Podcast Summary: We Can Do Hard Things

Episode: "Why G & Abby Made Out on Stage at Brandi’s GJWW!"

Hosts: Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, Amanda Doyle (Andy)
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this celebratory and hilarious episode, the hosts Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Andy (Amanda Doyle) provide an inside look at their experience attending Brandi Carlile’s iconic "Girls Just Wanna Weekend" (GJWW) music festival in Mexico. The conversation dives deep into the significance of the event, their on-stage (and on-stage-make-out!) performance, queer joy, and how dancing together became a powerful, healing, and intimate experience for Abby and Glennon.

What is "Girls Just Wanna Weekend"?

[01:51–05:35]

• Glennon attempts to describe GJWW, likening it to "a lesbian Lollapalooza":
  • “It’s sort of a gathering of thousands of people, some of who are not queer, but the gathering's still queer.” [03:05]
  • Music is the medium, but the real spirit is healing, joy, and being safe together.
• Abby elaborates:
  • Community builders attend, not just musicians—soccer events, dance classes, daytime pool gatherings.
  • No distinction between newcomers or yearly attendees; inclusion is fundamental.
• Atmosphere described as uniquely safe and communal:
  • "For some reason, it feels… it is so safe. I don’t mean safe like you’re not going to get hurt or your stuff taken … I just mean safe as in everybody gets to be exactly who they are." – Glennon [05:08]
  • People even look after each other's belongings when left unattended.

The Brandi & Catherine Effect

[06:06–07:14]

• Glennon credits Brandi Carlile and her wife, Catherine, for the intentional spirit of the festival:
  • “It is the intentionality, the generosity... and the love that they pour into every single moment of this festival is stunning … it feels extremely spiritual and generous and intentional and heavenly.” [06:55]

Legendary 80s/90s Night: Full Buy-In & Freak Flags

[07:14–13:34]

• GJWW’s last night is famously themed (80s/90s covers), with everyone encouraged to participate.
• Glennon and Abby recount their journey from hesitant performers to fully committed on-stage dancers:
  • First year: Reluctant, didn’t sing, “just yucking it up” on stage [09:02].
  • “There’s something about this community … that encourages you to allow your freak flag to fly.” – Glennon [09:39]
• Costume Hijinks
  • Glennon tried a Cher-inspired routine; Abby ended up as an oversized, sailor-suited toddler.
  • “You had, like, sex vixen Glennon and a 1950s toddler Abby.” [11:51]
  • Abby: “Well, because my fucking outfit was terrible. Nobody would have bought into that.” [12:04]

Dancing as Intimacy & Healing

[13:34–22:37]

• This year, their theme: Defiant, joyful, queer sexiness and love.
• Abby’s Christmas gift: Hired a professional choreographer (Dana, thanks also to Kristin Sudeikis), who previously worked with Justin Timberlake.
• Dance rehearsals became “better than therapy”:
  • “Why do you think that it was like that?” – Glennon
  • Abby: “She was just kind of walking us through some warm ups and follower and leader drills … it became very obvious that the normal dynamic …this was really interesting because it was harder for you to follow.” [21:04]
  • The vulnerability of learning something new together deepened their connection and trust.

Notable Quote

"You know they say that people... whoever you want to be closer to, you should throw yourself into new experiences because that brings up a vulnerability that you don’t have to access when you know what you’re doing."
– Glennon [22:09]

Abby’s Perspective

• Glennon excels at memorizing lyrics; Abby does physical movement—each brings their unique strengths (“How lucky that we’re each good at a thing.” – Glennon [27:14])
• The vulnerability and playfulness reinvigorated their intimacy (“It reawakened butterflies in a really cool way.” – Glennon [28:00])

The Iconic Performance: "Come to My Window"

[27:39–29:31]

• Their performance was the highlight for both, feeling freeing and liberating despite anxiety that practice didn’t fully match “the vision.”
• Festival moments brought community and queerness to the fore:
  • “I really wanted that to be, it felt like I really wanted that to be portrayed through our dance.” – Glennon [27:39]
  • “It was freeing, and it felt like an offering to the people there.” – Glennon [28:00]

Other GJWW Highlights

[29:31–31:19]

• “Titans of Americana” Night: Sean Colvin, Brandi Clark, Tish, and Brandi Carlile share the stage, crossing generations and genres.
  • “Brandi is such a shepherd of incredible link between the past and the future.” – Glennon [29:31]
• Heartfelt moments:
  • Meg Fowli and Brandi sang “Still the One” on stage, as images of Andrea and Meg played on screens. The crowd was “just a heavenly awe.” [31:08]

Creative Courage, Joy, and Forming Community

[31:19–37:03]

• The festival is intentionally countercultural—fostering joy, queer sexuality, and deep community as a form of resistance and survival.
  • "The things that are trying to be stamped out is just joy and sexuality and expression and community." – Glennon [31:19]
• Brandi and Cath’s vision is “an advertisement for using the most audacious form of your imagination and then saying, why not?" – Andy [35:28]
• No hierarchy among artists—established icons and new acts share the same stage and spirit.

Sexiness, Fun, and Play (a.k.a. Making Out On Stage)

[37:17–41:13]

• The dance (and resulting on-stage make-out): A physical metaphor for their queer love and trust.
• Abby confesses lyric phobia:
  • “I had to walk up and sing my line. And… I look down and there's a teleprompter with the lyric. And I was like, I've dialed all the numbers just to listen to your breath.” [38:34]
  • Glennon: “Kingdom of God is like a teleprompter.” [38:34]
• Sista Strings cheered them on backstage: “Whatever happens out there, we are so proud of you for trying.” [38:56]
  • “That is all I ask. I’m going out. Just be proud. I tried.” – Glennon [39:06]

Takeaway for Listeners

• New experiences (like couple’s dance classes!) can reignite intimacy and joy in relationships.
  • “Get a dance class with your partner … it’s just a way of getting all of your issues out of your head and into your body so where you can see them or something.” – Glennon [39:47]
  • “This has really helped us in our intimacy and our connectivity and feeling connected.” – Abby [39:57]

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• "Girls Just Wanna is sort of a lesbian Lollapalooza." – Glennon Doyle [03:05]
• “There’s something about this community… that encourages you to allow your freak flag to fly.” – Glennon [09:39]
• "How lucky that we're each good at a thing." – Glennon [27:14]
• “You had, like, sex vixen Glennon and, like, a 1950s toddler Abby.” – Supporting Speaker [11:51]
• "Kingdom of God is like a teleprompter." – Glennon [38:34]
• “Get a dance class with your partner.” – Abby [39:47]

Key Timestamps

• [01:51] — What is GJWW? Overview of the event’s purpose and spirit.
• [03:05] — "Lesbian Lollapalooza": the music festival as sacred community.
• [07:14] — 80s/90s Night and gradual embrace of on-stage participation.
• [13:34] — Why performing and dancing together became so important to Abby & Glennon.
• [21:04] — Dance rehearsals, leadership, and following in relationships.
• [27:39] — Theme of defiant, joyful, queer love in their dance performance.
• [29:31] — “Titans of Americana” night and cross-generational artistry.
• [38:34] — Abby’s lyric phobia and the “miracle” of the teleprompter.
• [39:47] — Encouragement to inject joy, novelty, and fun into relationships.

Episode Takeaways

• Showing up in new, vulnerable ways together—like learning a couple’s dance—can be transformative and healing.
• Intentional queer joy and community are revolutionary acts, especially in a world seeking to suppress them.
• The spirit of “Girls Just Wanna” is deep inclusion, radical generosity, and the audacity to create your own heaven on earth.
• Sometimes, we do hard things—and sometimes, we just dance and make out on stage.

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