March 19, 2025 • 42 mins
Gregory Powell brings his sharp wit and design expertise to the podcast, sharing the remarkable journey that led him from New York's television industry back to his hometown of Pittsburgh. What began as a simple complaint about facial pain during a family visit in 2018 quickly escalated to a life-changing diagnosis: stage four adenoid cystic carcinoma, an incredibly rare cancer affecting his salivary gland.
Rather than surrendering to circumstance, Gregory approached his hospital stay with characteristic flair—ordering Japanese kimonos, using vintage silverware for hospital meals, and creating a "creative deck" specifying acceptable flower arrangements for visitors. This refusal to surrender his identity perfectly encapsulates Gregory's perspective on life's challenges: "When they're telling you 'we have to fix this right now,' you don't have time to think 'why me?' You just go into action mode."
After recovering just as COVID hit in early 2020, Gregory pivoted professionally into design production for HGTV, where his ability to solve problems under pressure made him invaluable on shows like "Trixie Motel." He describes the delicate balance of managing reality TV production schedules against construction timelines, often requiring creative solutions when materials don't arrive on time.
Throughout our conversation, Gregory offers candid insights into dating in what he calls "the Paris of Appalachia," describing Pittsburgh's social scene as a "yearbook" where everyone knows everyone's history. His perspective on relationships at this stage of life is refreshingly mature—maintaining separate homes even in committed relationships, valuing independence alongside connection.
From naming his chickens after fashion icons to having his dog Louis upgraded to first class while he remained in coach, Gregory's stories blend humor with authentic reflection on creating a meaningful life after facing mortality. His journey reminds us that maintaining our personal style and humor through life's greatest challenges isn't just about survival—it's about thriving on your own terms.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ryan no-called no-show and was like I lost my
phone last night.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah, we were peeing behind a dumpster and we got a
public urination together.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I was like it's my 21st and the bartender's like
you have been coming in here forlike over a year.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi there, this is Mocktails Are Messy and you're
with.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Ryan Frankowski.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
And Kelly Msgorski.
Sorry, we're like we've beenthrown a curveball right now
because we just had our guestsshow up and we're so excited.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I know we have the infamous, the famous, the
world-renowned.
Am I saying?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
that right Renowned.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
World-renowned Gregory Powell.
Let's go, gregory.
The world renowned, am I sayingit right?
Renowned?
World renowned, gregory Powell.
Let's go, gregory.
Thank you for coming to thestudio today.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, I'm really excited to be on Hot Ones.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh my, god, hot Ones.
What's Hot Ones?
Well, I'm the hot one I knowyou little slut, you always are
with the fashion.
Look at those.
Can you put the shoe up to thecam?
Show me that.
My God, gregory, I don't knowif you can see it.
Those are fucking fresh.
Kelly, thought you weretowering over her.
Now you know why he's got atwo-inch heel on.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh well, he's still tall.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I know I love it.
They're like spaceman shoes.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
They're like shiny, like a bully, though Tin man
shoes.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
He is probably the most direct New Yorker
Pittsburgher that I know.
You do not make me feel warmand fuzzy in a good way.
In a good way You're fuckingreal Cheers to that.
And what the fuck are wedrinking?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I don't know this is what you provide.
Okay, we do have champagne.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yes, yes, I don't know, this is what you provide.
Okay, we do have champagne.
Yes, yes, and, gregory, I'm sosorry that we brought you like
some of the Ooh Corbelle.
Yeah, have you ever had thatbefore?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
What are the tasting notes, Ryan?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
It's a nice little.
Well, actually Is it a?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
champagne, or is it just a?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
bottom barrel sparkling beverage.
He would say bottom barrel,bottom of the barrel.
But you preemptively decided tobring your own stuff to the
studio.
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Why did you bring your own?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
stuff.
I brought my own because I knowRyan.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And you didn't trust him.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I didn't trust him to actually do it.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
For anybody else that appears on the show there was
no writer submission.
I didn't get asked about greenM&Ms in my dressing room or
anything else.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Right Shit.
So you really didn't know thatI literally just put that back
in there.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I was like if.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I show up here and this bitch serves me White Claw
and a can I'm going to lose itWell, thank God, you brought
your own shit.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Hey, what did you bring the last?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
time Ryan was at my house, he brought me a hostess
gift of a six pack of Iron Citybeer of a six pack of Iron City
beer.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Iron shitty, yeah, I'm so fucking stupid.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Why did I think that was a good idea To a Christmas
party it?
Speaker 1 (02:49):
was like here, babe, oh no, no, ryan, no.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So what did you bring for yourself then?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh I, brought myself a dirty martini, oh my.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
God Whip it out, you are spicy Show me that dirty
dick.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, whip it out honey.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I'm sorry, dirty martini.
Wait, what did you just say?
I mean, you know this littlekitty cat.
He's been all over New York andPittsburgh.
If you know what I mean, I know.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well, we're going to watch you.
Will you explain how you'remaking it?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I pre-made it.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I made a batch cocktail at home okay uh, it's
kettle, one with filthy, dirtyolive juice.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Oh there, you love always as filthy wow, you're a
menace.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I know it's okay, I brought a glass to share.
Oh my god, you love a goodfucking mix of double fisted I
will say are you?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
you know that I'm gonna drink?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
no you know that you know better than that right
yours is over, I that yours wasover.
I'm boring right.
Yeah, yeah but you pulled upwith me right.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
He's off his rocker today, so we're good, we're all
good.
I'm a little caffeinated he.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
last time I was at his Christmas, like last time
was it your Christmas party thelast time?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, but I saw you.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I love his.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
like it was after Christmas, Like it was the
Christmas which it was like thebetween Christmas and New Year's
vibe.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That's a good vibe, yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I know, I know he's got like the cutest fucking
house up on the hill.
It's got a good overview of thecity of Pittsburgh oh wow, he's
living that big life yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Big boy, big problem.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I know I want the best of both worlds.
I want like the farm and I wantthe house on the hill.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
So I have that in Pittsburgh, because I also have
chickens.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Wait.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Okay, he literally is your spirit animal Honey.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I just ordered 14 chickens.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Oh, amazing, from where Stromberger, myers, myers,
hatchery?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I just heard that like there's a good alive rate
where they show up and they'realive still.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So I'm excited.
They come like a day old in themail and they ship very well,
it's weird.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, that's so weird .
Yeah, maybe they don't need tolike eat a lot on the first day.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
They were meant to me .
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yes, I'm going to be like uh, how many do you have?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I had five, but we're down to three.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But they were all named Designers.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
What are their names?
So we had Thank you, well,fashion people.
So we had Franca Sassani, annaWintour, andre Leon Talley,
grace Coddington Is that four orfive.
Grace Coddington.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Four, four.
And then who was the last one?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Oscar de la Renta.
I forget the last one.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
But one of them died.
One of them died and then I gota new one, and she became Heidi
Plume.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
That is so cute.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Heidi Plume like Klum right, so did any animals get
them?
No?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You have a nice cage dog, some of them got like one
of them got Rynek, which is likethis weird thing that happens,
where they just kind of I don'tknow, I'm got ryanek which is
like this weird thing thathappens, where they just kind of
I don't know, I'm not aveterinarian, yeah, I'm not into
animal cruelty.
Yeah, I, just they.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I believe they died of natural causes because
everybody else was happy, I getit okay cheers, cheers to the
martini drinkers dirty martini.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Okay, that's good yeah, yeah, because she had one
at um cobra kai.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It was straight, it was just straight salt oh, it
was like disgusting, and I'veactually this is only the second
dirty martini I've had oh,because that one ruined it.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
That one ruined it for me um he is like a fast
learner, so we'll get you in,thank you, is that like an?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
insult.
Are you trying to be likefacetious?
No, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Because she is.
I think he was being kind.
Oh, I just didn't think, ormaybe like he thought oh, what a
dumb blonde.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, see, that's what.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I thought he was going with that I don't know.
We're both blondes.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I know he's got the blonde going on.
Are you going to grow it out,are you going to keep it, or
what's going on with this bleachblonde I like?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
it.
I don't know Right now.
It's a weird situation.
I just have not beenmaintaining it, but everyone
thinks I have balayage.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I like it.
Oh, it does look like abalayage.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
And.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I'm allowed to touch it, did you?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
color it before, but the rest of it's my natural.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
So how did you two meet?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Okay, so Ryan and I met.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Don't tell me the worst parts, right Tell all the
parts, only the worst parts,okay cool.
Try to be nice on this one,just put your head down.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So Ryan and I met in New York in I want to say,
probably 2017.
Okay, I was art directing apilot for a show.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
No oh no, that was another one.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
It was a podcast attempting to be a TV show, so
it's a little hard to home rightnow, but it was called Don't Be
an Idiom and it was like anacademic situation and we were
filming at this big catholicschool outside of new york and
queens and the bronx or thebronx yeah riverdale I don't
(07:54):
know.
Yeah, you probably rememberthose parts because of your
situation.
So to get to the point is, weneeded an art, pa and um and the
guy was this productionassistant.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Yes, a production assistant department, because
you are a world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I was the art director um, my buddy was the
production designer.
So we got Ryan's info from theproducer and I looked at the
number and I was like, oh, 412,girly.
So then I talked to him on thephone and I like couldn't get
over his accent.
So I was like we have to hirethe guy from Pittsburgh.
He sounds so funny.
(08:33):
So Ryan comes to set and lo andbehold, we were also like, oh,
he's a cute one so it was funthe first day yeah, but I heard
of the first day we ride back inthe shuttle to the city and he
and I are on like 23rd Streetand he's like, oh, I'm going to
my friend Carson Chrisley'sChristmas party tonight.
(08:54):
Do you want to come?
And I was like, ooh, I don'tknow.
We got to be on set tomorrow at5 am.
