You know him from Saturday Night Live, where his duties included anchoring the parody news segment Weekend Update; the MTV game show Remote Control; and notable roles in popular movies, including the Judd Apatow film Trainwreck, where he played Amy Schumer’s dad. On August 30, New York City–based comedian Colin Quinn will bring his topical brand of comedy to Ballston Spa when he performs at a benefit for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit that helps 9/11 families, first responders, and military veterans with housing. We caught up with the comedian a couple of months ahead of the show.
Your cousin is helping put this fundraiser on. Does your family have a personal connection to the cause?
I’ve done Tunnel to Towers things a lot. It is a great cause. Everybody from the city knew a few people that died on 9/11. I definitely did.
It seems like your comedy is still very newsy. Do you go into politics for a set like this?
I do. Everything is politics now. There’s no area that politics doesn’t enter the national conversation, because the national conversation is everybody running their mouth online at all times. So, whatever you say, there are people having an opinion on it. A lot of my stuff is about how we think now because of social media, and how insane we really all are. A lot of it is about the space program and AI and stuff like that—where we’re going as people.
I mentioned you to a friend of mine, and she immediately recalled your guest appearance on the TV show Girls. What’s your fan base like now?
My fan base is very mixed. I’d say when I do a show, some of it’s young—anywhere from late twenties comedy nerds to people in their sixties.
What do you think brings them all in?
Most people who come to see me know I’m not doing a lot of sex jokes or stuff like that. They don’t expect to be in a party atmosphere. I’m not the kind of guy that’s fun for people that are drunk. I’ve never been, and I’m less and less that guy the older I get. If you want to sit in a very uncomfortable chair with a hard back laughing intermittently based on your hearing, then I’m the one to see.
Is stand-up your bread and butter?
It’s my bread and butter. It really is so rewarding, still. It’s such an honest appraisal of where you’re at comedically. If I go up there and I’m talking about what I want to talk about and getting laughs, then I’m like, “This is great. I can still do it.” Whatever your thing is, you always feel good if you can do it. And for me, success is laughs.
Colin Quinn will perform a comedy show at the Tunnel to Towers fundraiser, happening Saturday, August 30 at 6pm at a private residence in Ballston Spa. Tickets are $75 and include dinner, music by Skippy & the Pistons, the comedy show, and a raffle ticket. Email candmwagner@msn.com for more information.
