I have been building something.
Not quietly, not slowly, and definitely not without rhinestones.
BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator is our brand new members-only cultural membership, and it is officially open. Two hundred Founding Member spots. A private community. Monthly live events with people who are actually interesting. And a calendar that, if I do say so myself, I am genuinely proud of.
This is not a support group. It is not a recovery program. It is not a Zoom room full of people reading from worksheets.
BACKSTAGE is a cultural space for people who are done drinking and just want to talk about the interesting stuff. Books. Film. Art. Breathwork. Conspiracy theories. Bedazzling. Astrology. Brain science. iPhone content creation. The stuff that makes sober life genuinely fun.
Here is everything we have coming up.
April 22: Media Night | Rufi Thorpe on “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
We are not starting small.
Rufi Thorpe, the author of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”, is joining us live one week after the Apple TV+ series drops on April 15. If you have been watching Elle Fanning play a broke college dropout whose estranged father is a recovering drug addict turned OnlyFans coach, you already know why this conversation is going to be good.
This is not a press junket. It is a small, private group conversation with the woman who wrote the whole thing.
Wednesday, April 22 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
#ADDTOCART: Get the Killjoy Mocktail Kit, inspired by “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
April 29: Studio Night | The Joy of Bedazzling Every Day Objects with Alysse Bryson
Yes, I am hosting this one myself. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like.
I bedazzled my Big Book. I bedazzled a giant glass gummy bear from Michael’s. I am currently eyeing everything in my house that does not yet sparkle. On April 29, I am bringing the rhinestone revolution to BACKSTAGE for one hour of glue, gems, good conversation, and zero pressure to make anything perfect.
Bring a book, a canvas, a photo, whatever you want to transform. Or just bring your own craft and hang out. It is mostly just a hang. The best kind. The kind you’ll actually remember.
Wednesday, April 29 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
May 6: Edutainment Night | Breathwork Session with Adriane Vy
We slow all the way down for this one.
Adriane Vy is a Seattle-based Breathwork Facilitator with a background in public health education. She guides deep diaphragmatic breathwork sessions with intention and warmth, and she is going to walk us through one live on May 6.
Get comfortable. Grab a blanket. Just breathe.
Wednesday, May 6 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
May 20: Studio Night | Unpolished: Art Journaling with Krysty Krywko
Krysty Krywko writes our bi-weekly Unpolished column here at TSC, and on May 20, she is bringing it live into the BACKSTAGE community for the first time.
You need a notebook and a pen. That is it. No art skills. No aesthetic expectations. One hour of making something honest instead of something perfect.
Wednesday, May 20 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
May 21: Edutainment Night | Star Chart 101: Astrology Basics with Rhetta Roland
Ready to stop pretending you know what people mean when they say “rising sign”?
Rhetta Roland, a Sober Curator contributor, is joining BACKSTAGE for a beginner-friendly hour designed to help you actually understand the cosmic blueprint behind your birth chart. She will walk us through what your sun, moon, and rising signs mean, how to start reading your chart, and why your chart is so much more than your horoscope.
No previous astrology knowledge required. No gatekeeping. Just bring your curiosity, your birth date, birth time, and birth location if you have them.
Whether you are astrology-curious, fully woo, or just tired of nodding along when someone asks about your moon sign, this is your cosmic crash course.
Thursday, May 21 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
June 3: Edutainment Night | Conspiracy PowerPoint Party
We are giving the floor to the people. And the people have theories.
Up to ten members will each take the stage for 10 minutes to present their favorite conspiracy via PowerPoint. Are the birds real? Is Stonehenge a hoax? Did Big Sparkling Water manipulate the seltzer market? We have no idea what is coming and that is the whole point.
You can come to present or you can come to watch. Presenter spots are limited to 10. To claim yours, register for the event AND email your topic to thesobercurator@gmail.com.
This is the event people are going to be talking about for months. You had to be there — or you didn’t.
Tinfoil hats optional.
Wednesday, June 3 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
June 10: Media Night | Drunk on Film with Ted Mandell
Before we got sober, Hollywood had already been teaching us how to drink.
Ted Mandell is the co-creator of Drunk on Film, a wildly popular course at the University of Notre Dame that analyzes how alcohol consumption is portrayed in movies and advertising. From James Bond to frat comedies to the red solo cup as cultural icon, Ted’s course asks the question this community already knows the answer to: what did pop culture do to our relationship with alcohol, and how long were we watching before we noticed?
This is the conversation I have wanted to have inside BACKSTAGE since day one.
Wednesday, June 10 | 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
June 17: Studio Night | Style Your Next Chapter – Dress for the Life You’re Building
What happens when your outside starts to match the person you’re becoming on the inside? In this Backstage with The Sober Curator conversation, stylist and entrepreneur Tannya Bernadette, Founder & CEO of The Closet Edit, will explore how personal style can help you step into your next chapter with more confidence, clarity, and intention.
