The Nick DiPaolo Show - Colin Quinn | Nick Di Paolo Show #1616

Episode Date: August 21, 2024

In this episode right leaning comedian Nick Di Paolo talks with long time friend and fellow comedian Colin Quinn! Support the show and get your new 3-month wireless plan for just $15 a month with Mint Mobile at https://www.mintmobile.com/NICKDIP Like what you hear?  Get TWICE as much "Nick Di Paolo Show", full episodes of Steven Crowder’s “Louder with Crowder” show and more on Mug Club! Sign up today to get all their content at https://Nickdip.com and use the promo code NICKDIP to get your first month FREE! SEE NICK LIVE: 9/27/24 - Wise Guys - Jordan Landing, UT 9/28/24 - Skankfest - Las Vegas, NV 9/29/24 - Skankfest - Las Vegas, NV TIX:  https://www.nickdip.com/tour  For Tour Dates, Merch, stand-up clips and more visit https://nickdip.com 

Music playing I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore. Welcome folks on a Wednesday. Let's get right to it. My guest today, ladies and gentlemen, a legend in the comedy business. My closest friend. That's not saying much because I've alienated everybody I've met in this business. But we talk several times a week. One of the funniest people on the friggin planet. His last special, Our Time is Up. He shot this in DC. Did I get the title right?

Yeah. There he is. The great Colin Quinn, by the way, that's water. A few years ago, that would have been Stolle. Am I right, Colin? Look at this. This looks like an interview going on at a nursing home in Belleville. Quinny, great to have you on. I watched some of your... Thanks. We'll talk about obviously current events, but I watched a lot of, actually a lot of snippets from your last special.

Explain to people you did it at like a symposium somewhere, right, in front of a bunch of shrink. Yeah. Tell the people what it was what it's a well it was like a they had a shrink they're the psychiatrist convention so I what I did was I just performed I asked them if I could sneak in and perform at that convention so they let me come in I wasn't booked there I didn't get paid I just went there and just said I'll do a show for free. Come down there. We went down and shot it. You know, and that was it.

Oh my God. I didn't even know that. I thought it was all scheduled and I heard you. I heard you got two and a half million for it. No. No, well it was scheduled in that I taught I asked if I could come right right but that's a brilliant idea see that's that's a brilliant idea and so it was all all people who were they psychologists therapists what were they they were all yeah I guess I go I don't really psychologists I guess yeah because Colin I always said this about Colin watching his stand-up how how Yeah, I guess I go I don't really say colleges. I guess yeah Because Colin I always said this about Colin watching his stand-up how how smart it is that he was I remember I said Yeah, I said he's a comedian, but he's a sociologist and a shrink and

and Let's play we'll play the trailer to the special if you haven't seen it but a couple jokes in there I'm like it's a different level of smart and funny and you don't see it much and it's not appreciated because we play in front of people who would like to have 12 Michelob's and company midnight show and it's just Jerry Seinfeld produced one of his specials and I said to Jerry thank you you. And he, I remember Jerry going, for what? I go, this is what, and Jerry goes, this is what he's supposed to be doing. I go, yes.

Fucking it killed me when I'd seen that. Oh, whatever. Here is a, here is a, uh, the trailer for his, uh, our time is up special. The internet is forever. It's immortal. They could be watching this on another planet 30 billion years from now And it's all comments What's real what we say or what people are saying about what we say notes flags comments likes thoughts input suggestions

That's all the matters what Henry Ford did with the car. That's what Steve Jobs did for the assholes jobs did for the assholes. A diagnosis? Um, a diagnosis. I would say that I'm licensed in two states to say that he's a sociopath. He's going to be in therapy for a while. Who has these people left? First of all, your identity is not even who you are.

Your identity is who the government says you are. Your personality is who the people that know you think you are. Your reputation is who the people that don't know you think you are. Your social media profile is know you think you are. Your reputation is who the people that don't know you think you are. Your social media profile is who you think you are. And your browser history is who you are. I was on the road right afterwards, so was like how many people saw the special nobody

So then at the show I was so proud I had a whole new hour and they go. Thanks for doing a whole new hour I go you're welcome. They go, but we wanted to see some of the bits from the special. I was like, oh great Oh my god Even the guys should think you're doing it for don't want to see the news stuff And you already had that I mean you already have a new hour since then? Yeah, I'm actually filming in front of a bunch of captured Al Qaeda prisoners somewhere in the Middle East. I thought you meant the DNC convention starting today.

