Bridget Everett, Filthy Gorgeous

Photography By Therese + Joel

"I don't mind going off the ledge," says alt-cabaret singer Bridget Everett. "I just want to feel like me." In her latest show, the explosive Rock Bottom (now running at Joe's Pub in New York), the Kansas-born performer makes it vividly clear that she could never be anyone but herself, especially when she plunges into numbers like "Tell Me (Does This Dick Make My Ass Look Big?)." But if oversharing and vulgarity are her hallmarks (in Rock Bottom, a certain pink sex toy figures prominently enough to qualify as a supporting cast member), it's Everett's irrepressible talent as a vocalist that has earned her a legion of celebrity fans.

Patti LuPone invited her for a duet at Carnegie Hall; the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz plays in her band, the Tender Moments; and Amy Schumer enlisted her for guest spots on both seasons of Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. This spring, Everett can be seen in her own Comedy Central special, proving that when you're this fearless the only place to go is up.

A Star Is Born
"My most meaningful moment in New York was when my mom came to see a show. I hadn't seen her in two or three years -- since my sister died -- and was really nervous. She knows I have a foul mouth and do nudity sometimes, but she's just so proud of me. I decided to bring her up on stage to sing 'Hello, Dolly!' because she'd always wanted to be on Broadway. Everybody in the audience got up and cheered. It was pretty magical to see her fulfilling a dream she couldn't because she'd had a family."

A Mental Note

"I don't really do much during the day. I'll sleep in, because I want to be able to do full-force, hardcore cabaret. I just want to go until I drop and feel like I'm gonna die. The last note in every show is this really high note, and every time I get there I'm just like, This could be it. This could be when my heart stops. But what a great way to fuckin' go."

The Risky Props Department
"I might take some chances talking with somebody in the crowd who maybe doesn't want to have a conversation. But there's always somebody who doesn't mind having a foot-long dildo on their shoulder or ass or face."

Charm Offensive
"I'm definitely dirty and go pretty far. There may have been one couple that walked out of my show, but I'd rather people have a very distinct reaction. The things that excite me most are very extreme. So if someone doesn't like it, too bad. I know there's someone sitting next to them who does."

On Muppet Love

"My home life is very chill. I watch a lot of documentaries. I find they're really inspiring, because I do love storytelling so much. But I recently went down a Jim Henson rabbit hole. I watched this video of this little girl talking to Kermit, and at the end she's like, 'I love you.' I watched it, like, 10 times. There was heart to it, and I'm like, Maaaaan, this is the real shit right here. It had me dropping to my knees."

On Her Biggest Fear
"Losing my voice and not being able to sing really terrifies me. If I wasn't singing, what else would I have? Nothing. It's the way I express myself, because I'm a horrible communicator. It's how I meet my friends, how I let people know how I feel about them. So I think that's what scares me. Also, heights."

Hair and Makeup: Angela DiCarlo. Shot in the dressing room at Joe's Pub, NYC

Watch Bridget Everett perform on Inside Amy Schumer below: