Midwest AF

What are you favorite Midwestern holiday traditions? And what holiday traditions are specifically Midwestern? In this festive episode of Midwest AF, hosts Liz and Jen take you on a nostalgic sleigh ride through the holiday traditions of the heartland. Okay, that's a little overdramatic. Mostly, we talk about food.  But we do share out favorite Midwest holiday traditions, and dive into the thi...

Do you nod and smile when you pass someone on the street? Are you offended if they don't smile back?  Do you stop to let someone through when you can sense them walking up behind you, or do you keep hogging the sidewalk? How about telling everyone you come across about the new item you just purchased at a THRILLING, discounted price? And what about complaining about the weather for fun?! In t...

The latest event Liz found on a billboard is something we definitely wouldn't have found in our Midwest neighborhoods: The Horrors of Capitalism Drag Show. Listen in to hear details about this wild and educational night put on by the Democratic Socialists of America, and how Jen somehow did not realize this was a political-leaning event until she arrived. We can't wait for you to hear ab...

Liz is at it again, but this time – on shrooms. Hear as she tells the story of her wild mushroom adventure, and how her alter ego "Party Liz" showed up to a pretty mild afternoon and took her experience to a whole new level. Did she make it home by the time she'd promised her wife, or did Party Liz get in the way of her motherly duties? Will she ever do mushrooms again? Where did th...

Bodies, rats, drag queens, naked people, and Romy & Michelle: this two-wheeled adventure has it all. In this episode, Liz and Jen recount two bicycling events they attended in Portland this summer, and all of the unique experiences they had – including a few brushes with death. These particular adventures (and misadventures) offered many views our two Midwestern hosts would not have experience...

In this episode, Liz and Jen offer their Midwestern perspectives on their Portlandian summertime happenings, which were far different than anything they experienced in Kansas.  Listen in as Liz recaps how she expertly executed her plan to have a “Hot Portland Summer” before her son was born in July, and how Jen sometimes came along for the ride. From breweries,  hikes, and random outdoor races to...

Hold onto your broomsticks and prepare for an enchanting story like no other! Join Liz and Jen as they recount their intriguing evening venturing into the mystical world of witch culture . What will the two witness through their curious Midwestern eyes? Listen to the episode to meet the intriguing cast of characters, including a real-life warlock, a breathworking drag queen, summoning belly dancer...

Liz went to a sex club. That's probably all we need to say about this episode. But also - do sex clubs exist in the Midwest? They probably do, but we certainly never heard about them. It always seemed to us like the kind of thing that only happens in New York City and Amsterdam. Yet, in this episode, Liz finds herself recounting that one time she went to a "Pickle Party" at a sex cl...

Standup comedy is difficult enough — imagine delivering it with hallucinogens in your system.  In this episode, Liz and Jen discuss one of their most Portlandian experiences yet: the time they went to see comedians attempt to deliver their regular comedic sets after taking magic mushrooms. Jen found this event in the way most amazing things are found in Portland: off a flyer on a telephone pole. W...

In their first episode, Liz and Jen share a little bit about who they are and why they created this podcast. Then, they recount a very unique experience they had at a Portland steakhouse staple, called Acropolis Steakhouse. Acropolis is a very unique establishment in that is was ranked as one of the best places to take your Valentine's date for a steak in 2023 , but the entertainment is very...

Welcome to Midwest AF! We’re two gals living in Portland, Oregon, who are navigating the Pacific Northwest with our Midwestern (and sometimes, not-so-Midwestern) sensibilities. We're Liz and Jen, and we both grew up in the same city, went to the same Catholic school, and were roomies in college. After college, Jen married her high school boyfriend while Liz moved to Chicago where she eventual...