149. Bridget Everett: The Star of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere on Risking It All

Summary

Podcast Summary: Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out – Episode 149. Bridget Everett: The Star of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere on Risking It All

Introduction

In Episode 149 of Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out, comedian Mike Birbiglia welcomes the vibrant and multifaceted Bridget Everett. Known for her electrifying performances and her acclaimed HBO series Somebody Somewhere, Bridget delves deep into her creative journey, personal growth, and the challenges of pushing artistic boundaries. This episode, released on October 28, 2024, offers listeners an intimate look into Bridget's world, blending humor with heartfelt insights.

Career Beginnings and Influences

Bridget Everett shares her early days performing in karaoke bars and waiting tables, illustrating the humble beginnings that shaped her career. She recounts an encounter at Sing Sing Karaoke in the East Village where Jason Egan, the artistic director at Ars Nova, encouraged her to transform her karaoke performances into a formal show. This pivotal moment, though not a dramatic life-changing event, set Bridget on a path to harness her unique blend of singing and comedy.

Bridget Everett [05:37]: "I've always had a hard time figuring out how to channel what feels good because I don't feel like that. Someone's help was essential in putting me on a successful course."

Bridget cites Bette Midler and Lucille Ball as major influences, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and individuality in her work. She admires performers who remain true to themselves, regardless of trends or external pressures.

Creative Process and Authenticity

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Bridget's commitment to originality. She explains her approach to writing and performing, focusing on personal expression rather than seeking to shock. Her songs, often humorously titled like "Titties," aim to celebrate rather than provoke.

Bridget Everett [08:16]: "It's not about being shocking. It's about letting people know, like, who cares? Let it go. Tits, boobs, can holes. Who cares?"

Mike and Bridget discuss the balance between scripted material and improvisation. Bridget highlights the importance of allowing her personality to shine through in her performances, ensuring that each show remains fresh and true to her essence.

Emotional Connection and Personal Growth

Bridget delves into the emotional depth of her work, revealing that grief profoundly influences her performances. She shares personal stories, including the loss of her dog Poppy and the passing of her sister and father, explaining how these experiences inform her art.

Bridget Everett [31:38]: "A lot of it, oddly enough, is grief. The things you can do to lift yourself out of grief, accepting loss and all those things."

The conversation touches on the struggle to accept and embrace the love and support from others, highlighting Bridget's journey toward vulnerability and openness both on and off the stage.

Notable Experiences and Anecdotes

Bridget recounts memorable moments from her career, including performing with Patti LuPone at the New York Philharmonic—a dream come true that underscores the unpredictable nature of success.

Bridget Everett [10:19]: "I was at Chase Bank depositing my tips from my waiting tables job... And Scott and Patti called, and they're like, we're having a glass of Prosecco and we want you to sing with Patti at Carnegie Hall."

She also shares humorous and candid stories about audience reactions, such as instances where individuals have walked out of her shows with strong negative feedback. These anecdotes reveal Bridget's resilience and ability to maintain her authenticity despite mixed responses.

Advice for Creators

Throughout the episode, Bridget offers valuable advice for fellow comedians and creators. She emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, focusing on what genuinely makes you laugh, and not being overly concerned with being clever or relatable in the conventional sense.

Bridget Everett [25:39]: "Do what makes you you. Every time I've focused more on who I am and what makes me laugh, it's always the best way for me."

She discusses the significance of collaborative creativity and the necessity of trusting one's instincts, even when facing self-doubt or external pressures.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Bridget advocating for a nonprofit organization close to her heart, True Colors Flint Hills, which supports LGBTQIA youth in her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas. This final segment underscores Bridget's commitment to giving back and fostering community support.

Mike Birbiglia wraps up the conversation by highlighting Bridget's remarkable journey and encouraging listeners to engage with her work.

Mike Birbiglia: "Bridget Everett, thank you so much for coming."