For many people, sobriety comes with an identity shift. You’re no longer dressing for the life you’ve outgrown, the roles you were performing, or the version of yourself that was just trying to get through the day. You’re building something new. Tannya will share how style can become a tool for self-trust, personal presence, and showing up for the life you actually want.
This conversation is for anyone who is reinventing themselves, stepping into bigger rooms, or ready to align how they show up with where they’re headed next.
Wednesday, June 17 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
June 18: Edutainment Night | The Mind Shift Method with Dan Holcomb of Mindshift Recovery
Cravings and anxiety love to show up like uninvited guests with a full luggage set.
Dan Holcomb, Senior Facilitator and Founding Contributor at Mindshift Recovery, is joining BACKSTAGE to introduce us to the Mind Shift Method and the power of Awareness Practice as a practical way to work with anxiety, cravings, and deeply grooved habit loops.
His work sits at the intersection of mindfulness and neuroscience, including how the brain forms habits, how reward value drives behavior, and how awareness can help change our relationship with cravings from the inside out. This session will give you a grounded, beginner-friendly look at how curiosity and brain science can support recovery without relying on shame, force, or white-knuckling your way through discomfort.
This one is for anyone who has ever thought: why do I keep doing this when I know it doesn’t help?
Come for the brain science. Stay for the relief of realizing you are not broken.
Thursday, June 18 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
July 8: Edutainment Night | iPhone Content Creation with Sheena Kalso
You have a story worth telling. You have a phone in your hand.
Sheena Kalso of Behind Your Scenes is joining BACKSTAGE to teach you the exact camera settings to update on your iPhone right now, how to shoot Reels and TikToks that actually feel like you, and how to stop overthinking it and just hit record. Come with your phone charged. This one is interactive.
Wednesday, July 8 | 6:00 PM PT | BACKSTAGE Members Only Reserve My Spot
How to Join BACKSTAGE
Founding Member spots are capped at 200. When they are gone, they are gone. And the price goes up.
Founding Members lock in $19 a month or $190/annually (Two Months Free). General membership after the Founding period is $27 a month.
You get access to all of the above, the private BACKSTAGE community forums, the Replay Vault for every session you miss, and every event we add going forward.
Secure Your BACKSTAGE Founding Membership Here.
Sobriety did save my life. And that’s not nothing. But it also gave me a life I never imagined possible. BACKSTAGE is where we live that life together.
See you in there.
XOXO AB
BACKSTAGE WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: A Culture Club for People Living Alcohol-Free
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
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What is BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator? BACKSTAGE is a members-only cultural membership from The Sober Curator. It is not a recovery group or support program. It is a private community for sober and sober-curious people who want to engage with culture, creativity, and conversation through monthly live events, community forums, and access to a growing replay vault of past sessions.
How much does BACKSTAGE cost? Founding Member spots are $19 per month and are capped at 200 spots. Once Founding Membership closes, general membership is $27 per month. Founding Members lock in their rate for as long as they remain members.
What kind of events does BACKSTAGE host? BACKSTAGE runs three recurring event formats: Media Night (author talks, film and TV discussions, pop culture conversations), Studio Night (creative practice sessions including art journaling, bedazzling, and making), and Edutainment Night (practical skills, wellness, and educational speakers). Events are virtual and held on Wednesday or Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM PT.
Do I have to attend every event live? No. Every session is recorded and added to the Replay Vault inside the BACKSTAGE Members Dashboard. You can watch on your own schedule whenever works for you.
Who are some of the BACKSTAGE guest speakers? Spring and summer 2026 guests include Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles (now an Apple TV+ series), Ted Mandell co-creator of the University of Notre Dame course Drunk on Film, Breathwork Facilitator Adriane Vy, TSC contributor Krysty Krywko of the Unpolished column, Rhetta Roland on astrology basics, Dan Holcomb of Mindshift Recovery on the Mind Shift Method, and Sheena Kalso of Behind Your Scenes on iPhone content creation.
Is BACKSTAGE only for people in recovery? No. BACKSTAGE is for anyone living alcohol-free or sober-curious who wants community, culture, and connection. You do not need a specific sobriety date or recovery background to join. You just need to be interested in living an intentional, interesting, alcohol-free life.
How do I join BACKSTAGE? Go to thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator and secure your Founding Member spot. Only 200 spots are available at the Founding Member rate.
What happens after I join? Once you join you get immediate access to the BACKSTAGE Members Dashboard, the private community forums in The BACKSTAGE Lounge, the upcoming events calendar, and the Replay Vault. Your welcome email will have everything you need to get started.