I was like don't mess this up.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Have a good night.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But I'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Oh, he messed it up, didn't he Brian?
Speaker 1 (09:07):
no called, no showed what Until about halfway through
the day and then showed up andwas like I lost my phone last
night.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
No, he didn't.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Had somebody else's phone.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I kept the phone.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I don't know.
You showed up claiming that youhad lost your phone.
He may have and that was thereason why you missed it,
because you couldn't rememberthe address and you couldn't
book a car.
But you came and then wetortured you for the rest of the
day because it was a set thatwas like a school classroom with
tons of books, and so therewere six bookcases that needed
(09:42):
to be unloaded at the end of theday and there was a way to get
out with a ramp and there was away to get out with having to go
down a flight of steps withboxes of books.
So we made Ryan do all thebooks down the steps to the
truck.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So now we need to know the truth.
Ryan, did you lose your phone,or was that an excuse because
you were too drunk and hungover?
I feel like.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I was too drunk and hungover phone.
Or was that an excuse becauseyou were?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
too drunk and hung over.
I was too drunk and hung over.
Yeah, I think that that waspretty clear.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You could see through that yeah, but it also wouldn't
surprise me because I feel likethose drunken days why I'm
sober right now yes because Iwould always break my phone I
would always lose my phone Iwould.
It just felt like it was like anever-ending battle so I'm
constantly losing your wallettoo, I know I know, I know.
So I feel very fortunate.
It's okay that he lost hiswallet.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
He doesn't have any money in it, that's true.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, that's true, you're so bitchy, but this is
what I love about Gregory.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You told me, this was your roast.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I am actually looking for that.
I want you to bring someroasting.
I mean, I'm not like, like I'msupposed to it, but thank you
for putting up with me and notfucking firing my ass.
Yeah, you did, great did youdid.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Were you at that point you're like, well, it's
halfway through the day, wedon't fucking need you well,
that's where we were like lethim show up, let's see how bad
he is, and then let's see if wecan torture him right, but
because we could very quicklytell you were just hung over and
messed up, not like actuallyhaving a problem you probably
looked like shit I probably did.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
You came in the same outfit as the day before oh my
god, oh my god, are you fuckingkidding me?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
you probably smelled like shit I think you know what
it was.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I probably passed out somewhere and yeah, I think you
came straight from the party,oh, gosh fucking you really did
used to be that way, though, andI forget.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I forget how bad it was, and this is why he's sober
guys cheers congratulationscongratulations.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yes, oh my god but can I just say thank you,
gregory, for not just writing meoff.
He still.
I don't know if you ever hiredme again, but he's still.
We remain friends yeah, exactlywell gregory, what brought you
to pittsburgh?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
oh, this is where it gets dark.
Oh, so in 2018, I came back topittsburgh and I was home for
the weekend and so you're fromhere?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
yeah, I grew up here, okay I went to kappa high
school.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Shout out to kappa high school okay all the artists
go there I, I thought so yeah.
Yeah, but so yeah, I was homevisiting my parents and I
complained about having somepain in my face and my mom was
like you've complained aboutthis too long as like a strong,
armed Pittsburgh woman would do.
And she's like you're comingwith me.
(12:19):
We're going to my friend.
He's a doctor.
I have a Botox appointment.
He's going to check you out.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Where was the pain?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
it was in the left side of my face and my cheek and
just like hurt yeah, it justhurt all the time.
I thought I had tmj and so Iwent to the j.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I don't know what your jaw is like.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Your muscle here gets really like from like chewing
bubble gum too much oh yeah, orsucking dick yeah, yeah, exactly
, yeah, good old fashion sports,you know, taking one for the
team over and over again, um.
But so I went to a doctor withher and the guy was just like,
oh my god, he's like there'ssomething really, really wrong.
I'm calling, I'm calling myprofessor from medical school.
(12:59):
He's gonna see you immediatelygo right there.
And then it just spiraled outand they were like you have
cancer, you have stage fourcancer, you have to do crazy
surgery, like, and it just likemy body took over my life with
health care for like two and ahalf years and then the end of
all of that was, fantastically,january 2020 and so oh, then
(13:21):
covid starts, and yes, and thencovid starts, so I was ready to
like go travel the world andhave like the best, like fuck
off year ever, and so, oh, thencovid starts, and yes, and then
covid starts.
So I was ready to like go travelthe world and have like the
best, like fuck off year ever,and so got stuck in pittsburgh
now, okay now but you never lookback.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Was there a?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
bump or anything like .
What can we tell people to likelook for?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
because that's I don't know it's like a really,
really rare cancer.
It's called adenoid cysticcarcinoma.
It started in my salivary glandand it's like I don't know who.
If anybody fax checks me, Idon't really know all the
details but at one point in timesomething in the research was
like that it's like less thanlike, I think, a hundred
thousand cases globally a year,so out of like eight billion
(13:57):
people or whatever is on earthlike so so you had to do like
radiation and stuff.
Surgery radiation and then achemo pill.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
What was that like for you going through all that?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I mean it was insane.
I'm on the other side of it nowin like a manageable care
situation of like knowing mybody and checkups with the
doctors and stuff, but I mean itwas pretty insane.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
How did your body feel?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
I mean, yeah, like they, I was in the hospital for
two weeks they like.
Yeah, rebuilt my face withsections of my leg, of my
hamstring and stuff wow, butalso I was such a little cunt,
you can't even tell, though I II sent submitted to all of my
friends and family um a creativedeck of acceptable flowers
(14:48):
types of arrangements.
I also spent time going tothrift stores and getting hotel
silver to serve myself and thehospital food, and then ordered
kimonos from Japan.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I love you.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So, even though I was laid off, I made the hospital
as glamorous as I could.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
That's totally fine.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
No, that's amazing Knowing you're going in for two
weeks, like that's kind of.
What you gotta do is just belike I'm gonna make the best out
of this and then one of myfriends knew.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So you're laying there in the hospital bed with a
kimono on.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yes, 100% Fuck yes and like vintage silverware.
Do you have any pictures ofthat?
Um I can, I'll show youafterwards.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
If you do and you're comfortable sharing, you should
send it to us so we can post itlike you know, we'll remind you
okay I think that that should bea message.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yes, so you put out yeah, I'm so sick of hospitals,
so many people don't get toprepare for something like that.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
so like I had like two months to prepare because
there were so many doctorsinvolved, so I just was like I
have to make the most fun out ofthis.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Right, yeah, and you've always been optimistic,
even though you can be a littlesassy.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah, you got to make fun and stuff and laugh through
it.
So sometimes it comes across asmisery, but sometimes it's fun.
You're a comedian.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
That's super inspiring.
You sound so positive, like onthe other side of it were you
like?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
were you as positive during the process or were you a
little bit like?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
it's one of those situations and it's like until
anybody else is in it, but it'slike, really just like a it's go
time mentality, because youcan't really like sit around and
be like woe was me or like whydid this happen?
This is so messed up.
If only something else went adifferent way.
When they're also like we likehave to go right now to fix this
(16:33):
.
You don't really have a lot oftime to think about stuff like
that, so that was kind ofempowering.
That makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Thank God you guys did have like access to these
type of doctors, surgeonshospitals, yeah, exactly.
I mean, yes, you have a lot ofoffer in New York.
But I mean, do you feel likehaving your family here and
being with them?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yeah, no, my family was super supportive and all
that stuff, and then after allof that, I ended up starting to
work in HGTV, so I've been adesign producer of HGv for like
um the past, I think six yearsnow so how does that work?
Speaker 2 (17:08):
is there like specific shows that you did do,
or yeah, yeah, um, okay, can youtell us more about that?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
yeah, so one of the best shows that I've ever done
is tricksy motel.
Season one in palm springs.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Okay, and so we.
I need to watch that.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
We did an eight-room motel.
It's available on Max if youhave a Max subscription.
All different theme roomsdesigned by Danny Daisy and then
starring Trixie Mattel and herthen partner, david Silver.
It's amazing.
We turned a little motel into apink palace.
It was lots of celebrity gueststars like Orville Pack.
(17:44):
Leslie Jordan RIP was on motelinto a pink palace and it was
like lots of celebrity gueststars like Orville Peck.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Leslie Jordan RIP was on Nicole Byer.
It was so fun, that sounds somuch fun, so you are doing a lot
of like camera stuff, no, no.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I am a design producer, so I oversee the
execution of the design.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Okay, so you're making sure everything looks
good.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Making sure everything looks good.
Also, scene work on an HGTVshow, like stepping out a DIY
and the process on those things.
Reality TV plus construction isalways really fun because
deadlines don't match TVschedules.
So when your vendor's like, ohsorry, the Zelaj tile that the
(18:26):
designer picked out is still inmorocco and we need it for
on-camera work in two days, I'mthe one that's like driving to
17 different home depots gettingoptions and being like they
have enough square footage ofwhat we need right like matching
it or figuring out a solution.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
You're like actually making it all happen exactly.
Wow.
So that was the one thing Iadmired about greg.
He does not.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
He's cool under pressure yeah, he doesn't stress
, or if you do, stresseverything can be figured out,
it just is like you really haveto sit down yeah and anytime
that there's like drama orsomething where it's like to me,
I'm always like what's thepoint?
And being like you drop theball yeah, like that's something
that could be discussed laterof like, yeah, whether we want
(19:10):
to keep you as part of the teamor it's like you know what I
mean.
It's like those kind of things.
But like in the moment, likewhy?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
rip someone apart.
Right, exactly, that makessense, I mean yeah, like that
time that we you know when Idropped the ball, you didn't
make me feel shitty in themoment, but you definitely put
me to work hard, and then younever hired me again.
Well, would you?
I think you did, I think youdid it that I think I moved away
and you were like yeah, this isan easy one for you.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Maybe you have a chance for redemption now that
you're sober.
