Shaken Not Stirred – On the Rocks Hits 300th Episode

Alexander Rodriguez has certainly become the podcasting queen. When Alexander’s mom was called in by his first-grade teacher for a chat, she was convinced that she was going to be told that he was a child genius. Instead, the teacher informed her that Alexander liked to talk… a lot. So much so that it was causing a disruption. Not much has changed, and this month he celebrates 300 episodes on his nationally syndicated, filmed podcast On the Rocks with Alexander. A mix of Johnny Carson, Joan Rivers, and a dash of Bea Arthur, Alexander mixes his sassy attitude with cocktails, to bring alive his chats with every entertainer under the sun, from classic Hollywood and reality TV to Broadway stars and drag queens. Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and even GayVN award winners, he has chatted with them all.

Hosting On the Rocks has expanded his media presence into journalism, FM radio, emceeing LGBTQ events throughout the nation, and even serving as Media Grand Marshal for Palm Springs Pride. His success in the entertainment industry is challenging the norms of what an on-air, Latinx, gay man looks and sounds like, and his opinionated candor offers a unique perspective on LGBTQ culture and media itself. His journey started a decade ago in the unlikeliest of places, a bank.

After a brief period after college as a musical theatre actor, I actually entered the world of banking. Here is my big personality among suits and loan packages, I stuck out like a sore thumb. But somehow it worked and I found myself as one of the youngest Vice Presidents in the Entertainment Division of City National Bank where I worked with about every major celebrity you can think of. If it weren’t for NDA clauses, I’d be rich from spilling the tea to TMZ. As chance would have it, I was attending a film release party for one of our clients and as the evening evolved into buckets of martinis, I found myself cavorting with actress Ann Walker (from Sordid Lives fame) who thought I was hilarious. She had also just invested in starting a podcast network and invited me to come in and try my hand at recording some stuff. Without any experience, I plopped myself down in front of a mic and haven’t stopped talking since!

Not afraid to knock on doors or make an ask, he got to, early on, sit down with the likes of Tippi Hedren (from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds), Ross Mathews, Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Pictures Show), Tony Award winner Daisy Eagan, and a slew of Bravo TV personalities. His mission was to make the show a truly diverse representation of the entertainment industry. His outside-the-box method of interviewing his guests set the show apart and cultivated a bond with them that exists beyond the show.

The kid in me was wetting my pants being able to actually sit and talk to some of my favorite stars. Growing up, I never had a good relationship with kids my age, didn’t play sports, and didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. Classic Hollywood films, TV, and Broadway musicals were my playmates, and I couldn’t saturate new material fast enough. I was an entertainment junkie. My library of knowledge about the strangest aspects of media was finally coming in handy. That, and my penchant to be super nosy, made for fun episodes. Of course, the fact I serve cocktails on the show doesn’t hurt either.

On The Rocks with Margaret Cho

It was not an overnight Cinderella story, however, and Alexander soon found himself at a crossroad, both personally and career-wise. It was time to take the leap.

Growing up, I had such a dream of being front and center on stage. Now that the show was gaining traction, I was finding myself in the spotlight, and it felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t the gym bunny gay, my voice is less than sultry, and no one could really categorize what my brand is – I didn’t really fit in any boxes. Also, I had no clue, and most people have no idea, how much work goes into doing a podcast. We were taping at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood; the stakes were high. I had to do the booking, the PR, the show outlines, the graphics, the social media, and host the show itself… there is a lot of time involved, and I was constantly having to learn new skills to make the show happen. This was all taking place in a period where the validity of podcasts was being questioned as substantial media. Now, everyone who is cool has a podcast but, at that time, if you were not on FM people would raise an eyebrow or assume you are recording in mom’s basement. The time needed to grow the show was affecting my job. I had to decide. So, after a period doing both podcasting and banking, I left my six-figure job, my Beverly Hills office, and any sense of stability and decided to do podcasting full time. I’m not going to lie, it was stark for the first couple of years – I lost my car, I had to give up my apartment and questioned whether or not I had made a wise choice. I also had to decide to be myself in the entertainment community and stop trying to conform to what other people were doing or what they looked like. I am husky, I have a loud voice, and I say “gurrrrl” a lot…so what? I stuck with it, and here we are celebrating 300 episodes, and my brand of celebrities and cocktails has opened doors to so many other exciting projects.

