“Everything about starting out in comedy is pride-swallowing, from hand...” — Mike Birbiglia Quote

Everything about starting out in comedy is pride-swallowing, from handing out fliers to bombing in front of audiences.

I gravitated toward stand-up because there's no overhead. I mean, literally, there's no overhead: Often, you're outdoors performing in front of groups of people.

It used to be that if you got on 'The Tonight Show,' your career was made. Now, if you're on 'The Tonight Show,' maybe 14 more people show up to your gig in Tulsa.

When I met my wife, I was a working comic, so the first week we went out, she saw me perform, and it was very clear what I do.

I almost can't even put to words how happy I am that I got married.

I think touring is an important part of the life of an orchestra. Not only sharing with other audiences, but bringing that sense of family that you get back home. The sense of growing deeper into the music, of making it all sound like chamber music - that comes from being together on tour.

I know two kinds of audiences only - one coughing, and one not coughing.

As a performing group, the Beatles began by playing old rock favorites, for dancing, to tough audiences in Liverpool and Hamburg. When they began writing seriously, they discovered that they couldn't compose in the early American rock tradition.

When audiences start calling you by your character's names, your job is done!