I'll Have Another with Joe Germanotta

Summary

Kennedy Saves the World — "I'll Have Another with Joe Germanotta"

Released: February 27, 2026
Host: Ainsley Earhardt (guest hosting for Kennedy)
Guest: Joe Germanotta (restaurateur, father of Lady Gaga)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Kennedy Saves the World features a warm, lively Happy Hour chat between Ainsley Earhardt and Joe Germanotta, owner of Joanne Trattoria (an Upper West Side New York institution) and father of Lady Gaga. The conversation blends humor and candor as they discuss Joe’s sober lifestyle, the boom in spiritless cocktails, his journey as the parent of a world-famous artist, challenges of raising kids in the city, fostering emerging talent, and running a restaurant that’s become a local entertainment hub.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spiritless Cocktails & Sober Living

[00:55 – 02:57]

• Mocktail Culture: Joe has been sober for five years and is enthusiastic about the variety of alcohol-free spirits available.
• Recipe for a Sober Espresso Martini: The duo mixes Spiritless mocktail espresso martini blend, New London Light alcohol-free gin, and Reed's real ginger ale for a zingy non-alcoholic drink.
• Versatility: Joe keeps multiple spiritless options at home for making creative mocktails, favoring New London Light for gin and “NLO” for vodka options. He’s even tried martinis with olive brine and comments on pickle juice’s popularity.

“It’s not replacing alcohol, but it is definitely its own thing.” — Ainsley Earhardt [01:59]

“You can mix a mocktail with this stuff and you can make many, many different beverages.” — Joe Germanotta [02:03]

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2. Parenting, New York City, & Lady Gaga’s Rise

[03:24 – 09:05]

• Being Lady Gaga’s Dad: Joe reflects on the surreal experience of being the father of a superstar, marveling at moments like Gaga’s massive concert in Rio and her early determination.

“Every once in a while I think to myself, how the hell did this happen to me?” — Joe Germanotta [03:26]

• Gaga in Her Youth: Joe recognized her drive and musical talent early, especially her piano skills. She got serious about singing in high school, particularly involved in theater (notably as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls).

• City Parenting: They discuss the logistical hurdles of raising kids on NYC’s Upper West Side, particularly cross-town commutes to private schools like Sacred Heart, changes during COVID, and challenges from migrant shelter conversions.

“The hardest part was the transportation… I had to stand out there with a damn bus.” — Joe Germanotta [05:29]

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3. Fostering Young Artists & The Changing Music Industry

[07:26 – 12:22]

• Lady Gaga’s Path as an Emerging Artist: Joe shares that Gaga’s key strategy was always playing the “proper size venue,” never too big, keeping crowds engaged and creating demand.

“She would always play the proper-size venue…so there were always people.” — Joe Germanotta [07:51]

• DIY Promotion: They discuss how artists now must self-promote due to the decline of artist development at record labels. Joe hosts an "emerging artist" night at Joanne Trattoria focused on real performance and fan-building — advising artists to “perform, perform, perform.”

“Record labels…they don’t want to develop artists anymore…if you want to get noticed, you have to perform.” — Joe Germanotta [08:42–09:19]

• Success Stories: Joe highlights young talent he’s discovered through the restaurant, including Jamie Larose, Janine, and Chloe Jane — noting their initiative and the role of NYU’s Tisch School in nurturing talent.

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4. The Power of Fandom: Little Monsters vs. Swifties

[13:51 – 16:35]

• On Fame and Parenting: Joe admits he worries about Gaga’s safety due to her visibility, but is comforted by her loyal fan base.
• Fan Clubs Compared: Earhardt and Germanotta muse over whose fandom is bigger: Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” or Taylor Swift’s “Swifties.” Joe shares anecdotes from hosting Swift tribute nights, describing the intense devotion of young fans and the importance of community in fandom.

“I think about it. A bunch of determined 12-year-olds made her a billionaire.” — Ainsley Earhardt [15:56]

• Industry Reflections: They discuss how Taylor Swift’s merchandising and branding have changed expectations for female artists, raising the bar for commercial success.

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5. Joanne Trattoria as a Cultural Venue

[16:46 – 19:11]

• Concerts & Tribute Events: The restaurant has transformed into an entertainment hotspot, hosting tribute shows (Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Elton John, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga) and drag performances.

