Every morning, we send you a free email packed with Austin news, business, and entertainment. Join 16,000+ readers who wake up to Austonia's newsletter.
Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed
Exclusive: Joe Rogan buying west Austin theater for new comedy club, wants to make Austin a new hub for big laughs
One World Theater (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Since making his well-documented move to Austin from Los Angeles, multi-million dollar podcaster Joe Rogan has been singing the praises of his new home and making himself right at home. So, what's next for Rogan and Austin?
Austonia has confirmed with multiple sources that Rogan is taking decades of experience in standup comedy—first starting his career in 1988—and finally, *drumroll* opening up his very own comedy club in the capital city.
Though rumors have also previously suggested he's purchased the now closed Alamo Ritz and the soon to reopen Cap City Comedy, multiple sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told Austonia that the new home to Rogan's latest endeavor is the One World Theatre. Located at 7701 Bee Cave Road, the theater is a convenient 10-minute drive from Rogan's $14.4 million dollar Westlake Hills mansion.
Rogan will run the theatre with fellow comedian Adam Eget, who has been on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast and made the journey from L.A. to Austin for the gig. The One World Theatre did not respond to numerous calls and messages from Austonia.
The One World Theatre opened its doors in 1999, when current owners Hartt and Nada Stearns decided to bring concerts, dance, theatrical and kid's productions to the new venue in association with an equal partner, the Barton Creek Art Center. The Stearns acquired 100% interest in the property in 2007 and have been running it since.
According to the Travis Central Appraisal District, the property is on its second foreclosure and likely sustained damages due to the winter storm.
We know it's been a long time coming for Rogan to finally buy his first-ever club. Here's what we've observed over the years.
Rogan has been planning to start a club for months, at least
Shortly after Rogan announced his California exodus, Rogan sat down for an August 2020 podcast with comedian Joey Diaz to talk about fracking and the effects it has had on the environment along the coast and how it was one of the reasons he wanted to leave. In response to his move, Diaz asked Rogan if he plans to do a comedy club once he breaks ground.
"Most likely I'm going to do a comedy club (in Austin). It'll be fun for all of us," Rogan said.
He's been keeping company with fellow funnies
The iconoclast has performed dozens of shows around Austin since he's made his move; Rogan frequents venues like Stubb's BBQ and ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Rogan recently appeared in a series of comedy shows alongside fellow comedian Dave Chapelle and has also been seen performing with Ron White, Donnell Rawlings and Michelle Wolfe. Rogan has also been coaxing friends, like Diaz, to follow his path down to Austin.
He was a longtime staple at The Comedy Store in L.A.
... and now he wants to move the L.A. hub to Austin. Rogan said he first started performing at The Comedy Store, one of the most prominent comedy venues in L.A., in 1994; it was a "mecca" for him and he performed there for 13 years. As the world changes and technology becomes more powerful than ever before, Rogan said he wants to steer people away from making Hollywood their end-all-be-all.
"For sure the best way to be free is not to be connected to the Hollywood machine because the Hollywood machine is all woke now," Rogan said. "It's completely ridiculous and everyone's full of shit. What we need is a machine that we create ourselves."
He's not looking to make money
With a podcast worth upwards of $100 million dollars—thanks to his high-profile licensing deal with Spotify—Rogan's pockets are lined. On yet another podcast in September, this time with White, Rogan said he was on the lookout for a ranch and a comedy club in Austin. Rogan said he wants to help local comics get on the up-and-up "when" he starts a club in Austin.
"The idea is if we open a club—when we open up a club I should say—is to have these local guys come in, pump them up, let people know there's a real scene here and help them," Rogan said. "Not just Austin comics but from everywhere, bring them into this place and have this be a hub."
- New Austinite Joe Rogan visits the Governor's Mansion - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan's new home is a $14 million mansion on Lake Austin ... ›
- Timeline of Joe Rogan moving to Texas: - austonia ›
- Elon Musk, Joe Rogan and Dave Chappelle walk into Stubb's BBQ ... ›
- Joe Rogan surprises Big Laugh Comedy with show - austonia ›
- Adam Eget confirms One World Theater comedy club opening - austonia ›
- Bass Concert Hall is reopening with $3M upgrades after pandemic - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan moves into new well-lit studio in Austin - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan retracts telling young people not to get vaccine - austonia ›
- Steve Adler on homelessness and on Joe Rogan Podcast - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan is reportedly looking for a new Austin home - austonia ›
- Big laughs, big controversy: Out-of-towners are shaking up Austin's comedy renaissance - austonia ›
- ZACH Theatre to make up lost wages from pandemic - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan's influence wanes in the Spotify era of $100M podcast - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan tests positive for COVID-19 - austonia ›
- Upping the ante: Austin, Dallas are now private poker house hubs - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan's One World Theatre deal falls through - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan-backed comedy club to find a home at Ritz Theater in Austin - austonia ›
- Joe Rogan-backed comedy club to find a home at Ritz Theater in Austin - austonia ›
Popular
(Paxton Smith/Instagram)
Paxton Smith’s 2021 valedictory speech at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas wasn’t the same speech she had previously shared with school administrators. She dropped the approved speech and made a case for women’s reproductive rights after lawmakers passed the Texas "Heartbeat Bill.”
