CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:34
Pauly’s Mothership set: being loose, silly, and riding the room
Joe opens by praising Pauly Shore’s recent set at the Comedy Mothership, emphasizing how relaxed and in-the-pocket Pauly looked. Pauly describes standup as rhythm and improvisational momentum where you discover the set in real time.
- 1:34 – 4:45
The building’s history: from the Ritz era to the Mothership renovation
They dive into the venue’s lineage—past incarnations as a punk club, nudie theater, pool hall, and the historical ‘Ritz’ identity. Joe explains the renovation process, architectural constraints, and why the building feels like a rock-and-roll room.
- 4:45 – 6:57
Austin’s comedy ecosystem: reps, stage time, and phone-free rooms
Joe and Pauly talk about the importance of a comedy community and how Austin’s scene accelerates comic development through constant stage time. They praise phone-locking systems for improving attention, freedom, and show quality.
- 6:57 – 10:11
Phone addiction, Pauly’s therapy work, and reframing trauma
The conversation shifts from audience distraction to personal well-being. Pauly describes a long-running intensive group-therapy program, processing grief and trauma, and the challenge of comparing yourself to others—especially in the social media era.
- 10:11 – 15:15
Booking the show, podcast origins, and interviewing as a craft
Pauly asks how guests reach Joe and uses Nicolas Cage as an example, prompting a discussion about booking, direct outreach, and Joe’s selection process. Joe recounts the show’s early couch/bedroom days and how podcasting improved with repetition and inspiration from radio hangs.
- 15:15 – 17:23
Politics and cities: ‘not red,’ ideology backlash, and the LA homeless crisis
Pauly probes Joe’s perceived politics in Austin, leading Joe to clarify he’s not Republican and is reacting to ideological extremes. Joe criticizes government spending outcomes in LA/SF homelessness and argues the root causes are mental illness, addiction, and trauma—especially among veterans.
- 17:23 – 23:30
Solutions: mental health institutions, AA analogies, and psychedelic therapy (ibogaine)
They discuss how deinstitutionalization increased visible homelessness and what a modern humane system could look like. Joe argues for exploring all effective treatments—including legal psychedelic therapies—spotlighting ibogaine as a potential addiction intervention.
- 23:30 – 26:55
Mitzi Shore’s Parkinson’s, stem cells, and ‘medical tourism’ stories
Pauly recounts taking his mother to the Bahamas for fetal-cell injections, both comedically and emotionally, believing it helped prolong her functioning. Joe connects the story to the broader stem-cell controversy and how misconceptions shaped US research and funding politics.
- 26:55 – 32:49
Urology detour: Rezūm procedure, catheters, and bodily comedy
The talk takes a hard comedic turn into Pauly’s bladder/prostate issues and his Rezūm procedure. Pauly describes the catheter/piss-bag week as both inconvenient and oddly liberating, and Joe riffs on how humans handle bodily functions (and why bidets rule).
- 32:49 – 40:23
Building a comedy capital: club ownership, operations, and dialing in the rooms
They return to comedy infrastructure: Austin’s cluster of clubs, what it means to own a venue, and how hard it is to run one well. Joe details the management team, booking pathways, and obsessive design tweaks—plus Louis C.K.’s input on stage/ceiling changes and backstage signaling systems.
- 40:23 – 1:13:23
Comedy Store origin stories: Kinison, Westwood chaos, and Pauly’s upbringing
Pauly and Joe swap deep-cut Comedy Store lore: Pauly as a teen short-order cook, comics ‘babysitting’ him, and wild nights with Kinison. Pauly paints the ‘80s scene as a combustible mix of fame, drugs, mentorship, and constant surprises—then pivots into his father Sammy Shore’s overlooked role in founding the club.
- 1:13:23 – 2:39:49
Mitzi Shore’s legacy: ruthless taste, industry feuds, and comedy as salvation
They reflect on Mitzi’s talent for developing comedians and how her harsh standards created a gold-standard proving ground. Pauly gets personal about caring for her during her decline, the emotional weight of the Store, and how touring and performing became a lifeline; they close by discussing greats (Chappelle, Eddie), celebrity isolation, music culture, and drug temptations that artists avoid—or don’t.
