‘i Wear My Pride On My Sleeve’: Inside Zach Noe Towers’ ‘twink Death’ Rebirth

Comedian, character and writer Zach Noe Towers is having a sparkling breakout moment. After years of building a loyal assemblage done stand-up, TV appearances and by regularly lighting up our earholes connected SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live,” Towers has delivered his strongest connection yet, “Twink Death.” Taped successful Santa Monica astatine Westside Comedy Theater, and now streaming connected YouTube, his first offering was encouraged and produced by ace talent Bob nan Drag Queen, who has been much than a mentor to him.

Filled pinch hilariously candid stories astir increasing up successful nan Midwest, nan usage of nan connection “gay,” uncovering sobriety and nan value of texting backmost (noted), “Twink Death” makes a cleanable intro to a man who isn’t acrophobic to excavation each area of his life for a laugh. With his irresistible positivity, Towers, who’s spent years refining his craft, still feels for illustration personification astatine nan commencement of a overmuch bigger story. But let’s revisit successful 10 years.

Towers performing successful his latest one-hour typical “Twink Death” connected YouTube

(Andrew Max Levy)

I really loved your special, it grabbed maine instantly pinch your “straight versus cheery man” scenario. Now that you’re successful your Twink Death era, really has celebrating Pride period changed for you?

Zach Noe Towers: Thank you for watching it, I was speaking correct to you! I deliberation for illustration a batch of cheery men, I person been connected rather nan arc erstwhile it comes to embracing Pride. When I was a young, frightened small Midwestern cheery boy successful nan closet, it struck fearfulness into my heart. Nowadays, being cheery is my absolute favourite point successful nan world. If it were a choice, I’m choosing it a cardinal times over. I deterioration my pridefulness connected my sleeve year-round truthful really it comes down to seeing my community, each successful 1 place, each astatine 1 time, and it really conscionable sets maine up for nan remainder of nan year.

And this is simply a large twelvemonth for you because you put retired your debut special. How is that moreover imaginable aft each of this clip and really do you streamline that into 1 hour?

Putting my first typical retired has been truthful liberating because arsenic a comedian, we tin toil and toil forever, moving punchlines around, moving premises around, and caller existent events tin power your content. Beyond nan activity I was doing successful my notebook by myself, up until nan time of nan taping, I was still moving worldly around. I deliberation possibly I’ve been a small excessively precious and this first typical taught maine I tin really return my time. Bob nan Drag Queen is simply a driving unit successful nan creation of this typical and erstwhile we group a deadline for nan time we’d sprout it, it really conscionable honed maine in. It made maine termination immoderate of my darlings and really attraction connected what I want this sampler platter to be. I had to deliberation of this like, OK, if cipher has ever heard of maine before, and God saved their soul, what would I want them to cognize astir me? And I deliberation I covered those bases; cheery from nan Midwest, sober but still making bad decisions, and a sex-positive human.

Towers poses pinch Bob nan Drag Queen

(Andrew Max Levy)

On Bob’s podcast you said, paraphrasing, now that you person a typical retired you tin put retired more, truthful group get nan opportunity to opportunity I for illustration nan 2nd typical amended while discussing and sharing.

I had a friend precocious picture it arsenic artists and creators person a room pinch projects, aliases pinch books. Your extremity is to put arsenic galore books connected nan support of your room arsenic imaginable truthful group tin return them down. Like oh, this is erstwhile he was successful his 30s, and this 1 is nan point he made pinch this different person. That really clicked successful my brain. This mightiness beryllium nan only point connected my support correct now, but I’m really happy it’s on nan support and that group tin find maine erstwhile they’re meant to find me.

I ideate a batch of group are uncovering you done “Jeff Lewis Live” connected SiriusXM. You guys person astonishing banter, person you known each different forever? How did this collab travel to be?

I was really brought to Jeff Lewis’ doorstep by Fortune Feimster, she was nan stork that delivered Zach Noe Towers to Radio Andy. She was a regular connected his greeting show and was like, I deliberation you would bask my opener. I want to opportunity that was maybe, 3 years ago? Then I turned into fundamentally a play impermanent connected nan show. The existent thrill for maine is that not a batch of group get to spell toe-to-toe pinch Jeff. I find it exhilarating and hilarious to springiness him grief, and if I had to guess, he feels nan aforesaid measurement towards me. He likes to operation nan pot, and you know, I’m conscionable a spicy constituent successful that small soup.

Now successful his self-described “Twink Death era,” Towers reflects connected really Pride transformed from thing terrifying successful nan closet to an empowering, year-round ceremony of queer organization and joy.

(Kim Newmoney)

It’s really nosy each clip you’re on. I person to congratulate you connected your sobriety, I cognize it’s not ever nan easiest successful LA.

Well, this is going to sound for illustration I’m truthful codependent connected this person, but nan personification who planted nan seed of sobriety successful my caput was Bob nan Drag Queen. Around 12 years ago, we met performing connected nan aforesaid cheery cruise, and Bob is very nationalist astir being a sober personnel of society. I was not erstwhile we met. Bob would talk to maine erstwhile I was hungover, and I’d inquire Bob questions astir what it’s for illustration being sober. Then Bob became the personification that I would nonstop a image of my 90-day spot to, and he’d beryllium like, hellhole yeah, congrats! That was benignant of nan commencement of our friendship.

When I was fresh to get sober though, I was blessed to beryllium successful L.A. because location are betterment meetings each time and nighttime successful this town. I person a mentation that comedians are either successful addiction aliases successful recovery. Maybe that’s a signifier to really our brains are wired a bit, but location are truthful galore sober members of nan drama community, and done betterment you tin enslaved pinch group truthful fast. Then you conscionable request 1 of them to beryllium successful nan room, aliases astatine nan show, aliases nan aft party, aliases nan networking arena to beryllium like, OK, exhale and fto your shoulders drop, you tin do this. I besides sewage sober correct aft I turned 30 , and my hangovers past were starting to beryllium these time and a half-long experiences. On my worst days, I person to spell backmost to that. Thank God I’m not sweaty, nauseous, calling retired of activity and wondering if my friends each dislike me. That unsocial is logic not to portion aliases do drugs.

That’s exactly what it is. I retrieve nan fun, but that hangover? And difficult walk connected starting nan count over, truthful I’m proud of us. I’m besides proud of really honest, to a responsibility sometimes, you enactment pinch your drama and podcasting.

The measurement successful which I don’t person a select could beryllium my top strength, aliases it could beryllium nan point that leads to my downfall. I deliberation group thin to speak much freely erstwhile not truthful galore eyes are connected them truthful if anything, I’m saying this now. I dream I instrumentality to my guns and support being honest, support toeing that statement of what group deem inappropriate versus appropriate, and that I support pushing myself to beryllium brave and speak my existent experience. Not by putting anyone connected blast and not by outing anyone’s struggles, but by keeping nan load of truth squarely connected my shoulders. I dream that for myself, and we tin spell backmost and reference this question and reply successful 10 years erstwhile I’m successful jail.