Notable Quotes

• Bridget Everett [05:37]: "I've always had a hard time figuring out how to channel what feels good because I don't feel like that. Someone's help was essential in putting me on a successful course."

• Bridget Everett [08:16]: "It's not about being shocking. It's about letting people know, like, who cares? Let it go. Tits, boobs, can holes. Who cares?"

• Bridget Everett [10:19]: "I was at Chase Bank depositing my tips from my waiting tables job... And Scott and Patti called, and they're like, we're having a glass of Prosecco and we want you to sing with Patti at Carnegie Hall."

• Bridget Everett [25:39]: "Do what makes you you. Every time I've focused more on who I am and what makes me laugh, it's always the best way for me."

• Bridget Everett [31:38]: "A lot of it, oddly enough, is grief. The things you can do to lift yourself out of grief, accepting loss and all those things."

Final Thoughts

This episode of Working It Out offers a comprehensive look into Bridget Everett's artistic ethos, personal challenges, and the unyielding pursuit of authenticity. Through candid conversations and shared experiences, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for Bridget's contributions to comedy and performance art. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to her work, this episode provides valuable insights into the creative process and the human experiences that fuel it.

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Connect with Bridget Everett:

• Instagram: Bridget Everett
• Watch her show: Somebody Somewhere on HBO and Max

Stay Tuned:

For more engaging conversations, subscribe to Working It Out on Apple Podcasts and follow Mike Birbiglia on social media. Don’t miss upcoming episodes featuring other incredible guests like Hannah Gadsby, Lynn Miranda, and Jack Antonoff.

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Note: Advertisements, introductions, and closing segments have been omitted to focus solely on the substantive content of the conversation.

Transcript

[Mike Birbiglia]

With your live shows, what's the most extreme reaction you've ever gotten?

[Bridget Everett]

This woman in Chicago one time, she was like, you know, I sung my second song and she was like, you're sick. You're sick.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, no kidding.

[Bridget Everett]

And then her friend stayed.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're sick.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, you're sick.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No way.

[Bridget Everett]

No, I'm serious.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wait, do you remember what it was after? What song or what?

[Bridget Everett]

I think it was after titties. And I was getting ready to go on to what I gotta do to get that time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That was before that.

[Bridget Everett]