I want to.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I really want to.
I've been bugging, I've been inhis ear a little bit, but he's
been all all over the fuckingplace.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now the table's in turn, because he brought me here
.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Exactly, I love it.
I love you're on my turf now.
Because, he's used to being incharge.
Now we're in charge, are we?
Speaker 2 (19:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I mean I don't think this one could ever get charged
on or be like.
He's such an alpha.
I don't know if anybody canlike fucking, be like, right,
right.
What are you trying to ask?
Me right, I feel like I don'tthink you would ever let
somebody be in charge yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
I let people be in charge.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
I work well with others I think he would I don't
know the last one he talked tome about on one of these jobs.
He was like this is reallyfucking annoying, I'm done he
literally quit.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I did quit one job because the designer refused to
call me Gregory.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Oh well, that's not okay.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, I identified myself.
Yeah, two months ofpre-production, remotely just
being like hi, I'm Gregory, whatthe hell did they want to call
you.
And she kept being like oh,your name's so hard for me, Can
I just call you greg and I?
was like gosh it's really notthat hard and then kept being
like none of the constructioncrews are going to be able to
call you that, like blah, blah,blah, and yeah, it just got to
(20:55):
the point two weeks intoproduction.
After that I was like I'm good,I don't want to be in this
situation anymore, so I leftliterally, I would have done the
same thing like yeah yeah,that's bullshit, yeah no, no, it
wasn't.
It wasn't really good.
They weren't a great person.
And I think their show'scanceled now.
So, I won't say the name oftheir show but he's never going
to do that.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
He's always he's.
He's keeping his reputationsintact, and you know yeah
burning bridges here, not in thecity of bridges, oh my God, not
in the city of bridges,pittsburgh, people don't realize
that Pittsburgh.
So tell us how you feel aboutbeing in Pittsburgh, because
when we connected, reconnected,I was like, thank God, I have my
LA boy, my New York boy, Likehe gives me that sense of
(21:37):
creativity.
So like, how do you feel with adifferent shift in living in
this?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
you know, I mean Pittsburgh's weird it is weird.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Let's explain this to people that don't live here how
can we describe it, gregory?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I don't know.
It's the Paris of Appalachia, Iguess is the easiest way to put
it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Holy crap, did you just come up with that on your
own that is a saying
Speaker 1 (22:06):
that people say.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Oh, I never heard it.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
So, really Paris?
Yeah, the Paris of Appalachia.
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I guess it is like the little gold Appalachia, but
Paris.
No, come on, it's not Paris of.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Appalachia.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Of Appalachia, yes.
Paris of the world, no.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Well, I'm just confused, because I would maybe
describe it as more of like.
It might be like a little moreNew.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
York of Appalachia.
Yeah, we're the highest culturepoint of Appalachia, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
But Paris is a little bit more romantic and European.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
You're not helping.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You're not helping, okay, we have gray skies and
rain all the time Bridges outthe wazoo.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
What more do you want from a place Right?
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Hey, I do think that the food is.
We put french fries on salad.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Okay, yeah, and I don't actually Okay, speaking of
that, I don't really like that,I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
But You're awful and no one will ever love you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
This is the real Gregory Powell.
Please stand up.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
But hey, the food here is good the food here is
good, I know, but for sure, forsure.
So do you like Permanis?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yes, Okay, yeah, permanis is good, but not like
Permanis, no, it's Permanis Getover yourself.
It's definitely Permanis, theysay in Florida Permanis.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well, they can go.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, they're in Florida.
Nothing good has ever come outof Florida.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Thank you Amen, amen, nothing has ever had good had
come out of that place.
There's more sunshine there.
Yeah, Well, she kind of likesit.
I don't know why I like thesunshine.
I mean there are parts Miami.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Welcome to Miami.
I just like the beach.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
No.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Let her be Please.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
We'll let you be baby .
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Okay.
So, gregory, what is yourdating life looking like?
Speaker 3 (23:49):
He's a little man.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Cause it's tough, Like in Pittsburgh, right or no?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
the streets are tough yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
He asked me like a week ago or no, it was a month
ago.
You were like so are you datinganybody in Pittsburgh?
I'm like laughing.
I'm like how you feel too, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
No comment yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
He's playing the best , no no, the apps are rough.
The apps are rough, for sure.
Scratch, grind, tinder, bumble.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, we do what we have to do to get by.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I mean, I feel like any Sniffies.
I mean that's the new one.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
But I think truth, truthfully, the apps are rough
with everybody, right?
I don't know, I just feel, likein other cities.
Maybe it's just because youshow up and everybody wants to,
like you know, be on you, so tospeak, because you're new, like
they want to collect the newpokemon that's in town.
But um it's a lot of the samefaces.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Let's say it's not as large it's like a yearbook it's
like a small community.
It's a yearbook.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
It's a yearbook, and you're in there, done that.
The toughest thing for me inpittsburgh has always been a
lack of anonymity.
When you go out like living ina city like new york and la when
you go out you can go out withyour group of friends and
everybody's like.
But when you go out inpittsburgh with your group of
friends and you end up going inthe back of the bar and making
out with someone, they're likeoh my God, how do you know,
(25:10):
Steven?
Yeah, Can I just have a momentto enjoy something for a second?
Right?
They're like that's so-and-so'sex.
They do this.
This is their parents.
I know their neighbor and theywent to middle school with my
cousin.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Oh God, oh god.
I know you wouldn't think oh,pittsburgh's a small town, but
it is I mean particularly thegay community.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
We only have like three gay bars now here, I know,
and you took me to one reallygood one, mary's, and this was
the time that you were like, andI tried to not be because I
think the sober me is more likecognizant of like hey, you're
with your friends, you're notgonna just like disappear, like
you used to drunk, and like justfind it like a rando and make
out the whole night and then goback to their place and then
(25:53):
you're like your friends arelike worried about you, like
where the fuck did franco go?
so this particular person,uh-huh, was starting to come up
to me, like you saw at thatplace, yeah, mary's, and they
were being like kind ofaggressive.
But I wanted to hang out withmy friends and I wanted to be
like, but I was like you knowwhat, I'll entertain it.
And then little little be known.
(26:14):
I try to like connect with themafter because I was like, okay,
we're gonna actually just havea great time like me, you, max,
I think we were with two otherpeople and then I try to hang
out with this person, like acouple like you know, like
what's going on, like you wantedto hang out, and then they just
said hi, ryan, sorry, I've beencrazy busy with work and stuff.
(26:37):
It's great running into you atmary's.
I'm not sure our paths willcross again, but right now I'm
just not looking to build anynew connections at this time.
Wish you the best.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Ew lame.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
I mean I was like okay, why did you?
But that I think maybe thealcohol for them.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
You know, I don't know, that's just weird behavior
.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Well then he had another guy that threatened to
blow his ass.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
That sounds like somebody that flirted what was
that about you?
Sold that.
That sounds like somebody thatflirted with you that then got
cagey because either a they havea boyfriend b, they weren't
prepared to deliver on the checkthat they're writing yeah yeah
that sounds like some, I don'twant my boyfriend or this guy.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I went on three dates and now I decided we're dating
definitely yeah, oh well, like Iwould totally respect it and
like I respect it and like Ithink it was just like that's
the kind of shit that's beenhappening in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, it's a very booed up kind of place.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
This guy got mad because he wouldn't meet up with
them and he threatened to beathim up if he ever sees him.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
By not hooking up with them, weird right that's
real weird and then.
But that's definitely some ryanshit yeah, that's definitely a
ryan story well.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And then the last one I'll say and I want to get your
opinion on this, because heknows me, he knows the culture,
we know each other so well, eventhough we have really not spent
that much time together overthe years.
But I think in some way, like Ido not understand, the last one
was like a gen z okay, and theywere like upset with me that I
(28:14):
didn't like console them afterthe election oh, I remember that
one, yeah they were just like.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Hey, sorry, I haven't been responsive how much were
you hanging out with them beforethis?
Speaker 3 (28:26):
like twice, three times maybe twice, three times.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
It was no.
What are the durations?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
oh, it's just more like did you stay the night?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
never did you stay the night, did you do activities
that weren't hookups?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
probably, I mean was I watch a movie.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Did you hold hands?
Probably, oh yeah yeah, butconsult me after the election,
though, like what I mean justreaching out after the election
with how awful it went to justbe like, hey, how are you doing
today if it was someone you werespending time with?
Speaker 3 (29:00):
well, no, I don't think it was that serious.
I think it was just I kind ofsaid to people like I didn't
really go into that dark placebecause I was still trying to
just like pretend like nothingwas happening.
I blacked it out and so for meI was just like I guess I should
have said how are you?
Speaker 1 (29:18):
but they were really offended well, were they really
political like?
Were they campaigning beforeand, like you, knew that that
was a part of their life.
I didn't actually.
Here's ryan, though that's likeI.
I had no idea like we flashedto a jump cut of the person's
house and it's like everydemocratic sign in the windows
and he's like there were nosigns.
(29:39):
I had no idea.
How would I know?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
He knows me so well, he does know you.
You are so like, how like youare like this with all of your
friends you are the air, you arevery observant, or you're very
like, fucking, like you will putit to them, like you'll be,
like you, fucking idiot, likeyou, fucking bitch.
Oh, I'm not calling peopleidiots, not like mean spirited,
(30:05):
but like you're.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
that's what we love about gregory I just see the
calls and I say them out loud tomy, to my own, fuck going on my
mouth sometimes some people arejust more insightful.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Gregory's insightful yes yes, he's not a space cadet,
like you know poppin adderall,oh my god.
But I do think that nice thingabout gregory is he brings a
little bit of creativity to theberg and, you know, has all
these really good events, thesegood parties, like for the
(30:39):
golden globes party he goteverybody together.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I do like entertaining, I like putting out
a big entertainer yeah and it'sa good spread.