Boy, that's going to be a shit fest. I can't believe it. I don't know why I'm surprised. We're talking to the great Colin Quaid. I don't know why I'm surprised that you already have banged out a new one. That's one of the things we all looked up to Colin and Louis CK is the same way. So friggin prolific. I right now am stuck in a town that has no comedy scene,

and that's my fucking fault, but I'm not gonna drive to South Carolina to do 15 minutes, I'm sorry. But like I said- But you're underrated yourself. You're the only guy that can go on stage and free associate, and it's funnier than 90% of people's act.

Sometimes. Yes. Sometimes. Sometimes there's a higher percentage than anybody else in comedy. I learned that when I first moved to New York City and I came down there from Boston. You know I had a tight 20 minutes. I thought I was ready for New York City, me and Louis CK. And I'm doing the same 20 minutes for a couple months and then Mike Sweeney, our mutual friend, came up to me and go, man

you're very funny. I just like you to see you take more risks. And I was so young I wasn't even sure what he meant. I'm like, what's he mean? Dirty as shit or whatever? And then it dawned on me. Go ahead. Mike Sweeney was the only guy, everybody loved Mike Sweeney. He was the only MC. He was so educated and erudite. He would make jokes to guys like, I'm sir, are you from the Byzantine Empire? And he'd make all these historian jokes and people want to fight him after the show. and people want to fight him after the show. Yeah, he's a sweet guy, nice guy. I still remember his joke about his ass. On the road this week I had to rent a car to Alamo.

Yeah, and we're naming rental car places after military disasters. Next week I got a car reserved at Ted Offensive. And I was introduced to a whole new, a Tet Offensive or something like that. And I was introduced to a whole new because, you know, the Boston comedy scene, it was a different ballgame down there. New York knew New York was closer to show business. And in Boston, we're treating it like, hey, I'm making money telling jokes. Whatever the fuck. Go ahead.

But Boston was some of the naturally funniest people. Oh naturally funniest people I've ever seen in my life. Oh, absolutely. When I went up there, the first time I went up there, I go two things. First, I would die if I lived up here because I'd be drinking and doing coke in about two weeks. Secondly, these guys are just funny. They just were so casually. They were the first time you see people on stage where you're like, oh, this is like real, you know, they would say, oh, you can have a beer with this guy.

Yes. He just said that to me in New York. I never knew what it meant. Then I see Boss, I go, that's what it means. Only in Boston. Just funny. Casual. Only in Boston

ago this is a type of guy you could have a case with you're right though it's I just I love like you said naturally funny in Boston but then I go down I go down in New York and you know I'm hanging out the improv wanting to get on I'm getting on at 120 in the morning and but I'm seeing guys first guy I saw Brian Reagan who I knew was a great comic already at that point and I'm seeing him before he's going on and he's pacing back and forth like he's the fucking starting quarterback for the Super Bowl I go this guy is nervous this established guy shit his pants and I'm going I'm gonna get massacred and I did yeah

It's a whole level then I'd have to go on after you know Dennis Larry was hot at the time But everybody right everybody was way more refined than Everybody's doing a lot of good material But again, it's a combination because I just laugh every time I think of Steve Sweeney Oh going on stage and going like this really slowly going I love Boston because people are so fucking positive here And it was only a setup

Before he even got to the joke his attitude was as bad as anybody People are so fucking positive here i would laugh already and then he did the whole routine is great but this is that setup his face during that setup was so irish and funny he'd go nice day today yeah we won't be getting many more of these Nice day today. Yeah, we won't be getting many more of these. Guy watching, Guy watching Tripodega. Nice day today. Yeah, outside. I'm inside, asshole. Yeah, you had like five of those. So funny. Murderous. Hey folks, the price of gas is going up, the price of groceries is going up, and cell phone bills are skyrocketing. Unless you're with Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile is awesome.

