Singer Emma Jayne and comedian Zach Schiffman will be hosting The Socialize Show featuring an all-queer lineup at 8 pm on Thursday at The Social, an ice cream shop in Prospect Heights, according to Brooklyn Magazine.
Pre-pandemic, Jayne and Schiffman hosted the variety show Recess at a CBD Soda pop-up near New York University. The guests at Recess were “mostly NYU students trying to get a free drink because they didn’t card," Jayne said. Their new show at The Social attracts those with a sweeter tooth.
The Social is Jackie Cuscuna's second ice cream shop with her husband Brian Smith, after financial difficulties forced them to sell their beloved chain Ample Hills. The shop “leans heavily into the ‘70s, with [its] kind of Sesame Street /‘70s logo," Cuscuna said. "There were a lot of variety shows in the ‘70s and they don’t seem to really exist now. They’re all competition shows.”
Previous nights at The Socialize Show have included interpretive dancers, a game of “Porn or Not Porn” hosted by a drag queen, and a lively tap dancing meditation session. Jayne strums a baritone ukulele to accompany songs such as "Vanilla Bean" and "Morning in Paris," both of which are named after The Social's ice cream flavors.
Schiffman and Jayne's work has been featured on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," but they wanted to keep The Social casual and are unconcerned with promotion. According to Schiffman, they don't plan what goes on the show's Instagram account.
“I used to really want to be famous,” Jayne said. “I guess there’s a part of me that still wants to be witnessed for the art I’m making. This is just the girls being the girls."