But her friends stayed and I went over to their table and I drank her glass of champagne that she had left. And I was like. I mean, it rattled me, but in some ways, her friend's name was a victory.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That is the voice of the great Bridget Everett. This is an exciting one. This is a long overdue episode. I've been a fan of her series Somebody somewhere for a long time. This is the final season. It is a Peabody Award winning series on hbo. And Max, it's a beautiful show. It's heartfelt, it's extraordinarily well written, well acted. And my sister Gina, my brother Joe and I, we talk about it a lot. Big hit in the Birbiglia family. And we have a great, great chat. Today she was at the Beacon Theater. This weekend, Bridget ever was at the Beacon Theater for a packed, sold out show. I actually just announced my own shows at the Beacon Theater. We just added a third show in March. I'm doing my show, which is called the Good Life. In case there's any confusion about the contents of the show, it's basically been the show that I've been talking about on this show, this podcast for two years in progress. I've toured it as Please Stop the Ride. The final title will be the Good Life. So people have said to me, will it be the same show I saw in Boston a year ago or a year and a half ago? No, but yes. It's always in progress. Every performance is different. So is it different from a year ago? Yeah, it's probably 50 or 60% different. Is it different from six months ago when I was at the Beacon Theater last? It's probably 30 or 40% different. It's going to be. They're going to be a great, great run of shows. All the Tickets [e-mail] There will be a final leg of this tour in January, which I'm really excited to announce. These are some cities that I love, love visiting. I'll be in Iowa City at the Englert Theater, which is a gorgeous, gorgeous theater. In January, I'll be in Pickering, Ontario at the Pickering Casino Resort and then Baltimore. In February I'll be at the Baltimore centre stage. February 21 I'm in Northampton at the Academy of Music, which is gorgeous. And then February 23rd I'm in Burlington, Vermont at the Flynn. Due to overwhelming comments every time I announce a tour for me to come back to Burlington. I love Burlington. I love Northampton. These are all great cities that I really want to visit the presale for. All of those dates begin today at 10am Eastern. The code is pancake. All of that on burbigs.com Sign up for the mailing list to be the first to know the code is pancake. The Beacon Theater shows in March will be the finale of the Good Life and of Please Stop the Ride. So join us for that. It's going to be really special. I got a lot of people texting me the morning that the Good Life went on sale and they go, but there's gonna be a Broadway or Off Broadway run too, right? And this is it. This is the New York Spectacular. I did a one off at the Beacon Theater in June just for fun. It was just a thought, like, what if I did the Beacon one night? It's an amazing venue and I just felt like, oh my God, I would love to do a whole bunch of shows here for the finale. It just felt like the perfect venue for this particular show in this story I'm telling. And so it's going to be really special. I love this episode with Bridget ever today, if you ever have a chance to see her live. She is just really something of a legend. You know, she's been performing these solo shows at Jo's Pub for years and years this week at the Beacon Theater, you know, all over New York City, all over, all over the country. But she, what she does is a combination of singing and comedy and cabaret and just kind of like really over the top, like sex jokes and occasionally there are boobs and faces. It's unpredictable and just far out. I mean, I just think she's a real trailblazer. She is a complete and total original. I have so much respect for her. She's from Kansas, which is where her series on HBO is set. She comes from the world of sort of underground experimental New York theater. We talk about all that today. Enjoy my chat with the great Bridget Everett.

[Bridget Everett]

Working in.

[Mike Birbiglia]

In the first episode of the series, which I couldn't recommend more highly, you have a revelation. Your Character has a revelation where you go to a church gathering and you sing, and it kind of seemingly kind of opens up a side of you. Did you have something as cut and dry as. As, like, an inflection point in your life where you're like, okay, this changed me.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, kind of. And this might sound a little corny, but I used to go to this karaoke bar on the Upper west side with my friends. Actually, it was like an Irish Scottish bar, but every Sunday night, they had karaoke. And I wasn't really singing much at that point. I was just waiting tables and getting on top of the bar and ripping my shirt off and singing Peace of My Heart. I was like, this is what I want to do, but you can't really do sustain on karaoke. Karaoke and bars. I had to figure out something. So I was at Sing Sing Karaoke in the East Village one time, and Jason Egan, who was the artistic director at Ars Nova, which is a theater for emerging artists, saw me, and he's like, I think you should try to make a show out of that. And that kind of changed. Well, that didn't kind of. That changed my life. It was like, you know, I've always had a hard time. I know what feels good, and I know what feels right, but I sort of always need somebody's help to kind of figure out how to channel it, because I don't feel like that. There have been a lot of, like, it's not like, you know, I want to be like Scarlett Johansson. I want a career like that. Or I want a career like Ricky Martin or whatever. I don't know why those names come to mind. But, you know, the closest person that I thought that I wanted to emulate or to be like was Bette Midler. And, like. And she sort of is a different era. So, I don't know. I'm happy that people have seen things in me along the way and try to put me on course to, like, where I could be successful.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's interesting.

[Bridget Everett]

I'm not at home, like, charting out of, like, a list of dreams. You know what I mean?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Totally. You're on a vision board. No, but it's funny you should say that, because Mateo Lane and I were talking on this podcast the other day about. He had an art teacher who goes, no, you're good. You should do this. Like, this should be your thing. And I had that. I had a screenwriting professor in college who's like, no, you're good. And I do think there is something to that. You're Saying this guy Jason had a thought on you that you didn't necessarily have about yourself. I think there's something significant to that.

[Bridget Everett]

I mean, I never would have thought, like, oh, put me in a 99 seat theater and let me sing songs called Can Hole or whatever. Stupid songs that, you know, I was sort of. I always had kind of like a blue sense of humor. But the idea is never to shock people. It's more to let people know. Like, I have a song called Titties, right? And it's like, well, they're no big deal. They're just tits, right? Let's celebrate them. It's like, you know, it's not to try to be shocking. It really is just to try to be like, who cares? Let it go. Tits, boobs, can, holes. Who cares?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

And I don't know, I think sometimes when I see other people, I'm like, are they just saying, like the thing to be shocking? But that's really not my intention ever. It may seem that way, but it's so funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think about that all the time. It's one of the reasons you're one of my favorite performers. I always say, like, when I see something that moves me more often than not from a solo performer, it's their being them.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And like you're.

[Bridget Everett]

I agree.

[Mike Birbiglia]

When I watch you, I'm like, I think that's you. I don't know.

[Bridget Everett]

I agree with. I respond to that totally and wholeheartedly. And I think like Bette Midler is singing Long Ago and whatever that song is, the Carpenter song. But I would always be crying by the end because she was, she was her, you know, and she called herself a big titty honky tonk mama or something like that. And she had these big. Which I also probably responded to. Cause, you know, my mom had. I. My mom did and I do. And all the people I love have big tits in my family. It was a maternal thing, maybe, but. And then, you know, Neil, obviously, that I was talking about before, and Kiki, but just. And Murray Hill, obviously, who's still a good friend of mine, like, real.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And is great on the show.

[Bridget Everett]

Great on the show. Just like real individuals, like, walking in their own lane, doing it their own way. And I've, I've. I've just always been inspired by that. And those are the people that I really love. But I also love like, Lucille Ball, like, she was her own thing, you know, this just sort of exactly what you're saying. Just people doing their own, being truly who they are.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

And like, when people. There's a lot of people that hustle and make a lot of money, but maybe they're, like, doing whatever is hot or relatable. And that just never appeals to me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's interesting. Like, there's this amazing footage of you performing with Patti LuPone.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, Ms. Patti.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then orchestra. I mean. Cause she's performed. It looks like she's performed with you a bunch of times or in different places. But this one was with an orchestra.

[Bridget Everett]

So what I'm thinking of, it was the New York Philharmonic. And, like. And I have to tell you, I did a show at La Mama, which is, you know, a small downtown experimental theater in New York, just those who may not know. And it was Cola Scola, who's now the toast of the town.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The toast of the town. O Mary on Broadway. Running through forever.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Running for forever. God bless. And then Justin Vivian Bond, who I mentioned is Kiki. And my friend Scott Whitman directed it, and this guy, Steele Burkhart. And we all were doing this show. And Scott happens to have a lot of, like, fancy friends. And I knew he was friends with Patti LuPone. And I was like. He's like, well, you know, she's going to come. I was like, well, good, but don't tell me, you know, I don't want to know. But when Patti LuPone is in an audience, she lets, you know, like, she's enjoying the show. And she came backstage after and she sort of like, anointed me, you know, And I was like, patty. Patty likes this. Like, Patty, like me. You know, I was doing something with my crotch. I don't know. But days later, I was at Chase bank depositing my tips from my waiting tables job. And Scott and Patty called, and they're like, we're having a glass of Prosecco and we're wondering if you want to sing with Patti at Carnegie Hall. And I was like. And that was like, my dream was to sing at Carnegie Hall. And I was like, and now I get to do it with Patti lepone. But we've just always kind of had this chemistry. And so she's had me sing there. I had her. She came up and sang with me at Joe's Pub, and then she invited me to sing with the New York Philharmonic. Now these are rooms that if you know anything about my work, like, sing songs, you know, titties, or what I gotta do to get that dick in my mouth. And now I'm at the New York Philharmonic singing Bridge Over Troubled water with Patti LuPone. And it just. I Just. It just, like, boggles my mind where life can take you sometimes by just being yourself.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think that's right, because you worked in restaurants for, like, over 20 years when you were working in restaurants. And I worked in restaurants for a long time, too. Like, when you were working in restaurants, did you think this could be where it's going?