“I turned the restaurant into a music venue…for the price of a meal, you get a meal and a show.” — Joe Germanotta [17:38, 17:50]

• Expansion Ambitions: Joe dreams of opening in Times Square, where nightly shows could attract both locals and tourists.

• Drag Shows & Emerging Artists: Drag events are a hit, but the emerging artist nights are his favorite; Joe personally emcees, focusing on helping performers develop stage presence and connection with audiences.

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6. The Intangible ‘It’ Factor & Memories of Tony Bennett

[19:39 – 20:32]

• On Stage Presence: Joe observes that some artists have an “onstage switch” — a transformation evident in legends like Tony Bennett.

“When he would get on stage…his eyes would light up…he was just Tony.” — Joe Germanotta [19:43–20:02]

• Tony Bennett & Gaga: Joe recalls Tony as a loving mentor to his daughter and reflects on how Bennett became like a grandfather figure.

“He was like a grandfather to my daughter…if Tony Bennett wants to meet with you, you meet with him. Yeah, the guy’s a legend.” — Joe Germanotta [20:25–20:32]

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Memorable Quotes

• “I always, you know, every once in a while I think to myself, how the hell did this happen to me?” — Joe Germanotta [03:26]
• “She’s determined…no matter what, whether it was positive or negative, she was determined to do it her way.” — Joe Germanotta [04:17]
• “You can mix a mocktail with this stuff…many, many different beverages.” — Joe Germanotta [02:03]
• “It’s not replacing alcohol, but it is definitely its own thing.” — Ainsley Earhardt [01:59]
• “If you can’t find six of your friends that’ll come listen to you…I mean, come on.” — Joe Germanotta [10:10]
• “For the price of a meal…you get a meal and a show.” — Joe Germanotta [17:50]
• “That switch is either in you or it’s not.” — Ainsley Earhardt [19:39]
• “He was like a grandfather to my daughter.” — Joe Germanotta (on Tony Bennett) [20:25]

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Noteworthy Moments by Timestamp

• 00:55 — Joe reveals his sober journey and the episode’s signature non-alcoholic drink is mixed live
• 03:24 — Conversation pivots to the experience of raising Lady Gaga
• 04:17 — Joe emphasizes Gaga’s determination as her defining trait
• 07:51 — Expert insight on venue sizing for emerging artists
• 08:42–09:19 — Joe describes challenges facing young musicians and the DIY ethos now required
• 13:51 — Discussion of “Little Monsters” vs. “Swifties” and pop fandom
• 17:38 — Joe describes reinventing his restaurant into an entertainment venue
• 19:39 — Tony Bennett’s onstage magic and influence on Gaga
• 20:25 — Touching memories: “He was like a grandfather to my daughter.”

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Episode Takeaways

• Joe Germanotta’s journey shows how sobriety can lead to new joys and creative ventures.
• Supporting emerging artists is both a responsibility and a thrill; nurturing talent takes investment from venues and communities.
• The dynamics of modern fame — fandom, social media, and industry shifts — now demand innovation and relentless self-promotion.
• Family, community, and legacy are deeply intertwined in the world of music, whether it’s Lady Gaga’s rise, the mentorship of Tony Bennett, or the reinvention of a neighborhood restaurant.

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For listeners hungry for behind-the-scenes stories from the family behind Lady Gaga, tips on cultivating new musical talent, or just a feel-good chat over a creative mocktail — this episode satisfies.

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Transcript

[Ainsley Earhart]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's Friday, it's happy hour, and Joe Germanotta is here. He not only is sober and we're making a mocktail, he's also the owner of Joanne Trattoria, which is kind of on the Upper west side. Hell's Kitchen.

[Joe Germanotta]

No, it's on the Upper west side.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Okay. I've been there. It's fantastic. Do you know what I love about it, Joe? You guys have lots of gluten free options for celiacs.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yes.

[Ainsley Earhart]

And you are so accommodating. And when I went in, your bartender had never made the romantic drink that I requested, and she looked it up and made it for me, and it was fantastic.

[Joe Germanotta]

I wish I knew which one it was. I'll have to find out.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. But it was amazing. So welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.

[Joe Germanotta]

Thank you.

[Ainsley Earhart]

So you. You quit drinking four years ago.

[Joe Germanotta]

Five now.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Five years ago. Congratulations. And you have gotten into the spiritless alcohol free spirits journey, which has taken us to this lovely gin. And I gotta get the espresso. So this is the Espresso martini, non alcoholic pour and shake cocktail from Spiritless mixed with some new London Light alcohol free gin, which I'm very excited to try. And topping it off with Zero Reed's real ginger ale. And I love reeds because it really does give you a kick in the arse.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah, well. And I don't. I don't represent any of these companies.

[Ainsley Earhart]

No, this is. This is not. No, this is not. This is Papa Joe's Go Go Juice.

[Joe Germanotta]

There you go.

[Commercial Voice]

Happy hour, Joe.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Happy hour. M. That is so good.

[Joe Germanotta]

Isn't it good?

[Ainsley Earhart]

The coffee in the espresso martini is great.

[Joe Germanotta]

And you know, I got to tell

[Ainsley Earhart]

you, it's like its own thing. Like, it. It's not replacing alcohol, but it is definitely its own thing.

[Joe Germanotta]

You know what? I have, like a slew of bottles at home when I'm, you know, if I want something to drink instead of drinking soda. You can mix a mocktail with this stuff and you can make many, many different beverages. I mean, I can make. I can make something that tastes like a martini.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. Really? What do you make it with? With gin or. Is there.

[Joe Germanotta]

You can make it with the gin or you can use the vodka and you use the.

[Ainsley Earhart]

What brand of vodka do you like of this spirit?

[Joe Germanotta]

It's. I used nlo.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

New London Light. But you put in olive brine. The green olive brine.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

And then you. You mix and it tastes like a martini.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I saw a martini recently made with alcohol, but with pickle juice.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That has become like, pickle juice has become a very popular thing for people, for fitness and wellness. And so someone's like, well, I like pickles. Maybe I'll throw a few into my martini.

[Joe Germanotta]

We used to give them to the kids when they were teething.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Oh, yeah. Because does it somehow soothe?

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah, well, it's. Yeah. And they can chew on it and they don't have teeth. Right. And it's salty, so it makes it feel good.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's really funny. So Cat Timf recently had a baby who's just starting to think about teething. So I'm going to tell her that. And you're also Lady Gaga's dad.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah, that too.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Is that weird?

[Joe Germanotta]

It can be, yeah. You know, I always, you know, every once in a while I think to myself, how the hell did this happen to me? Yeah, right. That. I mean, she's. I mean, I don't want to brag, but she's like the biggest superstar in

[Ainsley Earhart]

the world, but unbelievable.

[Joe Germanotta]

When I saw Rio, yeah. There was a million and a half people there.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Wow. Really? It was at the biggest show.

[Joe Germanotta]

It was on the beach. I didn't go. I watched it. I had to get up at like 3 or 3 in the morning to watch it because they. It was. It was on YouTube. But, you know, sometimes I like, you know, like I said, I pinch myself. Like, how the hell did this happen to me?

[Ainsley Earhart]

Did you know from an early age that she was gonna be famous? Was she?

[Joe Germanotta]

I did.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Obviously talented and obviously very hard working.

[Joe Germanotta]

She. She's determined.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's how I would. The adjective I would use.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I mean, that's really fun. As a parent, there's no.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah. I mean, there's nothing holding her. And no matter what, whether it was positive or negative, she was determined. Right. To get to do it her way. But did I know when she was very young she was extremely talented at an early age with the piano. Right. And then never. Not singing too much until high school.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Interesting. Was she like a theater kid?

[Joe Germanotta]

Oh, gosh, yes. Yeah, she did them all. Her. They still talk about when she played Adelaide in Guys and Dolls.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Oh, my gosh. I was in Guys and Dolls in high school. I love it so much.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's a good. That's a good.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Was she a junior or senior?

[Joe Germanotta]

I think she was a junior when she did it. She might even have been a sophomore. Yeah, I mean, she was. They plucked her right away.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. For the Saint Regis High School.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

All right, now you're A city girl?

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes. Oh, yeah. My girls are both being raised in the city. Were you in the city?

[Joe Germanotta]

Were you guys in the city raising the kids? Oh, yeah.

[Ainsley Earhart]

How was that?

[Joe Germanotta]

The hardest part was the transportation. Right. Because they went to Sacred Heart and we were on the west side.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

So they're Upper east side. And I had, you know, I had to stand out there with a damn bus, with. Waiting for the yellow bus.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That was always my worry was that my kids were going to go to high schools, like, in another borough.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

And I would just worry about them. Like, I want them to know how to get around. I want them to be independent. But the city, especially, like, right now, it's a little bit better.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

But, you know, during COVID Well, how old are they? 16 and 19.

[Joe Germanotta]

Oh, well. So they were. They were here with a lot of turmoil.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah, yeah, they were here. Like, we were in the middle of the George Floyd riots. Like, they were rioting down Amsterdam. Like, up there they are.

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, you know, that's. I mean, it got rough in our neighborhood for a while with the migrants, because we had a migrant shelter.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I mean, every time all over the Upper west side, there were migrant shelters everywhere. So, you know, we walked down past the Watson Hotel, and it looked like the funnest place in the world.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Because they were, like, making food, and everyone's got scooters and bikes and kids running around. I'm like, why the hell wouldn't you

[Joe Germanotta]

want to go there? The worst part was the scooters.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

There was, like, thousands of them on the street.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

I don't know what they did with all of them, other than when they left showroom. What if they took them with them? I don't.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah, I know. That's how I knew that they had dismantled the hotels. Cause I would walk by the Watts and be like, well, well. Scared. Right. Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, now, thank God, it's back. That shelter is back to being amda.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

The dormitory Performing Arts. Those kids are great.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I love, like, those kids, they show up to New York with so much talent and so much optimism. My best friend's daughter went there, and she loved it. She couldn't afford to in the city after school, so she ended up leaving.

[Joe Germanotta]

Wow.

[Ainsley Earhart]

At what point did your daughter, like, did you know, oh, my gosh, this is really going to work?

[Joe Germanotta]

When she got her first. Well, I would say when she started really, really getting. I could see she was really good. Like when she performed at the Bitter End, some of the later performances, and the Knitting Factory. And when she was, you know, when she was hitting her stride then because, you know, and she taught me, right. Because now these kids that come in for the emerging artist show.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

She taught me what, what she would do is she would always play the proper size venue.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. So never too big.

[Joe Germanotta]

Never too big. So there were always people that's really

[Ainsley Earhart]

smart and people's egos oftentimes get ahead of them and they want to play a bigger room.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

And then it looks like you're a failure. But if you're in a much smaller room and people are just dying to

[Joe Germanotta]

get in, that's the best thing. You got four or five waiting outside to get in.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Wow. Good for her. I mean that's some foresight because not everyone does that.

[Joe Germanotta]

She taught me that. I can't, you know, I couldn't believe that.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Not that that she was smart enough, but I couldn't believe that, you know, that the story, I mean, she used to promote herself.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes. I think you have to like, isn't that interesting because like her era, they were probably the first ones who really were able to use social media to completely market themselves from the very beginning of their careers.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yes, yes. And you know, that's. I see a lot of emerging artists now every Thursday. And that's their hardest part is because record labels, they don't want to develop artists anymore.

[Ainsley Earhart]

No, no.

[Joe Germanotta]

They don't have the money.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. And the margins aren't there like they used to be.

[Joe Germanotta]

No. And you know, to find a manager that wants to put the time in.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

For a developing artist is tough.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. Agents, you know, they're good or the, you know, you're better off promoting yourself. But what I tell them is what you need to do if you want to get noticed is you have to perform.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

So, you know, come here, go to, you know, those other places like the Mercury Lounge and all that. Yeah, Those places like that. Try to get a triad, you know. And so I gotta tell you, some of them are extremely talented.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. I remember being in LA in the early 90s and all the metal bands they had to pay to play, so they had to like buy tickets for their own shows and then sell them to people. So you'd see like these long haired metal and grunge artists like standing outside the Whiskey and all up and down sets of Boulevard, like trying desperately to get people to go to their shows. Because if you could get people to your shows, like you would get booked elsewhere.

[Joe Germanotta]

And that's what I tell. When the emerging artists, they apply to be on stage. And we require them to bring six people. Yeah, because I said if you can't find six of your friends, that'll come listen to you.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

I mean, come on.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah, but that's like. That's always so much fun. Like being on the ground floor of something that may turn into the next big thing.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah, we. We found. So far, I found three.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Who?

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, one of them's performing this weekend, actually tomorrow night. Jamie Larose. And then another one I found is Janine. I forget her last name. She goes by Janine. And then we just recently found Chloe. Jane.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Amazing.