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speeds slower above 40 GB on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees and restrictions apply. Thank you for sponsoring the show today Mint Mobile. And yeah he was him and Lenny and all those guys. And you and yeah Colin you knew all those guys before I did because you were coming down from New York to Boston right and they were coming and they would come to New York he said Eddie Brill said the paper moon for Boston comics because he knew all Dennis Leary and these guys so they had a place to come in New York so Eddie had the connection and I just chiseled on to go do that but Lenny

Clark used to go I just see him strutting that stage. So funny. And we went to animal Bay, he went up and just, and he just be like, so then there was an immaculate conception, where they don't know who the father is, how many of you girls about one knows. Anyway, he was just doing his long. And he used to do a team called Lenny Clark's roll the fucking dice. You remember that? Yeah, what was that? It was all I want is a

game show. Lenny Clark's roll the fucking dice. And then at the end, this girl wins every round. And then the final round comes and she's gonna lose. And the whole crowds booing and they turn on me. Who's responsible? That motherfucker

Lenny Clark. All right Look get the car the house and all the prices. All you gotta do is blow me And the whole crowd's going blow and the whole crowd's going blow And he would Yeah, he was the live wire. I love Sweeney. I loved all those guys. I mean, Don Gavin to this day, Don Gavin to this Gavin show he's in Boston you would host the show it's your show on the marquee but you're the host of the show he'd go up there only only host that you know the host is supposed to go up there and warm up the audience he'd do 15 at the top and you would want to follow him and all my friends came to

see me and not one of them mentioned my set. They talked about Gavin for the fucking next month. Yeah, because he was that kind of he was such a funny personality. Like everybody out of there had these funny personalities that were just another level. Remember, Joe Yannetti? Joe Yannetti would go, he goes, listen, folks, I said some joke, he was a fag. He goes, I don't mean to be offensive. But if you're gay, if I want to hurt your feelings, you call somebody a fag. I'm Italian.

If you don't like me, you call me a guinea. I have a black guy. If you don't like him, you don't have to talk to him. See that's so right down your alley, too. That sounds like something you'd write. He was really funny. So many good guys. It was a spirit up there.

I guess, maybe love New England, you know, just that personality, sarcastic, kind of tongue-in-cheek attitude that people have up there, you know. And we all live in the shadow of New York, as boss Donnie, whether it was the Red Sox, Yankees or show business, you know, and it makes it funnier. Well, New York had all these guys once again, like the Don Gavin of New York was like, like Ronnie Shakes. Yeah, I mean, Ronnie Shakespeare.

He died. He died of a heart attack out of nowhere, but he was on The Tonight Show 20 times. Nobody ever heard of him. 20 times on The Tonight Show. Imagine. And he had jokes like he would just stand up there and deliver deadpan. Yeah. I tried to commit suicide once by drowning myself in the ocean. I don't know how serious I was.

I brought a towel and that's why I got into comedy for shit lot lines like that this you know I mean it's smart it I don't know like it's fucking yeah I and then I'm then I'm going on and David towel still wearing a suit jacket right and fucking Louis a baby face and but I'm going oh my god these guys are really fucking funny and I got the improv hanging out the imp I had to drive I've told this story before on this show but I had to drive down to Boston calling I had never driven to New York City I had to drive from Boston tell me tell me this isn't a something you'd only do when you were young and

stupid I had to drive the fucking New York from Boston hoping I'm just gonna get there and didn't know the city at all to I had a 115 audition for silver Friedman at the improv so I stayed in Barry Katz apartment and I'm fucking nervous I'm going out you know I'm just going oh my god and then like an idiot I go to the show that starts at like seven o'clock so now I'm fucking nervous, I'm going out, you know, I'm just going, oh my god. And then like an idiot, I go to the show that starts at like seven o'clock. So now I'm hanging out for six hours. And I didn't, I had to do it two more times. I didn't pass, you know, because they had already seen 19 comedians. I'm auditioning and there's eight people. And you never, when we were doing comedy in New England,

