It might be hard to get laughs about the state of the nation, but on the other hand, we need them more than ever.

Colin Quinn, who always gets laughs about United States’ culture, politics and history, is making his third visit to Bethlehem’s Musikfest Cafe with his latest tour after performing there in 2019 and 2014.

“Colin Quinn: The Last Best Hope” is 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3, Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. Opening act is comedian Tim Gage. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Quinn’s comedy takes insightful looks at the nation. He remembers Musikfest Cafe for its location on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. southside plant.

“I appreciate history,” he says in a phone interview, speaking from Boston while on tour. “I imagine what it [the steel plant] was like in its heyday, what it meant and what America meant.”

Quinn, whose last stand-up comedy show tour, “Red State Blue State,” can be seen on Netflix, does not take political sides.

“I’m naturally in the middle. That’s how I feel,” he says. “People can be derogatory about being neutral, but without it there is no compromise. You can’t change the minds of 150 million people.”

“Best Hope” is in the same vein as “Red State Blue State” (2019).

“We have the same society with the same issues. This show takes things to a deeper place.”

The show changes throughout its run, at times influenced by events.

“I write every day,” Quinn says.

Quinn became a writer and featured player on “Saturday Night Live” in 1996. He anchored the “Weekend Update” segment (1998 - 2000).

He was host of Comedy Central’s talk show, “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn” (2002 - 2004).

Quinn’s movie roles include “A Night at the Roxbury” (1998); opposite Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups” (2010) and “Grown Ups 2” (2013), and Amy Schumer’s film debut, “Trainwreck” (2015).

Quinn made his Broadway debut in a one-man show, “Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake” (1998). His second one-man show was ”My Two Cents” (2009). His third one-man show, “Colin Quinn Long Story Short” (2010) on Broadway was directed by Jerry Seinfeld. He premiered another one-man show, “Unconstitutional” (2013), about the United States Constitution, its creation and impact on the American psyche.

HBO Max aired “Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show” in 2020. “Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State” was CNN’s first comedy special, broadcast in 2019.

Quinn’s earlier standup comedy was often biographical. Now he focuses more on social issues. “I’m interested in human behavior,” he says.

His first book, “The Coloring Book: A Comedian Solves Race Relations in America” (2015), describes his multicultural childhood, while “Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States” (2020) has observations about each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Quinn did a residency in a New York City theater with “Best Hope” before taking it on the road. This is the fifth one-man show he has done with extensive touring. He says since the 1990s he has done seven or eight altogether.

Although Quinn still performs in comedy clubs, the tours are designed for theaters. “Comedy clubs are bad for having a lot of things going on,” says Quinn. Comics have to deal with drink orders, conversations and occasional hecklers. “You have to do that lion-taming thing,” he says.

However, the clubs are good for tightening up an act. Says Quinn: “You’ve got to get to your jokes right away. You can’t screw around. You have to get right to your point.”

Theaters are better for listening, which can be especially helpful for a comedian talking about politics. “I tell people, ‘Don’t yell your opinions out.’ These are my opinions. It’s a comedy show. I don’t want them to debate each other.”

He admits that we are in difficult times. “I get very sad sometimes. Nobody is ever really in a good mood.”

Quinn has an active Twitter account, but he says, “Anything I say on Twitter should be taken with a grain of salt. I think I’m the only non-sincere person there.” He has a skeptical view of the Internet.

“Social media makes us think that we are an intelligent country. We are not.”

When I mention that he is considered one of the country’s most intelligent comics, he replies, ”That proves my point.”

According to the ArtsQuest website, the Musikfest Cafe show by Colin Quinn will contain adult language and-or situations. Anyone attending between the ages of 13 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No child 12 or under will be admitted.

Tickets: ArtsQuest box office, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem; www.steelstacks.org; 610-297-7100; 610-332-1300