The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1547 - Colin Quinn
CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 1:55
Colin finally comes on the podcast + New York lockdown reality check
Joe opens by joking that moving to Texas is what finally got Colin into the studio. Colin describes what NYC feels like during lockdown: boarded-up stores, empty subways, and a general sense of decay rather than the familiar ‘old gritty New York.’
- 1:55 – 2:55
70s/80s New York stories: Times Square crime, survival vibes, and romanticizing the past
They compare present-day NYC to the dangerous New York of the 70s/80s, with Colin recalling how quickly streets emptied and how normal it was to fear being attacked. Both emphasize how people glamorize gritty eras in hindsight, forgetting how brutal it felt while living through it.
- 2:55 – 7:13
Giuliani’s cleanup, Times Square becoming a mall, and why mayors suddenly matter again
Joe and Colin credit Giuliani with a historic transformation of NYC crime and governance, while also noting the downside: a sanitized, corporate Times Square. They pivot to how COVID lockdowns made local leadership (mayors/governors) feel newly consequential to everyday life.
- 7:13 – 9:48
Is New York ‘dead’? Migration out of the city and what “gritty” really means
They discuss the Seinfeld/Altucher spat about NYC’s future and why both optimism and pessimism can be true. Joe and Colin mock the fashionable idea that ‘grit’ is desirable, pointing out that real grit includes violence, stabbings, and lasting trauma—not movie aesthetics.
- 9:48 – 16:35
Policing, viral outrage, and the Trump ‘stand down and stand by’ debate moment
The conversation shifts to policing and perception: Joe argues social media amplifies rare horrific incidents into a generalized view of all cops. They then dissect the absurdity and political damage of Trump’s ‘stand down and stand by’ line, joking about what a real debate moderator would need to do.
- 16:35 – 20:16
From Vikings to psychedelics: berserkers, mushrooms, and performance enhancement
Joe and Colin free-associate into Viking history, strongmen, and whether berserker rage could be drug-induced. The topic becomes modern psychedelics and performance, including claims that some fighters use mushrooms to compete and that psychedelics can sharpen perception in certain contexts.
- 20:16 – 24:51
Colin’s wild acid-era Brooklyn story: Sweet 16 brawl and ‘karma’ for hecklers
Colin tells a long, vivid story about tripping on acid at a mob-run Brooklyn venue, trying to defend a girl, starting a fight, getting kicked and beaten, and being thrown out onto the street. The punchline becomes personal karma: he later connects the chaos to what comics endure from hecklers and hostile crowds.
- 24:51 – 28:15
Bad gigs, small rooms, and why tiny crowds are comedy’s truth serum
Joe and Colin talk about early-career gigs: corporate-ish events, daytime shows, and situations where clean material evaporates. They praise small crowds as the most honest feedback loop—where even famous comics can’t rely on celebrity momentum to generate laughs.
- 28:15 – 36:29
Pandemic comedy workarounds: outdoor shows, drive-ins, Zoom bombing, and rapid testing ideas
They review the strange new comedy ecosystem: park shows, parking-lot shows, gazebo benefits, and massive drive-in events like Bert Kreischer’s. Both agree Zoom comedy is especially brutal, then brainstorm rapid COVID testing as a path back to real, mask-off club experiences (waivers included).
- 36:29 – 46:51
Comedy club ecosystems: The Comedy Store turnaround, ‘gang night,’ and the old LA scene
Colin and Joe reminisce about the Comedy Store’s rough eras and how it later became a powerhouse again. They discuss how clubs function as communities (doormen/comics, open mics, development), and how management culture and business practices shape a scene’s quality.
- 46:51 – 1:01:06
Boston’s brutal gauntlet: local legends, coke-era madness, and headliners set up to fail
They dive into the Boston comedy scene’s intensity: big personalities, higher pay, and an aggressive culture that often ‘set up’ outsiders by stacking killers ahead of them. Colin recounts bombing and nearly getting rushed, while Joe recalls famous comics being intentionally thrown into impossible situations.
- 1:01:06 – 1:03:33
Comedy craft deep-dive: crowd work, writing new hours, and why discomfort kills laughs
They get technical about what makes standup work: the audience as an editor, the danger of ‘fake’ crowd work, and why modern specials force constant creation. Colin shares a core rule—comics can be many things, but they cannot appear uncomfortable—because the crowd mirrors the performer’s emotional state.
- 1:03:33 – 1:36:28
Colin’s one-man shows and the ‘Tough Crowd’ legacy: can it return as a podcast?
Joe praises Colin’s themed shows and asks what led him toward one-man formats. They then pivot to Tough Crowd: why it worked, why it’s harder now, and Joe’s push for a podcast revival under ‘Tough Room,’ with comics who are insulated from career risk.
- 1:36:28 – 2:02:20
Conspiracy corner: Marilyn, Epstein, Maxwell, MKUltra, Manson, and JFK
The conversation veers into conspiracy and power: Monroe and the Kennedys, Epstein’s death, and concern about what happens to Ghislaine Maxwell. Joe explains Tom O’Neill’s book ‘Chaos’ and MKUltra-era LSD operations, then they dig into JFK evidence, Dallas mob angles, and why the ‘lone gunman’ story feels implausible.
- 2:02:20 – 2:12:06
Mobsters with podcasts: Sammy the Bull, Michael Franzese, and NYC’s mob-run industries
Joe and Colin talk about the surreal modern afterlife of organized crime figures who now appear on YouTube and podcasts. They connect it back to New York history: unions, supply chains, no-show jobs, and Giuliani’s RICO-era impact on dismantling mob power structures.
- 2:12:06 – 2:20:45
Comedy oddities and legends: Dangerfield’s prom shows, Otto & George, Little Hobo, and Norm stories
They swap stories about classic clubs and bizarre comedy experiences—especially Dangerfield’s marathon prom nights and the chaos of performing for drunk teenagers. The talk expands into ventriloquist darkness (Otto & George) and Duncan Trussell’s Little Hobo routine, then lands on Norm Macdonald’s genius and impulsive habits.
- 2:20:45 – 2:31:33
Wrap-up: Colin’s writing habits, TV vs standup, moving to Texas, and his book ‘Overstated’
As they close, Colin talks about writing daily (without strict schedules) and his love of crime/political dramas like Narcos. Joe returns to the idea of Colin moving to Texas and building a new comedy hub, then Colin plugs his new book—a comedic roast of the states—and they end with gratitude and future-collab promises.