On The Rocks with Tippi Hedren

As the podcast grew, Alexander found himself networking and being referred throughout the LGBTQ entertainment world. His unique point of view and quick wit landed him emcee gigs for Prides in Southern California, Out at the Fair days in California and New Mexico, Vanderpump World Dog Day, numerous non-profit events, and nightclub nights across the nation. He would also get into journalism and now serves as celebrity writer for Metrosource Magazine (the second largest LGBTQ print and online national magazine), the Andrew Christian blog, and our own GED Magazine. His podcasting scope has expanded into serving as host for Metrosource Minis and U.S. of Gay, and as co-host for Sexy Funny Raw, The Naked Truth, and Bear with Us, Gurrrl. Two years ago, he co-hosted Glitterbomb, the first-ever Latinx, LGBTQ-themed national television programming. And as far as On the Rocks, it has gone from being distributed on Apple Podcasts to now being syndicated on all major podcasting platforms from iHeartRadio to Pandora, and as a filmed podcast on AppleTV, ROKU, and AmazonFireTV for OutAt.TV and the SVTV Network, and on Channel 31 on the East Coast. Most recently, he joined the Channel Q family with his news bytes, courtesy of Metrosource and GED Magazine, and his voice can be heard daily on FM in 38 states. He has also been a speaker for PLFAG, and as a panelist for Comic Con, Gaaays in Space, Unleashed LGBTQ, Revry’s Podcast Symposium, and more.

I feel so lucky to finally be doing what I am passionate about. Looking back at my 300 episodes isn’t just about the show. It’s about the blood, sweat, and literal tears. But it is also a testament to how the entertainment industry can support its own. A huge part of my career success has been through the help of other peers in the community, decision-makers who gave me a chance to shine, and big-name celebrities who said yes. Also, having a real-life Momma Rose as a support system has also been key.

On The Rocks with Anne Heche

Though Alexander is a gay host and often features members of the LGBTQ community on the show, his mission has been to create a show that is truly inclusive.

I never set out to make On the Rocks a gay show. There are numerous other shows out there that do that quite well. What I am so proud of about my podcast is that I have been privileged to bring in every genre of entertainer, side by side, all sharing their stories. I can have a porn star next to an Emmy award winner, and often we find out that we all have the same passions and challenges. On the Rocks is a safe space, open to all, where we focus on the positive aspects of the industry. I have learned so much from my guests and I get messages from all over the US from every type of listener, gay, straight, old, young, saying that they loved seeing their favorite celebrity in a different light.

With a lengthy list of past guests, who has been Alexander’s favorite?

Oh, this is a tough question. One of the times I was truly star-struck was when Academy Award Winner Shirley Jones came into the studio. I had been raised on musicals and her recordings of The Music Man, Carousel, and Oklahoma, had been memorized from age seven. My nerves were short-lived as she came in, stunningly gorgeous, with such kind, down-to-earth energy. She shared stories from her extensive career that I had never heard before, it was a dream come true. She also loved her martinis, so that also put me at ease. I could also mention the time that a Bravo TV personality wet their pants while laughing on the show, but I probably shouldn’t. Another favorite has been my chat with Bob the Drag Queen who offered a quite different look at LGBTQ culture, the BLM movement, and the evolution of drag. He is extremely knowledgeable and not afraid to challenge our way of thinking. Bob for President!

On The Rocks with Andrew Christian

Now with 300 episodes down, what does the future have in store for Alexander?

I am so excited that I am returning to my first passion, performing on the stage. As one of the only brown kids in school, I never really got cast as leads in any of our shows, so I started doing professional theatre outside of school. I was able to learn from amazing actors by doing shows like Camelot, Guys and Dolls, and Into the Woods. I performed as Charlie Brown in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown for over a year at the Roxy in Hollywood, this was before racially diverse casting was a thing and it was a thrill to have been able to take part in that production…we even got to perform live on the KTLA morning show! Over the years, I have been able to do my cabaret shows at Rockwell and Don’t Tell Mama. But with being busy with the podcast, I haven’t been on stage in three years. This January, I will be joined by recording artist Kasey Lansdale for our first duet show, Unsung Midler, at Oscar’s in Palm Springs, celebrating some of Bette’s less-known music. I am thrilled, but also very nervous. I’m learning to put down the cocktail and pick up the sheet music.

You can find everything On the Rocks and Alexander at www.OntheRocksRadioShow.com