[Joe Germanotta]

You should. I mean, I gotta tell you, you wanna see some great stuff? This kid's doing it all herself.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Wow.

[Joe Germanotta]

You know the videos, they're first class. She's working with all her friends at nyu.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's awesome. Is that. Do you think that's the best music program in the city? I mean, there are a lot. I guess there's like Tisch New School.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah. I mean, look, am I biased? I guess a little bit.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's what she went to. Tish.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

I don't know too much about the others, to be honest with you.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Hey, it's Kennedy. You've been asking for longer episodes of Kennedy Saves the World and baby, now you're gonna get it. Cause we recorded our live fourth of July special at Langon's in New York City. Featuring special guests, Fox 5 New York's Rosanna Scotto, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Emily Compagno, and Jimmy Fala. The full episode will be available Wednesday, July 2nd. Listen and [e-mail] Nearly home isn't home

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[Ainsley Earhart]

Do you worry in different ways now that she's as big as she is?

[Joe Germanotta]

Yes. Yes. You know, there's. I mean, there's always somebody, you know, reaching out for her. Yeah. And you don't know whether it's a good hand or a bad hand.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. Or someone who genuinely knows her.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Someone who's genuine or, you know, it's like these people who are unwell, they're, you know, under service. We don't have enough mental healthcare professionals in this country for all the people who need it, for all the people who are still struggling after the pandemic, who, you know, it's like, I know in public high schools, like they don't have enough practitioners to come in and help the kids who desperately need therapy. So you imagine that and you imagine it's even harder in bigger cities where, you know, people are just undiagnosed and.

[Joe Germanotta]

But then on. On the flip side, I think in the back of my head, you know, all her fans love her.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. She's got a lot of people that love her and, you know, so chances are she's going to be.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Who loves you more? Her monsters. Her little monsters or Swifties loving Taylor Swift.

[Joe Germanotta]

Oh, God, I don't you know, that's a tough. That's a tough call because they're both. I mean, we did a Taylor Swift tribute at the restaurant.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

And all these kids came in. They were all swifties.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's funny.

[Joe Germanotta]

And you know, they. And they know.

[Ainsley Earhart]

They know that Papa Joe is the guy, is the gateway.

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, no. To Taylor Swift. No, no. I met her once.

[Ainsley Earhart]

You did? Was she nice?

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah, they were all nice. Yeah, they're all pleasant people. That, that particular show, that was the youngest crowd we ever had. And their mothers were bringing them to the show. So that tells you they're swifties.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah, that's how you know.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's how you know when your parents are bringing it to the show.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I think about it. A bunch of determined 12 year olds made her a billionaire.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's wild, man.

[Joe Germanotta]

She made so much money.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I know, I know. But I feel, then I look at Katy Perry and I feel bad for her, like. And I'm sure her tour is doing great. She hasn't been out in years. She's on an international tour. But now anyone, any female artist who goes out and doesn't earn a billion dollars is now compared to Taylor Swift.

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, yeah, yeah. She set the bar.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

I mean, I don't know. I don't know that. That the components were all ticket sales.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Because she handled her own merch. Oh, it's the merch for sure. And that. There's a lot of money in merch.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Show brilliant at branding the things that people who love her love to hold on to. That is part of their community.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's, you know, that's this impersonator. She was really good. She had the costume. Oh, yeah, she had the costumes. She had the voice down. She had the guitar, she everything. And that's, that's what we're doing is we're. I'm bringing in impersonators from Las Vegas. Yeah, right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

To Joanne.

[Joe Germanotta]

To Joanne. The next one. Well, the next one actually, he's from Long island, but so was Billy Joel. It's a Billy Joel trivia.

[Ainsley Earhart]

People are now desperate to see Billy Joel.

[Joe Germanotta]

We've done an Elton John. We've done. That was just the last one. We did a Taylor Swift. We did Amy Winehouse. We did a Lady Gaga. Oh, yeah. That was actually the first one we did. That was a tyranny.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's really funny. How did your daughter feel about that?

[Joe Germanotta]

Actually, you know, she said, I'm really proud of you, dad.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Oh, that's great.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's. I mean, look, I turned the restaurant Into a music venue.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

An entertainment venue that also has delicious food and really nice bartenders will make you whatever you want.

[Joe Germanotta]

Now for the price of a meal. Right. You get a meal and a show.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. And said. I mean, I came up with the idea of Times Square.

