the same person that bought a ticket to a little Nass Lizzo show, buying a ticket to a Remy Wolf show.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, so like, you know, like it just changes the like the fabric of the show, so to speak.
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same point, like the show's got to keep moving forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Remi stepped in and didn't incredible job.
[SPEAKER_00]: And like the show still came across as another wonderful joyful pride season in West Hollywood.
[SPEAKER_00]: So like as much as behind the scenes, it just felt like we were getting like, you know, challenge after challenge in our
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, and I, you know, want to also co-sign or just really underline the importance of the pride festival period because it is not only one of the biggest in the country, I love to see people in New York get jealous of our lineups.
[SPEAKER_02]: It like brings like a weird sense of annoying pride in me.
[SPEAKER_02]: but also pride as a whole is very much in trouble.
[SPEAKER_02]: There's an article that you're interviewed for where it says that Tucson Pride, which was founded in 1977 canceled.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's 2026 festival.
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of other festivals have lost funding.
[SPEAKER_02]: SF Pride, lost around 200 to 300 K last year in New York City, had a 750 K shortfall when all these big companies pulled out.
[SPEAKER_02]: But West Hollywood is not a part of that trajectory.
[SPEAKER_02]: West Hollywood is funding a huge portion of the festival contracting it.
[SPEAKER_02]: They shut down the whole city for like over mile long festival.
[SPEAKER_02]: activations and so it's it's so amazing and I want to thank you for what you have done to create such a meaningful but also loud splashy pride for the people in LA and West Hollywood because it is a political statement whether you know we think it is or not so I'm sure that probably feels meaningful to you as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: It does, for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's empowering, it's humbling, it's like, it's, it feels important.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we're very lucky about to have a municipality like the city of West Hollywood grounding us right in the middle of a major metro area, like LA, few and far, but I mean, I've said this, I've been fortunate enough to work and was like, I live in West Hollywood, I've been fortunate enough to work there.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, feels like home court, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: I've also been fortunate to work all over the world and to come home and pull off what we can do in West Hollywood.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's second to none because I've worked on New York Pride.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've worked on world pride in New York's SF Pride.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just big events like all over the country and the way that West Hollywood embraces a culture of events, whether it's pride or not,
[SPEAKER_00]: is unlike any other municipality.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for pride in particular, yeah, the city, the city is carving out, not just like a couple hundred grand, like millions of dollars to drive, you know, to make an event free and accessible over that mile.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yes, out loud so like where fortunate that like out loud gets to exist as part of it and that the city in our role as producer we produce all of we hope pride and then we own and operate the out loud music festival the city doesn't fund the out loud music festival but they give us the space to do it because we're able to anchor the music festival and the and like you know world renown talent essentially by building a venue in the middle of the city so.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, like you have your free programming, you have a free parade, you have street fair, you can buy a ticket if you want to, you don't have to, like, and I do like how that model has she has just taken shape and and it feels, you know, we're definitely very proud of it, and but it could not happen without, yeah, the municipal partnership.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, then, I mean, it's also, you know, can't be understated to how legit out loud has created the festival.
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, I first, I've only been in LA for like, what four and a half years and my first pride here, I went to WeHo Pride and I was gagged by the production of it all, by the giant screens.
[SPEAKER_02]: By, I mean, for example, a friend of mine is Vincent, the incredible performer singer.
[SPEAKER_02]: He loved it.
[SPEAKER_02]: When Vincent performed at We Hope Pride, it was, this is before I knew Vincent.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was just like gagged by the size of the stage and the audience.
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's, I also saw some of like my biggest crushes from the internet dancing in the field.
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, what a goddamn dream.
[SPEAKER_02]: Also to see Adina Menzel on that stage was like, I felt like I was on Molly, which I've never done.
[SPEAKER_02]: I might be doing it in this next year of my life, because I want to live a full life, but I will report back to you,
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's get a few more final questions in since he brought up being a theater queen yourself.
[SPEAKER_01]: The dean of himself was huge, whether any other big either Broadway names or if you go back in time and give us a Broadway star.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, we share our affinity for these Sutton Voster, like... Oh, you had a good time having a bad day.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's thoroughly modern, really soundtrack.
[SPEAKER_00]: Always hits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Always always hits.
[SPEAKER_02]: What's your track?
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you a forget about the boy girl?
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you love forget about the boy?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, yeah, you have to you just have to you have to start with that and just I just want to get to any end track where it's just big, brassy and full.
