Joe Rogan reveals the dark underbelly of comedy club ownership
It seems that Joe Rogan is already fed up with owning a comedy club and recently opened up about the challenges of operating a comedy club that allows controversial comics to take the mic.
Earlier this year, after spending over two years in the development stage, the famous comedian and podcaster announced the opening of his very own comedy club called the 'Comedy Mothership' in Austin, Texas.
As a reflection of his commitment to freedom of speech, Rogan's club has hosted some of the most controversial standup comics in the industry, like Tony Hinchcliffe, Shane Gillis, and Tim Dillon. However, the stress of being a comedy club owner started getting to Joe Rogan just two months after its doors opened.
On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (#1981) with Pauly Shore, the legendary 'Comedy Store' owner Mitzi Shore's son, the podcaster outlined his biggest issues as a club owner.
Stating that dealing with comedians was his biggest stressor, Rogan added:
"There are so many factors dealing with your livelihood if you are a club owner. People get too drunk, they are crazy, they do this and that, they wreck the hotel room, and you are constantly like putting out fires.“
Watch the full episode below:
What made Joe Rogan open a comedy club without the goal of making a profit?
Joe Rogan is a master of many trades, and the New Jersey native is easily one of the most widely recognized personalities in popular culture today. While he started his career as a stand-up comic, he expanded his resume to include UFC color commentator and the host of the globally famous JRE podcast.
In March, Rogan added 'comedy club owner' to that resume as he announced the opening of the 'Comedy Mothership,' his standup comedy club.
While the 55-year-old had previously stated that he'd never want to venture into the comedy club business, he changed his heart when he moved base to Austin, Texas. However, when Austin's iconic 'Capitol City Comedy Club' shut down during the COVID pandemic, Joe Rogan felt obligated to open a club.
In an episode of Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast (#403), Rogan stated:
"I felt compelled to do it... I never wanted to own a comedy club, and I always felt like you just had to be nice to comedy club owners because you never want to be one of those people. But then, when I knew I was moving here, Cap City was already closed. I was like, 'Maybe I should buy a f*cking club and start a club."
Watch the full video below: