Night Fever

In this episode, hosts James St. James and World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey sit down with a true icon of the 1990s New York City club scene: the brilliant, fabulous, and lovable Lil' Kenny. From ruling Club USA and turning out cyberpunk-meets-raver looks to modeling for Project X and creating unforgettable House of Field fashions, Kenny was at the absolute forefront of the second wave...

Hosts James St. James, Fenton Bailey, and Randy Barbato are joined by multidisciplinary artist and former Club Kid Desi Santiago (aka Desi Monster) for an unfiltered journey through 1990s New York nightlife. Desi opens up about growing up above a Newark bar, serving acid punch at 18, the origins of his shapeshifting "zero" gender aesthetic, and raw memories of icons like Lee Bowery and M...

This week on Night Fever, James St. James, Fenton Bailey, and Randy Barbato sit down with legendary journalist, author, and fashion insider William Norwich to talk all things New York society and gossip culture. William breaks down how he bridged the gap between uptown high society and downtown club life, recounting everything from watching a drunk Truman Capote wipe out on the dance floor to navi...

In this episode, hosts James St. James, Fenton Bailey, and Randy Barbato are joined by downtown legend and nightlife icon Sally Randall. Step inside the glitter, chaos, and legendary stories of the club scene as Sally opens up about her wild adventures, the eccentric characters of the era, and what it really took to rule the night. From backstage secrets to front-row culture, hit play for an unvar...

Step beyond the velvet ropes with hosts James St. James and Fenton Bailey as they welcome the legendary Lincoln Palsgrove IV, the suave gatekeeper who masterfully curated the doors of Manhattan’s most exclusive '80s and '90s clubs. In this episode, Lincoln reveals the secret psychology behind the clipboard, the volatile formula for mixing club kids with Wall Street elites, and how he maint...

This week on Night Fever, hosts James St. James, Fenton Bailey, and Randy Barbato sit down with quintessential New York nightlife icon, writer, and comedian Nora Burns. From arriving in Manhattan in the late '70s to pioneering downtown comedy with celebrated troupes like Unitard and The Nellie Olesons, Nora has lived through the golden eras of disco, counterculture, and after-hours chaos.

In this episode,  Drag Race  legend Raja discusses her earliest experiences in the LA club scene of the '90s at places like Ripples, Peanuts, Arena, and Circus. From her teen years experimenting with Club Kid looks to running her own club and working with Tyra Banks on  America's Next Top Model , we've watched her style evolve to the regal queen we know today.

This week, James, Fenton, and Randy sit down with the undisputed king and queen of the underground, Chi Chi Valenti & Johnny Dynell. From the grit of the Mudd club to the glamorous theater of Jackie 60 and beyond, this iconic duo has spent four decades shaping the soundtrack and style of New York City nightlife. Tune in as they share wild, never-before-told stories from the DJ booth, the dance...

On this episode of Night Fever, hosts James St. James and Fenton Bailey sit down with legendary nightlife figure Christina Visca. Tune in as they dive deep into the campy, glamorous, and wild history of running NYC's biggest clubs in the late 80s and early 90s, her friendship and partnership with world famous DJ Junior Vasquez, Halloween '89 with Grace Jones at the Sound Factory (peep the...

Night Fever season six starts with an extra special guest who really needs no introduction - James St. James himself! James chats with WOW co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato about his childhood, moving to New York City, and making it big!

Supericonic downtown sister act Tish & Snooky recall their days as backup singers for Debbie Harry, their own band The Sick Fucks, opening the first punk boutique in America, and creating their game changing hair color product Manic Panic.

The undisputed Queen of House Music, Screamin’ Rachel, talks about recording the first house music song, her early days in the Chicago warehouse scene, and her friendships with Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson.

Former It-girl April Palmieri discusses Club 57, her time in the band Pulsallama (once described as “13 girls fighting over a cowbell”), and singing backup as a Bodacious TaTa for her best friend, John Sex.

It’s a special two-part episode as we catch up with a couple of former clubkids and give them back their 15 minutes of fame. First up: Christopher Comp on working for Michael Alig as well as his favorite parties and lewks. Then Really Denise discuses the early days of the Tunnel and the ‘80s versus ‘90s club scenes.

Photographer and artist Christopher Makos talks about the ‘70s and ‘80s nightlife scene, his legendary tenure at Interview magazine and being besties with Andy Warhol.

Male model turned bestselling author Brad Gooch talks about Warhol, Mapplethorpe, his former life in the fast lane, and his new biography of Keith Haring, Radiant: The Life and Lines of Keith Haring .

Legendary graphic artist Nick Egan recounts his early days in the ‘70s punk rock scene, collaborating with Malcom McClaren and Vivienne Westwood, creating iconic album covers for Bow Wow Wow, Culture Club, The Clash, and Deee-Lite, as well as directing some of the most memorable music videos of all time.

Trans icon and global superstar Amanda Lepore describes her early days as a dominatrix and original clubkid as well as becoming a muse for photographer David Lachapelle and designer Richie Rich.

The UK’s busiest drag queen, Jodie Harsh, recalls nightclubbing in the early 2000s, the life of a celebrity DJ, and her upcoming memoir, 'You Had to Be There'.

Rocky Horror legend and ‘80-era Queen of the Night Nell Campbell discusses her early days in London, the show that launched her to superstardom, and her oh-so-chic eponymous nightclub.

Actress/Performance Artist/Singer/Downtown Icon Ann Magnuson talks with Randy and James about growing up in Appalachia, moving to New York City in the ‘70s, and operating the legendary Club 57. We also discuss her roles on the big screen in  The Hunger  opposite David Bowie,  Making Mr. Right , and on television’s  Anything But Love  with Jamie Lee Curtis & Richard Lewis.

Director Susan Seidelman sits down with Randy, Fenton, and James to discuss her underground ’80s punk classic Smithereens, working with Madonna on Desperately Seeking Susan, and her new book Desperately Seeking Something.

Original Club Kid turned high-end fashion designer Richie Rich relives his early days in the San Francisco club scene and being in the Ice Capades with Kristy Yamaguchi and Rudy Galindo. He also discusses his iconic fashion line Heatherette and collaborations with Boy George, David Lachapelle and Pamela Anderson. And, of course, Michael Alig and the Club Kids.

Party promoter, editor, nightlife photographer, and longtime friend of WOW, Trey Speegle recalls life in the early ‘80s East Village scene, creating Straight to Hell magazine, and his iconic Bad Boys parties at Danceteria.

Fashion icon/cable TV pioneer Lauren Ezersky gives Fenton, Randy, and James the lowdown on her long-running series "Behind the Velvet Ropes" which ran from 1989 until 2012. The timeless beauty with the voice of a velvet foghorn spills the tea about interviews with Alexander McQueen, Halston, Karl Lagerfeld and more!