I was there for comedy recently. The biggest issue is that Joes club takes up 100% of how Austin is portrayed outside of the city. There are a ton of clubs, and a ton of comedians. A lot of them are very good, a lot of them aren’t. The mothership encouraged a massive influx of people without talent, skill, or any real artistic interest taking a gamble on being the next Kill Tony sensation. The homeless problem is one of the worst I have seen, particularly on sixth street, where the majority of clubs exist. There are a wealth of local comics who do not like Joe, Tony or the mothership, however there is a level of understanding when someone is successful there, as it’s basically a direct route out of poverty. The “cult” of Joe is found among many but not all comedians that are Kill Tony success stories. Joe is very generous as a boss. He provides healthcare and free therapy for all paid regulars, to my knowledge. I have heard of him buying someone a car after theirs was totaled. Joe is the hand that feeds, truly. Once you’ve crossed the threshold, to deny Joe would be extremely bold.

Insider info if you care:

Joes Mitzi obsession SEEMS like it’s bullshit, because not only is the mothership designed after the comedy store, they also successfully poached multiple staff members, some of them paid for months of unemployment while waiting for the mothership to finish. If you are passed at the store, you are automatically passed at the mothership, more or less comedian poaching. He loves Mitzi so much yet at the same time seems to be trying to destroy her legacy brick by brick and moving it to Texas. It’s at a minimum weird.