STORMY, WHO STORMED VOLDEMORT’S CASTLE
“It was a dark and Stormy night…” That was my favorite of the various taglines printed on the shirts of the eclectic crowd who attended One Night Stand with Stormy Daniels at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood, Saturday, October 5th, 2024. This was a crowd brought together by an uncanny intersection of politics and porn. Stormy herself admitted that if anyone had told her back in 2005 what her life would look like today, she would have thought they were crazy. Indeed, it’s hard to believe a porn star has become a beacon of democratic hope for such a large swath of the nation, but nevertheless here we are.
I doubt there are many people who don’t know who Stormy Daniels is at this point. But if you need a refresher, she’s an adult film actress and director who had an unfortunate encounter with one orange-hued president, whom she only referred to as “Voldemort” during the show. There was an illicit affair, sexual coercion, hush money, criminal charges, and the fate of a nation hanging in the balance. Just your average Tuesday in the years 2017–2021.
The evening opened with three warm-up acts: Marco Delvecchio (who some may know from Season 3 of FBoy Island) was lukewarm at best; Justine Marino, another D-List celebrity, knocked it out of the park with her A-List comedy chops; and Father Nathan Monk, a former priest turned bisexual/polyamorous humorist and Stormy’s confidante/ tour buddy, gave us the only strip tease of the night (shedding his clerical attire as he stepped on stage). His set was too long and sophomoric, but still charming and filled with anecdotes that rival Stormy’s.
We could have done with a little less foreplay. Everyone was there to see one person: the woman who took down the President. And Stormy did not disappoint. From the moment she came out to the end of the Q&A afterward, she had the audience in the palm of her capable hand. Her performance was equal parts comedy special, Ted Talk, and stump speech. Sure, it was a little unpolished, but that just made us like her more. She didn’t put herself above us—we felt she was one of us. Though she copped to being nervous, she still commanded the stage with unpretentious confidence. Her act featured tasteful self-deprecation, just the right amount of lasciviousness, and a refreshing throughline of wisdom, humility, and inspiration.
She didn’t dwell on the past—we’ve got books, a documentary, and court records to scratch that itch. Instead, we got delightful glimpses into the life of a successful adult filmmaker, hilarious and heartwarming stories about her precocious daughter (who she asserts will be president one day), and heartening candor.
The most significant message, though, was in the subtext of the event. Stormy stands as an unlikely symbol of feminism, entrepreneurialism, self-empowerment, sexual liberation, and democracy. That’s ultimately what kept everyone in rapt admiration. Nearly every person who posed a question in the talkback voiced their gratitude—survivors of sexual assault, unionized exotic dancers, voters with renewed hope.
Stormy easily could have leveraged her situation for purely self-serving ends. What she has proven, though, is that she has something Voldemort lacks: integrity. That, and a brand of patriotism we haven’t seen since the 60s. A former stripper with a heart of gold took on a powerful would-be autocrat and won the heart of a nation. I mean, if that ain’t the embodiment of the American Dream, I don’t know what is.
photo courtesy of Chris Isaacson Presents
One Night Stand with STORMY DANIELS
with Father Nathan Monk, Marco DelVecchio & Justine Morino
Chris Isaacson Presents
reviewed on Saturday Oct 5, 2024 at The Bourbon Room
for more events, visit Chris Isaacson
for more on Stormy Daniels, visit her site
tour continues:
Oct 10/11 Denver, CO
OCT 17/18 Indianapolis, IN
Oct 21 New York City, NY
Nov 6 Saint Louis, MO