[Bridget Everett]

No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay.

[Bridget Everett]

No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Where did you think it was going?

[Bridget Everett]

You know, just more karaoke. And I was glad I was good at waiting tables, because that's. I was like, this is how I'm gonna make my money for the rest of my life. I really never could picture, like, I'll be doing shows here and there, and I'll open for so and so on the road. And even, like, when I think about being on hbo, like, I sit at home and I watch the show most of the time by myself, even though I've seen it a thousand times, you know, through editing and the post production. But I sit at home, and it's like, when that sh. Comes on.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

I almost black out because I cannot believe that that is. I'm a part of that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. You know, does that ever put you at a disadvantage in show business? The business. Because you can't properly advocate for yourself. Cause you're like, I don't even belong here.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, believe me, like, I'm always, like, back channeling to the people. I'll do it for free. My agents are like, all right, slow down.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That. I think that's the great secret of all of show business, is all the greats would do it for free.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was talking to Jack Antonoff on the show about this the other day. When I watch Billy Joel and Madison Square Garden, which they did as a special 100 performances, Madison Square Garden, I go. I. When I watch, I go, he'd do it for free.

[Bridget Everett]

He'd do it for free. Because why else is he doing 100 of them?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Bridget Everett]

You know what I mean? Like, he doesn't need to do. He doesn't. He don't need to.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He doesn't need to. And he would. When I'm watching that guy, I'm like, that guy would do that in a bar in Long island for nobody.

[Bridget Everett]

Exactly. Oh, man, would I love to see that. Him in a bar. That'd be incredible.

[Mike Birbiglia]

If it's in their bones, it's in their bones. They're gonna do it.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then it could be at karaoke or it could be an HBO series, but either one is satisfying. I think the same thing you have, like, my sister Gina is like, Such a big fan of your show, such that she will like that song. In the first season, in the end of the first episode where you sing, she said to me she'll watch that back.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, really?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Just that scene? She'll just watch that for inspiration. And it's like, wow, that's really cool. How does it feel for people to have that deep of a personal connection to your work?

[Bridget Everett]

Well, that's a good question. You know, I'm Midwestern, so it's hard for me to take anything. But, you know, I am like the face on the poster. So I get stopped a lot about the show and also just about various things. And every time I feel like I really try to listen to them. Cause my gut instinct is to be like, yeah, right. You know what I mean?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[Bridget Everett]

But I really. This whole show has been such a. A lesson in growth. And one of the major things is to try to see the thing in myself that other people see. Do you know what I mean? Like, I'm not trying to be corny like a comedy podcast.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I don't think that's. I don't think it's corny.

[Bridget Everett]

But I think it's important for me to value the show as much as they do. Do you know? I do value it, but it's hard for me to appreciate them appreciating it. I don't know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's right. But you're hitting on. I'm gonna hover on.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because it's so important.

[Bridget Everett]

Hit and hover.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Hit. I'm gonna hit it. I'm gonna hover on it. And the reason I'm gonna hover on it.

[Bridget Everett]

That's actually not a bad song. Same idea. Don't tell Jack Anton. This one's for me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay. We're gonna hit it. We're gonna hover on it. No, because it's so important. Has to do. And it has to do with art and it has to do with anything.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It has to do with anything in your life having to do with your identity, your personality, who you are, and what your relationship is to other people.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like when people have a connection to you in a certain specific way or see you in a certain specific way, and they vocalize it to you, it's like you sort of owe it to them, and you sort of owe it to yourself to just acknowledge it.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, I agree with that. But I think it's painfully difficult. Like, I was at a dinner party the other night and a birthday party, and there's some showbiz people there. And, like, my friend Amy, who's a TV writer, she was talking to me about my show, and she's like. She's like, I want to make sure you're hearing this. Like, the things I'm saying.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yes, the exact thing we're saying.