It's not like pizza fromfucking pasquale's pizza all
right, yeah, and I'm not someonethat's like let's go to costco
and just open a bunch of thingsright, oh my gosh, I mean at the
very least at the very leastreplay right, yes, right, and
make your own damn dip for thecrudite, I know right, oh my God
(31:06):
.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
See, that's the thing .
And then I'm always like, whatcan I bring?
What can I bring to Gregory'sevent?
And he's like, please don'tbring anything, because you're
going to fuck it up.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Not even that.
I just one time a friend.
You know who you are if youhear this and you know I love
you, love you, but showed upwith a catering order of Wendy's
which I was mortified about.
But in the end I put it out ona very nice tray, conveniently
stacked, and there was not asingle one left.
(31:34):
It was like the perfect hit ofthe party.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
It was good, I think I was there.
I was there, but I didbeautiful other things and then
was like oh, let me put thesepaper-wrapped burgers on a plate
in the middle of my table thatthat was still not a good call,
because they were still like no,but they were so good they were
by the end of the night youwere like, oh yeah, I'll have a.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
I'll have like a smash burger yeah, yeah so what
is your messiest story to dateup?
Speaker 3 (32:04):
drunken activity of debauchery?
Like just the nastiest messy,like embarrassing story.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
I mean, I don't really get that messy.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I mean, this is a funny this is.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I guess this is kind of the messiest, but this is
cute.
So when I was in college Ilived in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Temple.
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
This is almost 20 years ago at this point so I can
?
I can say this withoutimplicating anyone, but there
was a bar I loved going tocalled tavern on kamak.
It still exists and I lived halfa block away and I had a fake
id and I used to go in there allthe time and it was the night
of my 21st birthday and I wentin with some friends and we're
sitting at the bar havingcocktails and I was like it's my
(32:49):
21st and the bartender's likeyou have been coming in here for
like over a year.
What are you talking?
About and I was like no, butnow it's my real birthday.
Oh shit, did he get pissed?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
they were a little grumpy, but they were like okay,
fine, fine, I know, I mean thefact that you said it.
I would have been like oh, fuckshit, what.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Never mind, I'm actually 22.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
This is my 22nd.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
No, that's a good one , that's.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Gregory for you.
He does not get too fucked.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
A good Pittsburgh story, though, of being underage
and being drunk and messy.
So there used to be.
You got arrested.
No, I've never been arrested.
Thank god, knock on wood, wehave um, so velveteers back in
the day used to have like inlarryville, right in larryville
and this is like peak, likeearly 2000s we're probably
(33:40):
talking like 2006 or 2007 andthey had a stamp at the door
that was like known and it saidyou are beautiful.
And it was kind of like a bigstamp.
It was like three inches by twoinches, and two friends and I
stole it what?
And like held it for ransom forlike two weeks and it was like
(34:00):
this is pre-social media, likebeing as big as it is now, like
we only had Facebook was likethis is pre-social media, like
being as big as it is now, likewe only had facebook, but and I
don't even think you had thelike what's on your mind section
of facebook kind of thing so wewere just like holding it
ransom and like stamping it onrandom pliers around town and
all kinds of stuff and theneventually went one night to 80s
night and just like left it onthe return.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Oh my gosh, that's funny, I know.
I know, 80s night is a goodnight to go.
Yeah, he's got all the goodfucking fabrics.
Like this guy.
He's got the fucking costumes,he's got the like, you know the
style.
I always ask him to dress mebut he's always like oh no, you
couldn't, you couldn't pull thisoff oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I mean, how many red carpet events are you going to
that you're asking me to helpyou with?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
I would love for you to help me for this coming
weekend.
What's?
This weekend it's the Oscars.
Oh, you're going to the Oscars,I am, but it's going to be
behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
So then, you don't get to dress up.
I don't.
I don't have to dress up, Ijust I have to look somewhat
cute.
I think you have to wear all.
Black is usually what people'sassistants have to wear.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Well, I said that I'm going to wear a black suit.
I'm going to wear a black suit.
I'm not going to be like blackshirt, t-shirt.
Who are you going with?
I don't know if I should say iton cam, oh.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
We'll tell you after I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I mean I'll tell you, but it's kind of another like.
So I think this is a problem.
I have the characters here.
Like we said, it's like ayearbook.
You know, when you're trying todate, like, can you imagine you
date?
I mean, she dated like my bestfriend and now she's married to
him from high school, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It's tricky in the book.
Yeah, that isn't that crazy.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Well, I guess it's tricky in the burg, like can you
imagine meeting somebody likein the burg, um, but I guess the
yearbook thing, I don't know.
I think I feel like I get these, like you know, characters that
are in out of town and like allthis stuff, and then she's like
you're a flight risk, but thenI was like I need to really
buckle down and do my own thing.
Uh-huh, right, yeah, because youknow yourself like if somebody
(36:01):
was, like you know, in anothercity, would you take off and
leave and I'm ready to go anyday if there's anyone out there
that wants to pick me up andtake me away.
Please, please, please, pleasedo but I'm just saying like,
don't you like having your likehome base here?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
and no, I love having a house.
Yes, I will always have my ownplace.
Yes, I think particularly gaymen should each have their own
home, and I think that's also afunction of just being the age
that I am now.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
If I meet someone like that is my contemporary you
don't want someone moving inwith you or you.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
They just have to have their own home too I want
them to have their own thing andI want them to also want to
maintain it because, like atthis point, I'm not meeting
someone and being like oh my god, what are we gonna do for
dishes?
What kind of yeah like whatkind of like pots?
And pans do we need?
Yeah, oh, my sofa like.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I'm like.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I've spent a lot of money and time thinking about
all these things in my life.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
I don't want to just be like, okay, fine, we can get
rid of this that I like curatedfor myself and you don't want
them to just move in and thenyou have to take care of them
exactly, yeah none of that thatmakes sense, yeah, but do you
notice a lot of people get likelonely and then they just are
totally open-minded to like hey,like come live with me and like
we'll make this little happyfamily I mean, I could do that,
(37:19):
but I would still keep my placedo you have like a dog or a cat?
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I do have a dog.
His name is louis.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
He's a pavillon, he's fantastic or those ones with,
like, the long hair on the ears.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Yes, those are cute he has like bat wings for ears
yes, I love those.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
He's so cute.
You had louis at your parentshouse for a while, right yeah,
he goes up to his grandparentsfor trips.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, yeah, he also went cross country with me.
He has several wings fromdifferent airlines.
One time a flight attendanttook him up to first and left me
and coach.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
And was just like, can I?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
just show him to people in the cabin and I was
like, yeah, fine, here's hisleash.
And they took him up andbrought him back to me.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Oh my gosh, how cute, what a lucky little dog.
So you have?
Speaker 3 (38:05):
to ask us a question.
I know you didn't come prepared, but I want you to like, ask us
a messy, or even just likesomething that you were really
just kind of trying to pull outof us, that you thought might be
important.
Oh, or maybe not, maybe itcould be just really stupid.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I think we ask every guest.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Maybe it could be just really stupid I think we
ask every guest yeah.
And nobody ever has anyquestions for us?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Well, I guess we should prep you right.
What's your messiest story ofyou two together?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Oh, when we got a public urination together.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, we peed behind a dumpster.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
On each other.
Yes, not next to each other.
I peed on her and she peed onme.
Yeah, we were peeing behind adumpster and we got a public
urination together and it waslike, yeah, how close to a
playground were you?
Speaker 3 (38:47):
luckily we didn't get in trouble with that I mean
that might be a problem onmegan's like list or whatever.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
But yeah, it definitely scarred us like we
were like it sounds pretty roughfor being 10 in the morning
right it might have been 10 inthe morning, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
I do think that.
What did do think that?
What did you think that lasttime we went out messy at Brillo
Box, like whenever we were inlike 2024.
Was it 2024?
Maybe that was like the last.
So like not a lot of peoplehere, because you haven't seen
me messy in Pittsburgh, I didn'teven think you were that messy.
So you didn't think I was thatmessy.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
No, but Ryan think you were that messy, so you
didn't think I was that messy.
No, but ryan has a tendency toget a little handsy, I do, he
does.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, with women that he doesn't know.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Your friend, yeah, he , he did a small of the back
hand placement.
Yeah, she asked him to removethe hand.
What did he do?
And then he did it again on theback.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
No, like like you were holding the tramp stamp
area.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
This woman did not have a tramp stamp, but she told
you to stop, and then he did itagain and he kept going hon,
hon, it's not that serious.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
I didn't mean it and like his natural reaction was to
like pat her on that part ofthe back even more, yeah, so it
just got cyclical.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
That was weird, yeah oh my god, and I'll never forget
that.
So that's the kind of stuff Idon't that's cringy?
Speaker 1 (40:06):
yeah, it was a little cringe it was a little tough in
the moment yeah, and you knowwhat?
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I think in some ways, like I probably always did that
and like drunk, and then I justkind of probably didn't have
like somebody that was he's likeleaning away from your hands,
like please don't touch me, ohmy god, I'm a horrible person.
Thank you for bringing that upthat's and he's.
Yeah, I am, I am I'm just likethat person and so now that I'm
(40:32):
like completely out of the youknow booze that world in that
world.
I do notice that, like I am somuch better of like a hey, don't
touch somebody unless they,like, are giving you the same
thing.
Well, gregory pal, I would liketo lighten the mood with like a
toast.
Thank you so much for justbeing in my life and making it
(40:54):
so much more fun in the bird.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Thank you for having me in yours by your neighborhood
.
Now, uh-huh, where's the mr roRogers train set, though?
That's what I'm missing.
The Mocktails or Messy'sExpress, ryan comes in, changes
his shoes, puts on a sweater.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
That's going to be episode 60.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Cheers to Gregory Powell Great to meet you guys,
thanks for getting messy with us.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Now we're going to go after dark.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Gregory Powell, we're taking you out to the Brillo
Box.
You're going to get messy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Clothes are coming off, watch out.
Thank you for listening to.
Mocktails Are Messy.
This is Kelly Mazgorski.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
And Ryan Frankofsky.
Thank you, Gregory, for comingto the studio.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Thanks for listening to.
Mocktails are Messy.
This is Gregory Powell.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Woo yeah, Gregory Cheers.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Love ya.
Are you Welsh?
No, Okay, I had a boss that waslike from Welsh.
His last name was From.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Wales.
Oh yeah, that's it.
That is actually a good one.
That's gonna be on the fucking.
No, no, take it off.
I love it Cute.
Ryan no-called no-show and was like I lost my
phone last night.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah, we were peeing behind a dumpster and we got a
public urination together.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I was like it's my 21st and the bartender's like
you have been coming in here forlike over a year.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi there, this is Mocktails Are Messy and you're
with.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Ryan Frankowski.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
And Kelly Msgorski.
Sorry, we're like we've beenthrown a curveball right now
because we just had our guestsshow up and we're so excited.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I know we have the infamous, the famous, the
world-renowned.
Am I saying?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
that right Renowned.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
World-renowned Gregory Powell.
Let's go, gregory.
The world renowned, am I sayingit right?
Renowned?
World renowned, gregory Powell.
Let's go, gregory.
Thank you for coming to thestudio today.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, I'm really excited to be on Hot Ones.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh my, god, hot Ones.
What's Hot Ones?
Well, I'm the hot one I knowyou little slut, you always are
with the fashion.
Look at those.
Can you put the shoe up to thecam?
Show me that.
My God, gregory, I don't knowif you can see it.
Those are fucking fresh.
Kelly, thought you weretowering over her.
Now you know why he's got atwo-inch heel on.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh well, he's still tall.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I know I love it.
They're like spaceman shoes.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
They're like shiny, like a bully, though Tin man
shoes.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
He is probably the most direct New Yorker
Pittsburgher that I know.
You do not make me feel warmand fuzzy in a good way.
In a good way You're fuckingreal Cheers to that.
And what the fuck are wedrinking?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I don't know this is what you provide.
Okay, we do have champagne.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yes, yes, I don't know, this is what you provide.
Okay, we do have champagne.
Yes, yes, and, gregory, I'm sosorry that we brought you like
some of the Ooh Corbelle.
Yeah, have you ever had thatbefore?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
What are the tasting notes, Ryan?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
It's a nice little.
Well, actually Is it a?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
champagne, or is it just a?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
bottom barrel sparkling beverage.
He would say bottom barrel,bottom of the barrel.
But you preemptively decided tobring your own stuff to the
studio.
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Why did you bring your own?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
stuff.
I brought my own because I knowRyan.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And you didn't trust him.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I didn't trust him to actually do it.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
For anybody else that appears on the show there was
no writer submission.
I didn't get asked about greenM&Ms in my dressing room or
anything else.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Right Shit.
So you really didn't know thatI literally just put that back
in there.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I was like if.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I show up here and this bitch serves me White Claw
and a can I'm going to lose itWell, thank God, you brought
your own shit.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Hey, what did you bring the last?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
time Ryan was at my house, he brought me a hostess
gift of a six pack of Iron Citybeer of a six pack of Iron City
beer.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Iron shitty, yeah, I'm so fucking stupid.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Why did I think that was a good idea To a Christmas
party it?
Speaker 1 (02:49):
was like here, babe, oh no, no, ryan, no.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So what did you bring for yourself then?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh I, brought myself a dirty martini, oh my.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
God Whip it out, you are spicy Show me that dirty
dick.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, whip it out honey.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I'm sorry, dirty martini.
Wait, what did you just say?
I mean, you know this littlekitty cat.
He's been all over New York andPittsburgh.
If you know what I mean, I know.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well, we're going to watch you.
Will you explain how you'remaking it?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I pre-made it.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I made a batch cocktail at home okay uh, it's
kettle, one with filthy, dirtyolive juice.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Oh there, you love always as filthy wow, you're a
menace.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I know it's okay, I brought a glass to share.
Oh my god, you love a goodfucking mix of double fisted I
will say are you?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
you know that I'm gonna drink?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
no you know that you know better than that right
yours is over, I that yours wasover.
I'm boring right.
Yeah, yeah but you pulled upwith me right.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
He's off his rocker today, so we're good, we're all
good.
I'm a little caffeinated he.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
last time I was at his Christmas, like last time
was it your Christmas party thelast time?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah, but I saw you.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
I love his.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
like it was after Christmas, Like it was the
Christmas which it was like thebetween Christmas and New Year's
vibe.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
That's a good vibe, yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I know, I know he's got like the cutest fucking
house up on the hill.
It's got a good overview of thecity of Pittsburgh oh wow, he's
living that big life yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Big boy, big problem.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I know I want the best of both worlds.
I want like the farm and I wantthe house on the hill.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
So I have that in Pittsburgh, because I also have
chickens.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Wait.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Okay, he literally is your spirit animal Honey.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I just ordered 14 chickens.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Oh, amazing, from where Stromberger, myers, myers,
hatchery?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I just heard that like there's a good alive rate
where they show up and they'realive still.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So I'm excited.
They come like a day old in themail and they ship very well,
it's weird.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, that's so weird .
Yeah, maybe they don't need tolike eat a lot on the first day.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
They were meant to me .
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yes, I'm going to be like uh, how many do you have?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I had five, but we're down to three.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But they were all named Designers.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
What are their names?
So we had Thank you, well,fashion people.
So we had Franca Sassani, annaWintour, andre Leon Talley,
grace Coddington Is that four orfive.
Grace Coddington.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Four, four.
And then who was the last one?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Oscar de la Renta.
I forget the last one.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
But one of them died.
One of them died and then I gota new one, and she became Heidi
Plume.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
That is so cute.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Heidi Plume like Klum right, so did any animals get
them?
No?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You have a nice cage dog, some of them got like one
of them got Rynek, which is likethis weird thing that happens,
where they just kind of I don'tknow, I'm got ryanek which is
like this weird thing thathappens, where they just kind of
I don't know, I'm not aveterinarian, yeah, I'm not into
animal cruelty.
Yeah, I, just they.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I believe they died of natural causes because
everybody else was happy, I getit okay cheers, cheers to the
martini drinkers dirty martini.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Okay, that's good yeah, yeah, because she had one
at um cobra kai.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
It was straight, it was just straight salt oh, it
was like disgusting, and I'veactually this is only the second
dirty martini I've had oh,because that one ruined it.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
That one ruined it for me um he is like a fast
learner, so we'll get you in,thank you, is that like an?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
insult.
Are you trying to be likefacetious?
No, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Because she is.
I think he was being kind.
Oh, I just didn't think, ormaybe like he thought oh, what a
dumb blonde.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, see, that's what.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
I thought he was going with that I don't know.
We're both blondes.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I know he's got the blonde going on.
Are you going to grow it out,are you going to keep it, or
what's going on with this bleachblonde I like?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
it.
I don't know Right now.
It's a weird situation.
I just have not beenmaintaining it, but everyone
thinks I have balayage.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I like it.
Oh, it does look like abalayage.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
And.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I'm allowed to touch it, did you?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
color it before, but the rest of it's my natural.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
So how did you two meet?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Okay, so Ryan and I met.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Don't tell me the worst parts, right Tell all the
parts, only the worst parts,okay cool.
Try to be nice on this one,just put your head down.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So Ryan and I met in New York in I want to say,
probably 2017.
Okay, I was art directing apilot for a show.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
No oh no, that was another one.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
It was a podcast attempting to be a TV show, so
it's a little hard to home rightnow, but it was called Don't Be
an Idiom and it was like anacademic situation and we were
filming at this big catholicschool outside of new york and
queens and the bronx or thebronx yeah riverdale I don't
(07:54):
know.
Yeah, you probably rememberthose parts because of your
situation.
So to get to the point is, weneeded an art, pa and um and the
guy was this productionassistant.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Yes, a production assistant department, because
you are a world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I was the art director um, my buddy was the
production designer.
So we got Ryan's info from theproducer and I looked at the
number and I was like, oh, 412,girly.
So then I talked to him on thephone and I like couldn't get
over his accent.
So I was like we have to hirethe guy from Pittsburgh.
He sounds so funny.
(08:33):
So Ryan comes to set and lo andbehold, we were also like, oh,
he's a cute one so it was funthe first day yeah, but I heard
of the first day we ride back inthe shuttle to the city and he
and I are on like 23rd Streetand he's like, oh, I'm going to
my friend Carson Chrisley'sChristmas party tonight.
(08:54):
Do you want to come?
And I was like, ooh, I don'tknow.
We got to be on set tomorrow at5 am.
I was like don't mess this up.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Have a good night.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But I'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Oh, he messed it up, didn't he Brian?
Speaker 1 (09:07):
no called, no showed what Until about halfway through
the day and then showed up andwas like I lost my phone last
night.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
No, he didn't.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Had somebody else's phone.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I kept the phone.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I don't know.
You showed up claiming that youhad lost your phone.
He may have and that was thereason why you missed it,
because you couldn't rememberthe address and you couldn't
book a car.
But you came and then wetortured you for the rest of the
day because it was a set thatwas like a school classroom with
tons of books, and so therewere six bookcases that needed
(09:42):
to be unloaded at the end of theday and there was a way to get
out with a ramp and there was away to get out with having to go
down a flight of steps withboxes of books.
So we made Ryan do all thebooks down the steps to the
truck.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So now we need to know the truth.
Ryan, did you lose your phone,or was that an excuse because
you were too drunk and hungover?
I feel like.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I was too drunk and hungover phone.