Her advocacy made news on NPR, YouTubeTV and in The Guardian. Just over a year later, the “war on (women’s) rights” she forewarned has come to a head as the U.S. Supreme Court voted Friday morning to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protection for abortion access.
“It is up to the people to show up and show the courts and the politicians that we won’t sit back and let this happen,” Smith told Austonia Friday morning. “We will show up, we will fight back. Before, we were scared of them, now they should be scared of us.”
Now a University of Texas sophomore and abortion rights activist, 19-year-old Smith said she wanted to give the same speech in the “the most public way possible” to reach “as many people as possible who don't agree that I deserve this right.”
However, she says the response was “actually overwhelmingly positive” and supportive of her cause. According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
The speech opened up further opportunities for activism: she advocated for reproductive rights at the International Forum on Human Rights in Geneva, interviewed with Variety magazine and spoke to tens of thousands at Austin’s Bans Off Our Bodies protest at the Texas Capitol in May.
Smith also serves on the board of directors for the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project, a national nonprofit organization that helps fund abortions or medication abortion—like Plan C pills—in all 50 states. Most recently, Smith has been attending protests in Washington, D.C. leading up to the ruling.
“This is land of the free. This is where you get to choose how you live your life,” Smith said. “Overturning Roe v. Wade violates everything that we have come to believe about what it means to live in this country. I think a lot of people aren't willing to accept that this is a human right that is most likely just going to be gone for over half of the country within the next couple of weeks.”
Bracing for the next steps, Smith gave some tips for supporters:
- Find a protest to attend.
- “I would say invite somebody to go to those protests with you, invite a couple of friends, invite people into the movement,” Smith said.
- Talk about the issue on social media—use the platform you have.
- “Have these kinds of conversations where people can just talk about their fears and then find ways to go and advocate for yourself,” Smith said.
- Volunteer at a nonprofit near you.
“I feel like a lot of the reason things have gotten as bad as they have within the abortion rights world is that people are not making a scene, not protesting, not putting the effort into ensuring that the government doesn't take away this right,” Smith said. “I want to emphasize that if you're not doing anything, don't expect the best scenario, expect the worst because that's the direction that we're going in.”
- U.S. Supreme Court allows legal challenges to proceed on abortion ... ›
- Most restrictive abortion law in U.S. affects Texas women - austonia ›
- U.S. Supreme Court rules there's no right to abortion, setting up ... ›
- 78% of Texas voters think abortion should be allowed in some form ... ›
- Texas' growth may be slowed by abortion ban, poll reports - austonia ›
(Council Member Chito Vela/Twitter)
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, Friday morning. Moments later, Austin City Council set a special meeting for next month to pass a resolution aimed at decriminalizing abortion.
The GRACE Act, which stands for guarding the right to abortion care for everyone, is a twofold plan submitted by council member Jose “Chito” Vela. It recommends that city funds shouldn’t be used to surveil, catalog, report or investigate abortions. It also recommends that police make investigating abortion their lowest priority.
Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who co-sponsored the resolution along with council members Paige Ellis, Kathie Tovo and Mayor Steve Adler, said the importance of the GRACE Act cannot be overstated.
“By introducing this resolution during a special session, City Council is doubling down on fighting back for reproductive health,” Fuentes said. “Items like the GRACE Act will promote essential healthcare while enabling individuals to exercise their bodily freedom.”
The act takes an approach similar to when former council member Greg Casar moved to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Ultimately, state law doesn't allow city officials to order police chiefs to adopt specific enforcement policies so the resolution would be a request to Police Chief Joe Chacon. In May, Politico reported that Vela is having "ongoing conversations" with Chacon about the proposal.
Austonia contacted Attorney General Ken Paxton for comment on the GRACE Act but did not hear back by time of publication. On Friday, Paxton celebrated the overturning of Roe and announced an annual office holiday on June 24 in recognition of the high court's decision.
In a press release, Vela said the Texas state government has a history of overturning municipal protections of human rights. Thirty days after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Texas will ban all abortions, with exceptions only to save the life of a pregnant patient or prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function.”
Still, Vela expressed hope for the GRACE Act’s longevity. Council’s special meeting on it is set for the week of July 18.
“We know this resolution is legally sound, and Austin is not alone in this fight,” Vela said. “We are working with several other cities who are equally horrified by the prospect of an abortion ban and want to do everything they can to protect their residents.”
- Tesla offers travel support for employees leaving home state for ... ›
- Vela plans resolution to prevent police from investigating abortion ... ›
- 78% of Texas voters think abortion should be allowed in some form ... ›
- Texas' growth may be slowed by abortion ban, poll reports - austonia ›
- Most restrictive abortion law in U.S. affects Texas women - austonia ›
- U.S. Supreme Court allows legal challenges to proceed on abortion ... ›
- Texas law banning abortion as early as six weeks goes into effect as ... ›