[Bridget Everett]

And I was like, no, I am. I'm like, I just need you to. You know, I'm going to walk away, and then I'm going to. And I'll just, you know, wipe a tear from my eye because it's very, you know, it's. It's valuable, but it's just. It's hard if you're somebody who has struggled to believe in yourself, which is kind of odd if you've seen my stage show, because it looks like I have all the confidence in the world. But it's that, you know, I know everybody says, like, I'm on stage, and that's like, sort of the. An exaggerated version of myself or something, but it's really who I want to be. I want to be that fearless. I want to be that carefree.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

And. And I also want to be somebody that just can meet the moment in that way and, like. And, like, accept the love. Like, when I'm in a room singing. And to me, it's like a great first date, and if it's going really well, you can feel the electricity. And I want to be able to accept the love, you know? And I think that's a large part of, like, the bigger and the wilder that I've become on stage. It's all about learning to give of myself and learning to receive.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

Should I leave? I'll leave. Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think. I think this is the end. I think this is the end. No, that's.

[Bridget Everett]

But I just, you know, I hope I'm making any sense. We can edit this in post, right? Just cut it out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, this is all beautiful. This is all beautiful.

[Bridget Everett]

See, here I go again. I can't even. God.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, what you're doing is you're saying something that's, like, wise and vulnerable, and then immediately you're like, but we can cut this out, right?

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Right. And I'm probably beet red and I'm about to sweat, and.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But we're gonna hover on it.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, we're hovering.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're gonna hit it. We're hitting and hovering, and then we're gonna hover. I think it's the only thing that one can do with you. No, I think that's all because I think you're so avoidant of compliments that like hit and hover is the only option. You're like my wife Jenny. My wife Jenny is a brilliant poet and we have like long conversations about, like, how does one receive a compliment.

[Bridget Everett]

And you both feel that way?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, I'm very good at receiving compliments.

[Bridget Everett]

Good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

She does not want to have. She does not want to receive a compliment.

[Bridget Everett]

I've been meaning to say, blue's your color. You look great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, thank you very much.

[Bridget Everett]

I mean, look at that. That's all you have to do. Jesus God. You say something to me like that, I'm going to be alright.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then. You're one of the most spectacular live performers I've ever seen.

[Bridget Everett]

Good. No, just kidding. No. Thank you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Good. Good. Good is neither here nor there. Good.

[Bridget Everett]

I don't know why I said good. I was just trying to come up with something clever.

[Mike Birbiglia]

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[Bridget Everett]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm going to name a few people I'd like to do to say pounded or pass. Adam Driver.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna pound it. He seems like a real fun. He's tall. Yeah, I like that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Justin Bieber.

[Bridget Everett]

I'm gonna pass because he's having a baby and I just, I'm just not sure. I'm just not sure we would like the same kind of, you know, I want to play footsie and I feel, is he the kind of person that's gonna play footsie? I don't know what I'm talking about.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, no, no, no. I'm not cutting it.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay. Keep it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Keeping it, Keeping it.

[Bridget Everett]

It's got a lot of tattoos. I like that. But to me, you know, I just got the one and it's regrettable. It's around my toe and a lot of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What did you say?

[Bridget Everett]

He's got a lot of tattoos and I've got one around my toe that I went to the tattoo parlor and I said, can I have this? And they said, no, but how about this?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was like, okay, Cate Blanchett.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, yes, absolutely. I mean, why not?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. And finally, Javier Bardem.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, thank you for asking. Yeah, yeah. Isn't he married to Penelope Cruz or is that the wrong one?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, actually, I don't know.