Or was that an excuse becauseyou were?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
too drunk and hung over.
I was too drunk and hung over.
Yeah, I think that that waspretty clear.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You could see through that yeah, but it also wouldn't
surprise me because I feel likethose drunken days why I'm
sober right now yes because Iwould always break my phone I
would always lose my phone Iwould.
It just felt like it was like anever-ending battle so I'm
constantly losing your wallettoo, I know I know, I know.
So I feel very fortunate.
It's okay that he lost hiswallet.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
He doesn't have any money in it, that's true.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, that's true, you're so bitchy, but this is
what I love about Gregory.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
You told me, this was your roast.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I am actually looking for that.
I want you to bring someroasting.
I mean, I'm not like, like I'msupposed to it, but thank you
for putting up with me and notfucking firing my ass.
Yeah, you did, great did youdid.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Were you at that point you're like, well, it's
halfway through the day, wedon't fucking need you well,
that's where we were like lethim show up, let's see how bad
he is, and then let's see if wecan torture him right, but
because we could very quicklytell you were just hung over and
messed up, not like actuallyhaving a problem you probably
looked like shit I probably did.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
You came in the same outfit as the day before oh my
god, oh my god, are you fuckingkidding me?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
you probably smelled like shit I think you know what
it was.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I probably passed out somewhere and yeah, I think you
came straight from the party,oh, gosh fucking you really did
used to be that way, though, andI forget.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I forget how bad it was, and this is why he's sober
guys cheers congratulationscongratulations.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yes, oh my god but can I just say thank you,
gregory, for not just writing meoff.
He still.
I don't know if you ever hiredme again, but he's still.
We remain friends yeah, exactlywell gregory, what brought you
to pittsburgh?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
oh, this is where it gets dark.
Oh, so in 2018, I came back topittsburgh and I was home for
the weekend and so you're fromhere?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
yeah, I grew up here, okay I went to kappa high
school.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Shout out to kappa high school okay all the artists
go there I, I thought so yeah.
Yeah, but so yeah, I was homevisiting my parents and I
complained about having somepain in my face and my mom was
like you've complained aboutthis too long as like a strong,
armed Pittsburgh woman would do.
And she's like you're comingwith me.
(12:19):
We're going to my friend.
He's a doctor.
I have a Botox appointment.
He's going to check you out.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Where was the pain?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
it was in the left side of my face and my cheek and
just like hurt yeah, it justhurt all the time.
I thought I had tmj and so Iwent to the j.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I don't know what your jaw is like.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Your muscle here gets really like from like chewing
bubble gum too much oh yeah, orsucking dick yeah, yeah, exactly
, yeah, good old fashion sports,you know, taking one for the
team over and over again, um.
But so I went to a doctor withher and the guy was just like,
oh my god, he's like there'ssomething really, really wrong.
I'm calling, I'm calling myprofessor from medical school.
(12:59):
He's gonna see you immediatelygo right there.
And then it just spiraled outand they were like you have
cancer, you have stage fourcancer, you have to do crazy
surgery, like, and it just likemy body took over my life with
health care for like two and ahalf years and then the end of
all of that was, fantastically,january 2020 and so oh, then
(13:21):
covid starts, and yes, and thencovid starts, so I was ready to
like go travel the world andhave like the best, like fuck
off year ever, and so, oh, thencovid starts, and yes, and then
covid starts.
So I was ready to like go travelthe world and have like the
best, like fuck off year ever,and so got stuck in pittsburgh
now, okay now but you never lookback.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Was there a?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
bump or anything like .
What can we tell people to likelook for?
Speaker 1 (13:35):
because that's I don't know it's like a really,
really rare cancer.
It's called adenoid cysticcarcinoma.
It started in my salivary glandand it's like I don't know who.
If anybody fax checks me, Idon't really know all the
details but at one point in timesomething in the research was
like that it's like less thanlike, I think, a hundred
thousand cases globally a year,so out of like eight billion
(13:57):
people or whatever is on earthlike so so you had to do like
radiation and stuff.
Surgery radiation and then achemo pill.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
What was that like for you going through all that?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I mean it was insane.
I'm on the other side of it nowin like a manageable care
situation of like knowing mybody and checkups with the
doctors and stuff, but I mean itwas pretty insane.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
How did your body feel?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
I mean, yeah, like they, I was in the hospital for
two weeks they like.
Yeah, rebuilt my face withsections of my leg, of my
hamstring and stuff wow, butalso I was such a little cunt,
you can't even tell, though I II sent submitted to all of my
friends and family um a creativedeck of acceptable flowers
(14:48):
types of arrangements.
I also spent time going tothrift stores and getting hotel
silver to serve myself and thehospital food, and then ordered
kimonos from Japan.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I love you.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
So, even though I was laid off, I made the hospital
as glamorous as I could.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
That's totally fine.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
No, that's amazing Knowing you're going in for two
weeks, like that's kind of.
What you gotta do is just belike I'm gonna make the best out
of this and then one of myfriends knew.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So you're laying there in the hospital bed with a
kimono on.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Yes, 100% Fuck yes and like vintage silverware.
Do you have any pictures ofthat?
Um I can, I'll show youafterwards.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
If you do and you're comfortable sharing, you should
send it to us so we can post itlike you know, we'll remind you
okay I think that that should bea message.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Yes, so you put out yeah, I'm so sick of hospitals,
so many people don't get toprepare for something like that.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
so like I had like two months to prepare because
there were so many doctorsinvolved, so I just was like I
have to make the most fun out ofthis.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Right, yeah, and you've always been optimistic,
even though you can be a littlesassy.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah, you got to make fun and stuff and laugh through
it.
So sometimes it comes across asmisery, but sometimes it's fun.
You're a comedian.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
That's super inspiring.
You sound so positive, like onthe other side of it were you
like?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
were you as positive during the process or were you a
little bit like?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
it's one of those situations and it's like until
anybody else is in it, but it'slike, really just like a it's go
time mentality, because youcan't really like sit around and
be like woe was me or like whydid this happen?
This is so messed up.
If only something else went adifferent way.
When they're also like we likehave to go right now to fix this
(16:33):
.
You don't really have a lot oftime to think about stuff like
that, so that was kind ofempowering.
That makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Thank God you guys did have like access to these
type of doctors, surgeonshospitals, yeah, exactly.
I mean, yes, you have a lot ofoffer in New York.
But I mean, do you feel likehaving your family here and
being with them?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yeah, no, my family was super supportive and all
that stuff, and then after allof that, I ended up starting to
work in HGTV, so I've been adesign producer of HGv for like
um the past, I think six yearsnow so how does that work?
Speaker 2 (17:08):
is there like specific shows that you did do,
or yeah, yeah, um, okay, can youtell us more about that?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
yeah, so one of the best shows that I've ever done
is tricksy motel.
Season one in palm springs.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Okay, and so we.
I need to watch that.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
We did an eight-room motel.
It's available on Max if youhave a Max subscription.
All different theme roomsdesigned by Danny Daisy and then
starring Trixie Mattel and herthen partner, david Silver.
It's amazing.
We turned a little motel into apink palace.
It was lots of celebrity gueststars like Orville Pack.
(17:44):
Leslie Jordan RIP was on motelinto a pink palace and it was
like lots of celebrity gueststars like Orville Peck.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Leslie Jordan RIP was on Nicole Byer.
It was so fun, that sounds somuch fun, so you are doing a lot
of like camera stuff, no, no.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I am a design producer, so I oversee the
execution of the design.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Okay, so you're making sure everything looks
good.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Making sure everything looks good.
Also, scene work on an HGTVshow, like stepping out a DIY
and the process on those things.
Reality TV plus construction isalways really fun because
deadlines don't match TVschedules.
So when your vendor's like, ohsorry, the Zelaj tile that the
(18:26):
designer picked out is still inmorocco and we need it for
on-camera work in two days, I'mthe one that's like driving to
17 different home depots gettingoptions and being like they
have enough square footage ofwhat we need right like matching
it or figuring out a solution.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
You're like actually making it all happen exactly.
Wow.
So that was the one thing Iadmired about greg.
He does not.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
He's cool under pressure yeah, he doesn't stress
, or if you do, stresseverything can be figured out,
it just is like you really haveto sit down yeah and anytime
that there's like drama orsomething where it's like to me,
I'm always like what's thepoint?
And being like you drop theball yeah, like that's something
that could be discussed laterof like, yeah, whether we want
(19:10):
to keep you as part of the teamor it's like you know what I
mean.
It's like those kind of things.
But like in the moment, likewhy?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
rip someone apart.
Right, exactly, that makessense, I mean yeah, like that
time that we you know when Idropped the ball, you didn't
make me feel shitty in themoment, but you definitely put
me to work hard, and then younever hired me again.
Well, would you?
I think you did, I think youdid it that I think I moved away
and you were like yeah, this isan easy one for you.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Maybe you have a chance for redemption now that
you're sober.
I want to.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I really want to.
I've been bugging, I've been inhis ear a little bit, but he's
been all all over the fuckingplace.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now the table's in turn, because he brought me here
.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Exactly, I love it.
I love you're on my turf now.
Because, he's used to being incharge.
Now we're in charge, are we?
Speaker 2 (19:56):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I mean I don't think this one could ever get charged
on or be like.
He's such an alpha.
I don't know if anybody canlike fucking, be like, right,
right.
What are you trying to ask?
Me right, I feel like I don'tthink you would ever let
somebody be in charge yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
I let people be in charge.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
I work well with others I think he would I don't
know the last one he talked tome about on one of these jobs.
He was like this is reallyfucking annoying, I'm done he
literally quit.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I did quit one job because the designer refused to
call me Gregory.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Oh well, that's not okay.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, I identified myself.
Yeah, two months ofpre-production, remotely just
being like hi, I'm Gregory, whatthe hell did they want to call
you.
And she kept being like oh,your name's so hard for me, Can
I just call you greg and I?
was like gosh it's really notthat hard and then kept being
like none of the constructioncrews are going to be able to
call you that, like blah, blah,blah, and yeah, it just got to
(20:55):
the point two weeks intoproduction.
After that I was like I'm good,I don't want to be in this
situation anymore, so I leftliterally, I would have done the
same thing like yeah yeah,that's bullshit, yeah no, no, it
wasn't.
It wasn't really good.
They weren't a great person.
And I think their show'scanceled now.
So, I won't say the name oftheir show but he's never going
to do that.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
He's always he's.
He's keeping his reputationsintact, and you know yeah
burning bridges here, not in thecity of bridges, oh my God, not
in the city of bridges,pittsburgh, people don't realize
that Pittsburgh.
So tell us how you feel aboutbeing in Pittsburgh, because
when we connected, reconnected,I was like, thank God, I have my
LA boy, my New York boy, Likehe gives me that sense of
(21:37):
creativity.
So like, how do you feel with adifferent shift in living in
this?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
you know, I mean Pittsburgh's weird it is weird.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Let's explain this to people that don't live here how
can we describe it, gregory?
Speaker 1 (21:56):
I don't know.
It's the Paris of Appalachia, Iguess is the easiest way to put
it.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Holy crap, did you just come up with that on your
own that is a saying
Speaker 1 (22:06):
that people say.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Oh, I never heard it.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
So, really Paris?
Yeah, the Paris of Appalachia.
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I guess it is like the little gold Appalachia, but
Paris.
No, come on, it's not Paris of.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Appalachia.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Of Appalachia, yes.
Paris of the world, no.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Well, I'm just confused, because I would maybe
describe it as more of like.
It might be like a little moreNew.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
York of Appalachia.
Yeah, we're the highest culturepoint of Appalachia, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
But Paris is a little bit more romantic and European.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
You're not helping.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You're not helping, okay, we have gray skies and
rain all the time Bridges outthe wazoo.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
What more do you want from a place Right?
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Hey, I do think that the food is.
We put french fries on salad.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Okay, yeah, and I don't actually Okay, speaking of
that, I don't really like that,I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
But You're awful and no one will ever love you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
This is the real Gregory Powell.
Please stand up.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
But hey, the food here is good the food here is
good, I know, but for sure, forsure.
So do you like Permanis?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Yes, Okay, yeah, permanis is good, but not like
Permanis, no, it's Permanis Getover yourself.
It's definitely Permanis, theysay in Florida Permanis.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well, they can go.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, they're in Florida.
Nothing good has ever come outof Florida.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Thank you Amen, amen, nothing has ever had good had
come out of that place.
There's more sunshine there.
Yeah, Well, she kind of likesit.
I don't know why I like thesunshine.
I mean there are parts Miami.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Welcome to Miami.
I just like the beach.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
No.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Let her be Please.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
We'll let you be baby .
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Okay.
So, gregory, what is yourdating life looking like?
Speaker 3 (23:49):
He's a little man.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Cause it's tough, Like in Pittsburgh, right or no?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
the streets are tough yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
He asked me like a week ago or no, it was a month
ago.
You were like so are you datinganybody in Pittsburgh?
I'm like laughing.
I'm like how you feel too, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
No comment yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
He's playing the best , no no, the apps are rough.
The apps are rough, for sure.
Scratch, grind, tinder, bumble.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, we do what we have to do to get by.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I mean, I feel like any Sniffies.
I mean that's the new one.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
But I think truth, truthfully, the apps are rough
with everybody, right?
I don't know, I just feel, likein other cities.
Maybe it's just because youshow up and everybody wants to,
like you know, be on you, so tospeak, because you're new, like
they want to collect the newpokemon that's in town.
But um it's a lot of the samefaces.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Let's say it's not as large it's like a yearbook it's
like a small community.
It's a yearbook.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
It's a yearbook, and you're in there, done that.
The toughest thing for me inpittsburgh has always been a
lack of anonymity.
When you go out like living ina city like new york and la when
you go out you can go out withyour group of friends and
everybody's like.
But when you go out inpittsburgh with your group of
friends and you end up going inthe back of the bar and making
out with someone, they're likeoh my God, how do you know,
(25:10):
Steven?
Yeah, Can I just have a momentto enjoy something for a second?
Right?
They're like that's so-and-so'sex.
They do this.
This is their parents.
I know their neighbor and theywent to middle school with my
cousin.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Oh God, oh god.
I know you wouldn't think oh,pittsburgh's a small town, but
it is I mean particularly thegay community.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
We only have like three gay bars now here, I know,
and you took me to one reallygood one, mary's, and this was
the time that you were like, andI tried to not be because I
think the sober me is more likecognizant of like hey, you're
with your friends, you're notgonna just like disappear, like
you used to drunk, and like justfind it like a rando and make
out the whole night and then goback to their place and then
(25:53):
you're like your friends arelike worried about you, like
where the fuck did franco go?
so this particular person,uh-huh, was starting to come up
to me, like you saw at thatplace, yeah, mary's, and they
were being like kind ofaggressive.
But I wanted to hang out withmy friends and I wanted to be
like, but I was like you knowwhat, I'll entertain it.
And then little little be known.
(26:14):
I try to like connect with themafter because I was like, okay,
we're gonna actually just havea great time like me, you, max,
I think we were with two otherpeople and then I try to hang
out with this person, like acouple like you know, like
what's going on, like you wantedto hang out, and then they just
said hi, ryan, sorry, I've beencrazy busy with work and stuff.
(26:37):
It's great running into you atmary's.
I'm not sure our paths willcross again, but right now I'm
just not looking to build anynew connections at this time.
Wish you the best.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Ew lame.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
I mean I was like okay, why did you?
But that I think maybe thealcohol for them.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
You know, I don't know, that's just weird behavior
.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Well then he had another guy that threatened to
blow his ass.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
That sounds like somebody that flirted what was
that about you?
Sold that.
That sounds like somebody thatflirted with you that then got
cagey because either a they havea boyfriend b, they weren't
prepared to deliver on the checkthat they're writing yeah yeah
that sounds like some, I don'twant my boyfriend or this guy.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I went on three dates and now I decided we're dating
definitely yeah, oh well, like Iwould totally respect it and
like I respect it and like Ithink it was just like that's
the kind of shit that's beenhappening in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, it's a very booed up kind of place.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
This guy got mad because he wouldn't meet up with
them and he threatened to beathim up if he ever sees him.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
By not hooking up with them, weird right that's
real weird and then.
But that's definitely some ryanshit yeah, that's definitely a
ryan story well.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And then the last one I'll say and I want to get your
opinion on this, because heknows me, he knows the culture,
we know each other so well, eventhough we have really not spent
that much time together overthe years.
But I think in some way, like Ido not understand, the last one
was like a gen z okay, and theywere like upset with me that I
(28:14):
didn't like console them afterthe election oh, I remember that
one, yeah they were just like.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Hey, sorry, I haven't been responsive how much were
you hanging out with them beforethis?
Speaker 3 (28:26):
like twice, three times maybe twice, three times.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
It was no.
What are the durations?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
oh, it's just more like did you stay the night?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
never did you stay the night, did you do activities
that weren't hookups?
Speaker 3 (28:40):
probably, I mean was I watch a movie.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Did you hold hands?
Probably, oh yeah yeah, butconsult me after the election,
though, like what I mean justreaching out after the election
with how awful it went to justbe like, hey, how are you doing
today if it was someone you werespending time with?
Speaker 3 (29:00):
well, no, I don't think it was that serious.
I think it was just I kind ofsaid to people like I didn't
really go into that dark placebecause I was still trying to
just like pretend like nothingwas happening.
I blacked it out and so for meI was just like I guess I should
have said how are you?
Speaker 1 (29:18):
but they were really offended well, were they really
political like?
Were they campaigning beforeand, like you, knew that that
was a part of their life.
I didn't actually.
Here's ryan, though that's likeI.
I had no idea like we flashedto a jump cut of the person's
house and it's like everydemocratic sign in the windows
and he's like there were nosigns.
(29:39):
I had no idea.
How would I know?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
He knows me so well, he does know you.
You are so like, how like youare like this with all of your
friends you are the air, you arevery observant, or you're very
like, fucking, like you will putit to them, like you'll be,
like you, fucking idiot, likeyou, fucking bitch.
Oh, I'm not calling peopleidiots, not like mean spirited,
(30:05):
but like you're.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
that's what we love about gregory I just see the
calls and I say them out loud tomy, to my own, fuck going on my
mouth sometimes some people arejust more insightful.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Gregory's insightful yes yes, he's not a space cadet,
like you know poppin adderall,oh my god.
But I do think that nice thingabout gregory is he brings a
little bit of creativity to theberg and, you know, has all
these really good events, thesegood parties, like for the
(30:39):
golden globes party he goteverybody together.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I do like entertaining, I like putting out
a big entertainer yeah and it'sa good spread.
It's not like pizza fromfucking pasquale's pizza all
right, yeah, and I'm not someonethat's like let's go to costco
and just open a bunch of thingsright, oh my gosh, I mean at the
very least at the very leastreplay right, yes, right, and
make your own damn dip for thecrudite, I know right, oh my God
(31:06):
.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
See, that's the thing .
And then I'm always like, whatcan I bring?
What can I bring to Gregory'sevent?
And he's like, please don'tbring anything, because you're
going to fuck it up.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Not even that.
I just one time a friend.
You know who you are if youhear this and you know I love
you, love you, but showed upwith a catering order of Wendy's
which I was mortified about.
But in the end I put it out ona very nice tray, conveniently
stacked, and there was not asingle one left.
(31:34):
It was like the perfect hit ofthe party.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
It was good, I think I was there.
I was there, but I didbeautiful other things and then
was like oh, let me put thesepaper-wrapped burgers on a plate
in the middle of my table thatthat was still not a good call,
because they were still like no,but they were so good they were
by the end of the night youwere like, oh yeah, I'll have a.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
I'll have like a smash burger yeah, yeah so what
is your messiest story to dateup?
Speaker 3 (32:04):
drunken activity of debauchery?
Like just the nastiest messy,like embarrassing story.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
I mean, I don't really get that messy.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I mean, this is a funny this is.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I guess this is kind of the messiest, but this is
cute.
So when I was in college Ilived in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Temple.
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
This is almost 20 years ago at this point so I can
?
I can say this withoutimplicating anyone, but there
was a bar I loved going tocalled tavern on kamak.
It still exists and I lived halfa block away and I had a fake
id and I used to go in there allthe time and it was the night
of my 21st birthday and I wentin with some friends and we're
sitting at the bar havingcocktails and I was like it's my
(32:49):
21st and the bartender's likeyou have been coming in here for
like over a year.
What are you talking?
About and I was like no, butnow it's my real birthday.
Oh shit, did he get pissed?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
they were a little grumpy, but they were like okay,
fine, fine, I know, I mean thefact that you said it.
I would have been like oh, fuckshit, what.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Never mind, I'm actually 22.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
This is my 22nd.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
No, that's a good one , that's.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Gregory for you.
He does not get too fucked.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
A good Pittsburgh story, though, of being underage
and being drunk and messy.
So there used to be.
You got arrested.
No, I've never been arrested.
Thank god, knock on wood, wehave um, so velveteers back in
the day used to have like inlarryville, right in larryville
and this is like peak, likeearly 2000s we're probably
(33:40):
talking like 2006 or 2007 andthey had a stamp at the door
that was like known and it saidyou are beautiful.
And it was kind of like a bigstamp.
It was like three inches by twoinches, and two friends and I
stole it what?
And like held it for ransom forlike two weeks and it was like
(34:00):
this is pre-social media, likebeing as big as it is now, like
we only had Facebook was likethis is pre-social media, like
being as big as it is now, likewe only had facebook, but and I
don't even think you had thelike what's on your mind section
of facebook kind of thing so wewere just like holding it
ransom and like stamping it onrandom pliers around town and
all kinds of stuff and theneventually went one night to 80s
night and just like left it onthe return.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Oh my gosh, that's funny, I know.
I know, 80s night is a goodnight to go.
Yeah, he's got all the goodfucking fabrics.
Like this guy.
He's got the fucking costumes,he's got the like, you know the
style.
I always ask him to dress mebut he's always like oh no, you
couldn't, you couldn't pull thisoff oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I mean, how many red carpet events are you going to
that you're asking me to helpyou with?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
I would love for you to help me for this coming
weekend.
What's?
This weekend it's the Oscars.
Oh, you're going to the Oscars,I am, but it's going to be
behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
So then, you don't get to dress up.
I don't.
I don't have to dress up, Ijust I have to look somewhat
cute.
I think you have to wear all.
Black is usually what people'sassistants have to wear.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Well, I said that I'm going to wear a black suit.
I'm going to wear a black suit.
I'm not going to be like blackshirt, t-shirt.
Who are you going with?
I don't know if I should say iton cam, oh.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
We'll tell you after I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I mean I'll tell you, but it's kind of another like.
So I think this is a problem.
I have the characters here.
Like we said, it's like ayearbook.
You know, when you're trying todate, like, can you imagine you
date?
I mean, she dated like my bestfriend and now she's married to
him from high school, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It's tricky in the book.
Yeah, that isn't that crazy.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Well, I guess it's tricky in the burg, like can you
imagine meeting somebody likein the burg, um, but I guess the
yearbook thing, I don't know.
I think I feel like I get these, like you know, characters that
are in out of town and like allthis stuff, and then she's like
you're a flight risk, but thenI was like I need to really
buckle down and do my own thing.
Uh-huh, right, yeah, because youknow yourself like if somebody
(36:01):
was, like you know, in anothercity, would you take off and
leave and I'm ready to go anyday if there's anyone out there
that wants to pick me up andtake me away.
Please, please, please, pleasedo but I'm just saying like,
don't you like having your likehome base here?
Speaker 1 (36:20):
and no, I love having a house.
Yes, I will always have my ownplace.
Yes, I think particularly gaymen should each have their own
home, and I think that's also afunction of just being the age
that I am now.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
If I meet someone like that is my contemporary you
don't want someone moving inwith you or you.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
They just have to have their own home too I want
them to have their own thing andI want them to also want to
maintain it because, like atthis point, I'm not meeting
someone and being like oh my god, what are we gonna do for
dishes?
What kind of yeah like whatkind of like pots?
And pans do we need?
Yeah, oh, my sofa like.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I'm like.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I've spent a lot of money and time thinking about
all these things in my life.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
I don't want to just be like, okay, fine, we can get
rid of this that I like curatedfor myself and you don't want
them to just move in and thenyou have to take care of them
exactly, yeah none of that thatmakes sense, yeah, but do you
notice a lot of people get likelonely and then they just are
totally open-minded to like hey,like come live with me and like
we'll make this little happyfamily I mean, I could do that,
(37:19):
but I would still keep my placedo you have like a dog or a cat?
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I do have a dog.
His name is louis.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
He's a pavillon, he's fantastic or those ones with,
like, the long hair on the ears.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
Yes, those are cute he has like bat wings for ears
yes, I love those.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
He's so cute.
You had louis at your parentshouse for a while, right yeah,
he goes up to his grandparentsfor trips.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, yeah, he also went cross country with me.
He has several wings fromdifferent airlines.
One time a flight attendanttook him up to first and left me
and coach.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
And was just like, can I?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
just show him to people in the cabin and I was
like, yeah, fine, here's hisleash.
And they took him up andbrought him back to me.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Oh my gosh, how cute, what a lucky little dog.
So you have?
Speaker 3 (38:05):
to ask us a question.
I know you didn't come prepared, but I want you to like, ask us
a messy, or even just likesomething that you were really
just kind of trying to pull outof us, that you thought might be
important.
Oh, or maybe not, maybe itcould be just really stupid.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I think we ask every guest.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Maybe it could be just really stupid I think we
ask every guest yeah.
And nobody ever has anyquestions for us?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Well, I guess we should prep you right.
What's your messiest story ofyou two together?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Oh, when we got a public urination together.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, we peed behind a dumpster.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
On each other.
Yes, not next to each other.
I peed on her and she peed onme.
Yeah, we were peeing behind adumpster and we got a public
urination together and it waslike, yeah, how close to a
playground were you?
Speaker 3 (38:47):
luckily we didn't get in trouble with that I mean
that might be a problem onmegan's like list or whatever.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
But yeah, it definitely scarred us like we
were like it sounds pretty roughfor being 10 in the morning
right it might have been 10 inthe morning, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
I do think that.
What did do think that?
What did you think that lasttime we went out messy at Brillo
Box, like whenever we were inlike 2024.
Was it 2024?
Maybe that was like the last.
So like not a lot of peoplehere, because you haven't seen
me messy in Pittsburgh, I didn'teven think you were that messy.
So you didn't think I was thatmessy.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
No, but Ryan think you were that messy, so you
didn't think I was that messy.
No, but ryan has a tendency toget a little handsy, I do, he
does.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, with women that he doesn't know.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Your friend, yeah, he , he did a small of the back
hand placement.
Yeah, she asked him to removethe hand.
What did he do?
And then he did it again on theback.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
No, like like you were holding the tramp stamp
area.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
This woman did not have a tramp stamp, but she told
you to stop, and then he did itagain and he kept going hon,
hon, it's not that serious.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
I didn't mean it and like his natural reaction was to
like pat her on that part ofthe back even more, yeah, so it
just got cyclical.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
That was weird, yeah oh my god, and I'll never forget
that.
So that's the kind of stuff Idon't that's cringy?
Speaker 1 (40:06):
yeah, it was a little cringe it was a little tough in
the moment yeah, and you knowwhat?
Speaker 3 (40:11):
I think in some ways, like I probably always did that
and like drunk, and then I justkind of probably didn't have
like somebody that was he's likeleaning away from your hands,
like please don't touch me, ohmy god, I'm a horrible person.
Thank you for bringing that upthat's and he's.
Yeah, I am, I am I'm just likethat person and so now that I'm
(40:32):
like completely out of the youknow booze that world in that
world.
I do notice that, like I am somuch better of like a hey, don't
touch somebody unless they,like, are giving you the same
thing.
Well, gregory pal, I would liketo lighten the mood with like a
toast.
Thank you so much for justbeing in my life and making it
(40:54):
so much more fun in the bird.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Thank you for having me in yours by your neighborhood
.
Now, uh-huh, where's the mr roRogers train set, though?
That's what I'm missing.
The Mocktails or Messy'sExpress, ryan comes in, changes
his shoes, puts on a sweater.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
That's going to be episode 60.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Cheers to Gregory Powell Great to meet you guys,
thanks for getting messy with us.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Now we're going to go after dark.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Gregory Powell, we're taking you out to the Brillo
Box.
You're going to get messy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Clothes are coming off, watch out.
Thank you for listening to.
Mocktails Are Messy.
This is Kelly Mazgorski.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
And Ryan Frankofsky.
Thank you, Gregory, for comingto the studio.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Thanks for listening to.
Mocktails are Messy.
This is Gregory Powell.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Woo yeah, Gregory Cheers.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Love ya.
Are you Welsh?
No, Okay, I had a boss that waslike from Welsh.
His last name was From.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Wales.
Oh yeah, that's it.
That is actually a good one.
That's gonna be on the fucking.
No, no, take it off.
I love it Cute.
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