it was the mecca of stand-up comedy in the late 80s we never played less than anybody than a hundred people we were spoiled rotten I go on at the improv it's a big audition and there's like literally eight people left and I'm going how the fuck am I gonna do this and apparently I didn't I had to come back a couple times oh my god is that you but it so funny, I remember the improv too. When you people don't realize New York clubs, which are on New York is this big place. You most of the time you perform for eight people. Yes. Eight to twenty. Comedy seller during the week. Nobody. We used to get drag people in for free for 20 years. We drag people

to the street go free, free. Just have to buy drinks. You don't have to do anything. Force them to be there. For 20 years it was like that. Think about that. Monday through Thursday. Weekends did well. Week nothing. That's the most famous club. Can you imagine, and now you can't get a ticket, they have four clubs within an eight feet radius of each other. Yeah. Packed. his what was his name the guy that would drag people in just to go Louis Schaeffer not gay Lewis that was his look look Louis Schaeffer not gay that was his hook he came to see him gay he seemed as gay is a two dollar bill and wait a minute, didn't he get busted for some? Oh, no, that was his joke about pedophilia.

That was his joke. Yeah, that's when I got nervous. I'm going, the guys that are pulling people in, the guys on the sidewalk, I'm like, they're fucking actually great comics and the comedy sell is using them. And we're talking to Colin Quinn, by the way. I go down to the Comedy

Cellar for the first time Barry Katz goes yeah I get you an 830 or whatever get on there Bill Blum and Rice's not not Bill Blum what was his name that who was the Jewish guy that ran the Comedy Cellar managing in audio yeah he was a no he was a comic he went on to write Bill Grunt fest So I come down Bill Grunt fest is sitting there doing like a crossword puzzle. I Walk up to him doesn't even look up. I Go, excuse me bill. My name is Victor Paul. I get an 830 still doesn't look up Yeah, go go stand over there. I think he said. Or go stand in the hall. They never

made eye contact or nothing. And I have to go on after Mike Rowe. Was it Mike Rowe? Doing one of the funniest bits ever. He's doing Jackie Gleason as Jack Ruby. No, Jack, no, yeah, Jack Eglison has Jack Ruby getting shot. So he'd go, Pshh, ahhhhhh, ahhhhhh, ahhhhhh. I have never seen a room, it, it, the place is shaken. I'm halfway down the stairs, I can feel the vibrations. And thoseuckers and at the Comedy Cell is so many comics They don't do a bunch of time in between they brought me right up to eat a big shit burger That's what I'm most proud of Colin when I look back on Comic is to be in that arena with you Patrice O'Neill's of the world the Ray Romano's

Louie whoever if you didn't bring your A-game every night, you get your ass handed to you. And you have to go through New York. If you guys, you young comics, and I still think it's true, right? If you want to be a good comic, you got to go through New York. I still think that's true. You got to go through. Right?

I agree. You have to go through New York because it just forces you, like you said, people also like you better do new stuff too. I mean, these young guys now, they do new stuff all the time. They have to. Yeah, they have to because the audience has gotten smarter. The comedy audience is watching and they're like, oh, we know that bit. Oh, we know that that's somebody else's stuff.

They're watching. Well, they, they, they'll banter. Yeah. How many fans are serious? It's like they're like sports fans now. That's right. Because of the Internet. Yes, they are inundated with it.

If they love it, they're marinating in it. And you got to. And again, yeah, it's a there's a new comedy boom going on right now that, you know, I fucking try. I wish I was Mark Norman's age or Joe. I know me too. I wish I was a Norman's age or Joe I know me too I wish I was a kid you know but good for them hey I'm good for I'm happy Tim Dillon you know he used to hang out I'd be a governor and I knew he was funny

nobody I never really saw him doing stand-up but I knew he was hanging back there and I saw all the young guys kind of hanging with him so I knew this guy had a presence and had something going. And then he goes on Rogue and shows the world, you know, you got to fucking step it up. I mean, I'm happy for them, but I'd be happier for us if it was our age. Oh God, yeah.

Oh Christ, yes. I'd be... Anyways, folks, for those of you on Mug Club, stay tuned for the second half of the show the rest he's go to nick dip comm sign up for mug club and My dates if you click the tour button September 27th wise guys Jordan landing in Utah and then the next night the 28th and 29th September skank fest in las vegas

nevada and uh... back to the second half of the show with more of collin quinn