[Bridget Everett]

Is he married to her? But I don't want to, you know, split them apart. We're just talking about a couple hours here. Right? You're right. Oh, it's right. Okay. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, it is. He is married to her.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Then we could all have lunch. And.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We could all have lunch with your live shows. What's the most extreme reaction you've ever gotten? Like, in other words, like, when I watched your show, I'm like, to me, you're pushing every boundary. But that must be too far for somebody.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You know, there's been a walk out here and There.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Do you call it out?

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Cause it's like, you know, I just sort of do a playful, like, run after them as they're going out the door. That's more for the audience. I'm not, like, trying to catch them. I'm just like, where you going? Where you going? But this woman in Chicago one time, she was like, you know, I sung my second song, and she was like, you're sick. You're sick.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, no kidding.

[Bridget Everett]

And then her friend stayed.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're sick.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, you're sick.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No way.

[Bridget Everett]

No, I'm serious.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wait, do you remember what it was after? What song or what?

[Bridget Everett]

I think it was after Titties. And I was getting ready to go on to what I gotta do to get that time. It was before that, but her friends stayed, and I went over to their table, and I drank her glass of champagne that she had left. And I was like. I mean, it rattled me, but in some ways, like, her friend's name was a victory. You know, it's like she left, and I was like, okay, bye. Bye.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love that you drank her champagne. That reminds me of, like, there's a great comedian named Todd Glass who I opened for many years ago. So funny.

[Bridget Everett]

He's great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He's similarly, like, super improvisational. Kind of will go anywhere, do anything.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I opened for him when I was, like, probably 20 years old. And in the middle of the show, the DC Improv, he reaches over and starts eating the chicken fingers of the people in the front row. Like, as he's.

[Bridget Everett]

I love that. I would eat that shit up.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I loved it. I was like, this is the greatest thing. And it expanded my mind of, like, oh, what this could be.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You go like, oh, yeah. You can drink that person's champagne. You can chase the person who left out the door. Like, there's no rules. What do you, like if someone's coming up and then watching you and admiring what you're doing, but they have fear about kind of going full tilt on what they're doing? What's your advice?

[Bridget Everett]

Well, I think it's advice that I got from. I mentioned Adam Adrock. He used to be in my band. He was a founding member of the Tender Moments. Played the bass. And he.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He was.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, he was. Yeah, he was in my band for five or six years. And we're still, you know, still friends, obviously. But. But he. He said something to me early on.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He's like, you know ad Rock from the Beastie Boys.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, Ad Rock, you know, he. He was like, you Know he's like, do you? You? And I think he said somebody else had said that first. Maybe I don't remember who was. But that's it. I think that's the only advice that matters. Do you be. You do what makes you you. And I think every time I've focused in more on who I am and what makes me laugh and what makes me happy and what makes me feel. I don't always think about, like. I'm really envious of somebody like you who's like. Who can craft a joke and you know how to make things funny. I think they happen to be funny when they come out of my mouth, but I can't sit down and be like, well, this is funny. But every time I've stopped worrying about trying to be too smart or too clever or the right way to tell something or do something, it's always the best way for me. So I think that that's important for me. And for. I think there was a pressure that I felt early on to be very clever and very smart and that my stuff wasn't. Because it wasn't intellectually stimulating. It was kind of base level. But it's not about that. It's about the spirit of it, and the spirit's what's important. And that's what I always try to recapture.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, it's funny. Like, John Mulaney and I have always talked about how the moment you're conceiving something and you hear laughter, it's not gonna work.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, that's a good point.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like a laugh track in your head, like, that will not yield laughter.

[Bridget Everett]

Wow, that's so funny, because I feel like you guys would know by now, you know?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I think. No. Cause I think what it is, is you have to come up with something that makes it. You laugh.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And if you're, like, imagining other people laughing but not you.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Then you're in trouble.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, yeah. You're. You're fucked.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's just. What? But I love your do you mantra, the Ad Rock advice. Do you. Is everything right?

