Comedian Colin Quinn is shipping up to Boston just in time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
The former “Saturday Night Live” star, who takes over The Wilbur on Thursday night, is one of the country’s most beloved Irish American comedians, so there’s no better person to talk to about the holiday. While Quinn believes all the drunken revelry can be “a little too much” at times, that hasn’t stopped the droves and droves of people from flocking to the annual celebrations each year, especially in New York and Boston.
The comic admits that the Big Apple’s parade is a bit more intense than the one in Southie.
“It’s a gigantic parade,” Quinn says. “It’s like everything else in New York, there’s just thousands and thousands of people.”
New York may have the bigger parade, but Boston has an edge when it comes to the size of its Irish community. Quinn also believes there are a few other differences between each city’s groups that go beyond which sports teams they root for.
“Boston, they have more self-esteem,” Quinn says. “Irish is like a majority up there.”
“New York Irish people are just one of many subgroups,” he adds. “But in Boston, they’re the shot callers. That’s how we like it.”
Getting a chance to perform for fans in the Hub — whether they’re Irish or not — is just one of many reasons why Quinn can’t wait to bring his “One in Every Crowd” show to town this week, his first traditional stand-up tour in more than seven years.
“It’s always been my go-to city when it comes to comedy,” Quinn says. “They’ve always understood my mentality and it’s just got something about it. Or because they’re Irish, you know?”
If you go:
March 15, 7:30 p.m., The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston, $27-$35, thewilbur.com
