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Todd Howe, owner of iconic Davie Street staple 1181, joins Superficial Spirit for an honest conversation about nightlife, community, and what it really takes to keep a queer space alive.

We talk about Todd’s journey from bartender to owner, the behind-the-scenes reality of buying and running a bar on Davie Street, and why longevity in Vancouver nightlife is anything but guaranteed. From evolving party culture and Gen Z drinking habits to drag as an anchor for events, changing music trends, and the impact of apps on hookup culture, this episode is a candid look at how the scene has shifted — and what still matters.

Plus: stories about imposter syndrome, messy staff moments, Britney Spears devotion, and why queer bars are about more than just drinking — they’re about connection, survival, and community.

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Vancouver-based photographer and Greasy zine director Sam Olson joins the pod for a deep dive into club culture — past, present, and what’s coming next.

Sam is the creative force behind Greasy, a Queer and Indigenous fashion, arts, and culture zine, and we bond immediately over a shared obsession with NYC club kids, early club culture, and the DIY worlds that shaped everything we’re seeing now. From the raw energy of the early days to how those influences show up in fashion and nightlife today, this conversation is pure cultural memory.

We also get into Vancouver’s current club scene, who the new IT kids are, what feels exciting (and what feels tired), and how Sam is documenting this moment through photography and publishing. Plus, a look ahead at Sam’s upcoming projects and what they’re building next.

For anyone who cares about nightlife as culture — not just a night out — this one’s essential.

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The O-Files return with a true Vancouver nightlife time capsule: Carlotta Gurl at The Odyssey in the ’90s and early 2000s.

Long before drag went mainstream, Carlotta Gurl was holding court at The Odyssey — one of Vancouver’s most iconic clubs — during a time when club kids, queer nightlife, and performance culture were loud, weird, and completely unapologetic. We get into what that era actually felt like: the music, the characters, the freedom, the excess, and the community that made The Odyssey legendary.

Carlotta shares stories from behind the booth and behind the curtain, what it meant to build a drag career before social media (or Drag Race), and why that era of nightlife still looms so large in queer culture today.

If you were there, this will hit.

If you weren’t, this is the history lesson you needed.

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