[Ainsley Earhart]

How great is that?

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, yeah, that's a big benefit. But actually, I like to put one in Times Square now.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Really?

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah. Well, now that we have the, you know, the proving ground.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yes.

[Joe Germanotta]

Of the entertainment. Because, you know, we're doing shows, what, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. We were doing Sunday. I just stopped doing Sundays. And I could probably fill the place every night with tourists.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's awesome.

[Joe Germanotta]

In Times Square.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. And do. I mean, the. The drag show gets probably the most pull. Yeah. And then actually, the emerging artist show is now.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I think that's the coolest thing. I really do.

[Joe Germanotta]

I love that one.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

I go, I. I emcee it.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's awesome.

[Joe Germanotta]

I emcee the show.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

You know, and you know what? I try to do it. I tell the kids, like, look, you have to have, you know, the look, the stage presence, the voice or the talent. Right. And so what I do is I, you know, I assess them, you know, based upon the conversation that we have. You know, how. How they handle themselves in front of the audience. Like, what do you do? Where you from? Yeah, Right. Some of them freeze.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. How do you connect with people?

[Joe Germanotta]

They got. You got to make the connection. Because my waiters.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That too. It's true. Because there are people, like, there are a certain generation of younger people who have a hard time making eye contact because they've been in their phones. Like, if you go into a room of teenagers, they're all on their phones talking to each other.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

So it's like. Yes. Bringing that out of people. And then, you know, I just sitting here thinking about it. The thing on stage, like that. That switch is either in you or it's not.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right. You know, I gotta tell you, I would see that in Tony Bennett.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah.

[Joe Germanotta]

Because when he was, you know, aging, right. I mean, he was pretty quiet and focused, Right. And, you know, he didn't talk too much. Right. But then he would get on stage and his light. His. His eyes would light up.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Wow.

[Joe Germanotta]

Right? And then he was just. He was Tony.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's amazing.

[Joe Germanotta]

It was. It was really pretty.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I mean, that's like. That's a gift from God.

[Joe Germanotta]

Well, you know, and, you know, I guess, you know, until the. To the early days before he died, he used to still sing on the sit on the couch and sing. Yeah, right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Yeah. What a good dude.

[Joe Germanotta]

He was really.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I met him a couple times. He was lovely.

[Joe Germanotta]

He was like a grandfather to my daughter.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Oh, that's incredible.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah.

[Ainsley Earhart]

And to get to. To perform with someone like that, I

[Joe Germanotta]

gotta tell you, I'll never forget. She was in her dressing room, right? And her son and his son Danny, you know, came and, you know, he said, like, Tony Bennett would like to meet your daughter. And so somebody went in and told her. And then she asked me to come in. She said, you know, just kind of like, who's Tony Bennett? Not really. Not that, but, you know, I said to her, look, honey, if Tony Bennett wants to meet with you, you meet with him. Yeah, the guy's a legend. Yeah, right. And that's when where it all started.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Ah, that voice, though.

[Joe Germanotta]

Yeah.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's amazing. Well, continued success with Joanne Trattoria. People should go there, have dinner, see the shows, see the emerging artists. The next Lady Gaga could be at the microphone any given week.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's right. That's exactly right.

[Ainsley Earhart]

And hopefully we'll see you on Gutfeld soon as well.

[Joe Germanotta]

Oh, I'm a little nervous about that one, but you'll be great.

[Ainsley Earhart]

This is a wonderful warmup. We have our spiritless espresso martinis with a little bit of ginger ale on top. This was a great drink. This is Papa Joe's Go Go Juice.

[Joe Germanotta]

That's my Go Go Juice. When I say bring me a drink in the restaurant, the kids know. That's the one.

[Ainsley Earhart]

That's amazing. All right, well, it's so nice to meet you and talk to you. Continued success with the restaurant, the Times Square restaurant, which is gonna be massive. The drag queens.

[Joe Germanotta]

Okay.

[Ainsley Earhart]

The Taylor Swifts and your whole family.

[Joe Germanotta]

And you're fabulous.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Thank you, dear. I appreciate it.

[Joe Germanotta]

Okay.

[Ainsley Earhart]

I love talking music. This is great. All right, this has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Joe Germanotta. I'm in Kennedy Listen ad free. With a free Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple podcasts and Amazon prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News podcast network. This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of Jesus.

[Joe Germanotta]

A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.