Queertowne Enters Its Podcast Era

Queertowne contains multitudes.

Originally a live comedy variety show at the now shuttered Coldtowne/I Luv Video venue, then metamorphed in the wild early-pandemic days into Queerantine on Coldtowne’s Twitch channel, this ever-changing amalgamation of hosts Mase Kerwick, Javier Ungo, and Laura de la Fuente finds itself now joining the podcast era.

The new format, Kerwick tells me over Zoom, seeks to interview and elevate the queer and trans people of ATX. "It really goes back to the name of the show itself, Queertowne,” Kerwick says, “like, highlighting this town of queers, and all of the amazing stories that they bring to the table.”

However, this Queertowne isn’t quite like the ones before it. Rather than being comedy forward, Kerwick explains that the podcast guests inform the tone – light, emotional, or a combination of levity and heaviness. Most important to the show, Kerwick says, is creating a space to be vulnerable about what it’s like being queer in the Lone Star State. “It was needed. It was time to sort of have that community gathering spot and work through some of these topics in real time, because this is a heavy ass moment to be out in Texas.”

Currently standing at four episodes with more on the way, Queertowne digs into the stories of queer Austin legends like Chorizo Funk and Michael Barnes, as well as tapping into the hosts’ natural chemistry with each other (while they sip natural wines, of course). Having a wide variety of guests and topics was important, Kerwick says, especially in order to provide multiple viewpoints on Austin as a city. From Barnes, who at 67 has been in Austin since 1984, to ACLU of Texas’ Adri Perez, who moved to Austin in August of last year, each perspective shows a different angle on the ever-changing city. “It's been very illuminating,” Kerwick says. “And as a native Austinite, it's really kind of challenged some of my own beliefs about the city that I live in … I think we all know that the city is changing a lot, but Adri in particular had so much hope and optimism for this city. And I was like, I should feel more optimistic about my hometown too.”

The desire to delve deeper into the Austin LGBTQIA community was particularly inspired by the devastating Winter Storm Uri. Kerwick recalls a sense of rage following the storm’s effects – including a house fire across the street from him taking three lives – and subsequently the impersonal comedy of the previous Queertowne iterations became harder to approach. “I began to sort of crave these bigger picture conversations about who queer and trans people fundamentally are, and all of the ways that make us interesting, and also kind of boring.” After serious discussion with Ungo and de la Fuente on where to take the show next, Kerwick says they decided an evolution was in order – leading to Queertowne, the podcast.

While de la Fuente is soon to be an ex-Austinite once she moves to L.A., the podcast will continue to center around the 512 area’s queer citizens and all they have to offer. One highlight of the podcast format, Kerwick mentions, is being able to invite the audience in as a sort-of fourth dinner guest – so consider this your informal invitation to grab some wine and sit down at the Queertowne table. We’re all qmmunity here.

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Queertowne is available on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and most other podcast platforms. Keep up with episode drops by following their Twitter, @Queertowne.