[SPEAKER_00]: And my like non Broadway husband, even he knows like Sutton Foster that voice will come on and he's like, oh, it's a Sutton Foster day and when we drive
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, this was like, we like, very, when you have this serious FM radio, whatever, the Broadway station in the window, you know, is on Sunday afternoons, like, that's what we're turning on our serious as we drive back.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, now we can just put on the Broadway, listening to track on Amazon or our Spotify, but I still like to the old school, like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: FM Broadway.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, my dad would turn it on when I was a kid and it was one of the first things we like bonded over.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I just love a certain foster.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love I think I think I don't love the drowsy chaperone, but.
[SPEAKER_02]: wrong with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I love every all of her other work.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, now we have to cancel the rest of the interview and I need to teach you a fucking lesson.
[SPEAKER_02]: Drawsy Shaperone is important to me, but I can also respect, you know, this is why queer people can thrive because we can understand that not all of us are the same and all of us understand the actual beauty of the Drawsy Shaperone by Bob
[SPEAKER_02]: Danny bursting.
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyways, we don't have to talk about drowsy chaperone as much as I'm Wanting to write that wrong.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, okay, so let's you know what let's flip this over to Substack Jeff console.
[SPEAKER_02]: You're final question on the main feed is If the world was ending you could only save one character actress who would you save?
[SPEAKER_00]: Laura Dern
[SPEAKER_02]: Like that end, breathe it in girls.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jurassic Park is one of my all time favorite movies so much so where as a senior in high school whenever it came out sometime in my high school era, me and my besties, Jill and Adam, who are both gay now as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Shout out.
[SPEAKER_00]: We still, and if anyone from NBC Universal is listening,
[SPEAKER_00]: We still own Jurassic Park, the musical.com.net, Jurassic Park.
[SPEAKER_00]: He musical.com and have written an amazing book to Jurassic Park, the musical that I feel like all of these connections will somehow align, but if they think they're going to do it without getting Jurassic Park, the musical.com, I have maintained those domains for all of these
[SPEAKER_02]: And well, listen, it will be a love for Laura Dern, Jeff, you truly have known your life's mission from the jump, and that is to get to RASIC Park the musical on Broadway, and also on the World Wide Web.
[SPEAKER_02]: Jeff, you said you the book is great.
[SPEAKER_02]: Are we leaving the music for the world?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I mean, you have to go with the John Williams score, which also would you like to listen to that?
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, yeah, no, I see it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I see who are we casting as the Lord during roll.
[SPEAKER_02]: Is it Lord during coming back or are we gonna go for someone else?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I feel like Laura would actually maybe take a look and could still like, I mean, that's a true producer.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll take a look.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like she would maybe take a look.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, uh,
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, Ariana Dubois, like, make a very interesting, like, full voice, like, little frantic, like looking off stage, like, okay, you're acting it out right now.
[SPEAKER_02]: And now I'm seeing the dinosaurs and it's, uh, of course they're like in the room.
[SPEAKER_02]: Julie Tamores of course being consulted for the puppetry.
[SPEAKER_02]: I really can see Jurassic Park the musical calm having its moment in the sun.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jeff, you are reading at Out Loud in June.
[SPEAKER_02]: Listen, if you need someone to read the stage corrections and then a lot of the rapture comes out.
[SPEAKER_02]: uh... you know who to hit up uh... Jeff console atty it has been a gosh darn dream i hope everybody in law sangeless and across the country is able to enjoy uh... the we hope pride also let it be known that you're in Boston as well this year uh... all stop giving any plugs and just have you Jeff tell these listeners where to follow you and anything you would like for them to know
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, well thank you so much for today and we would love to see anyone and everyone come to We Hope Pride and certainly come and see the pussy cat dolls Jade Ava Max and you know 60 some odd other very clear or very allied artists at out loud music festival tickets are at out loud music festival dot com.
[SPEAKER_00]: you can follow us at officially out loud.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can follow me at Jeff Kahn's.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, it's all happening in just a few.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're 50 something days out from, uh, from pride season.
[SPEAKER_00]: So wake the F up mother efforts.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can we swear on podcast?
[SPEAKER_00]: I never know.
[SPEAKER_02]: I prefer that you do.
[SPEAKER_02]: Wake the fuck up mother fucker start doing your straight.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is summer is here.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's right.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's our season next.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're out of no more just spring.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is summer is next.
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're letting us out of our homes and into the streets.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I hope to see you all there.
[SPEAKER_02]: We hope pride and console.
[SPEAKER_02]: I will definitely be seeing you there or at the house warming for my Palm Springs home whenever that happens.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can come hang out here.
[SPEAKER_00]: So done.
[SPEAKER_02]: Let the gay up name for a gay up podcast.