[Bridget Everett]

I always come back to that. And, like, when we were writing the scripts for the show, like, you know, there's a point where I always take a pass and do, like, a language pass. And, like, I just say it the way that I think the characters would talk. Like, we all have our version of that, but, like, I have my own version of it, and I. And sometimes it's like, God, this is not. Like, the script is not very funny.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yes.

[Bridget Everett]

But there's enough in there for the. I can hear it coming out of Fred Rococo's mouth, or I can hear it coming out of Jeff's mouth or my mouth. And it may look, like, very. Like, not much on paper, but I know that. I know that that's who those people are. I don't know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's so interesting you should say that, because I'm always baffled by directors who are extraordinarily rigid with the verbiage of what the actors say. Cause I'm always like. I'm not saying you should improvise everything. I'm not saying that the script isn't beautiful and wonderful, but at the same time, it's like the moment it's coming out of the vessel of another person, of Bridget or Mike or whoever it is. It's a different thing.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, totally.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So you have to find what that cocktail is of where that script meets that actor.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. And I'm sure we both work with the kind of people that are just like, no, it's an. And not an, um. And like, whatever. But I just did a small part in a movie over the summer, and I. And it was, like, the biggest operation I'd ever been on. Like, there were cars in front of every. You know, everybody had a driver, you know, like, that kind of vibe. And I was like, oh, my God, why am I here? But I talked to the director, who was very welcoming and humble, and I was just like. Like, I can't believe I'm going to say this to this, like, director, but.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

How do you feel about, like, you know, can I sort of shake up those words a little bit? Like, that's so great, you influential Hollywood mogul. Mogul.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He might have.

[Bridget Everett]

I just kind of, you know, put my own spin on it. He's like, absolutely. And I was like, thank you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So beautiful.

[Bridget Everett]

Because it gives. It helps also give you confidence, I think, when you can sort of like, I'm not trying to, you know, reinvent the wheel. I just. Sometimes it's just helpful to kind of just put it in your mouth a certain way. And we do that on our show. You know, we sort of let people. Unless there's a line we specifically want, but, you know, they kind of wrap it in their own mouth, too. So.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. When you did karaoke and you would do Alanis Morissette's song, you Ought to Know, was it directed towards a person?

[Bridget Everett]

I think everybody at that point.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And, I mean, what do you mean by that?

[Bridget Everett]

Because I felt like I wasn't being. I wanted to be a singer and Nobody cared, you know, so it was. It was more just like, somebody fucking listen to me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, that's. You ought to know I'm a great singer.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. That I'm a great singer. And I'm a. And a performer and. And dessert. Is anybody listening?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I was watching this interview with James Gandolfini, and I found it so inspirational because he was talking. The late James Gandolfini was talking about how one of his first acting classes, they couldn't get him to kind of emote. Like, the teacher couldn't get him to emote. And there came a thing where he, like. He emoted a lot of anger, and he couldn't. He, like, broke a chair, like, broke a piece of furniture, like, you know, inadvertently. And the teacher was like, that's good. That's what we're here for. We're here to figure out how to emote and then figure out how to control that, because that's what the audience wants. And it's like, do you feel like you had anger or fear or some big emotion that you figured out how to convey on stage?

[Bridget Everett]

A lot of it, oddly enough, is grief. I feel, like, the things that you can do to lift yourself out of grief, accepting loss and all those things, but I feel like somebody, somewhere, almost everything comes out of grief, but not in a sad way. You know, I had this dog. I had this dog, Poppy. It was my first Pomeranian. And I. She was like. She. She showed me kind of how to love and live and be open, you know, I know I'm not the only person that feels that way about a dog.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of course. Yeah.

[Bridget Everett]

And then she died during filming, and it was like, this is just an example. It was just like. But she taught me how to be present and to feel. To feel things and to feel the joy of her love and to feel the sorrow of it being gone. And so I think also that about my stage life, because there's a big moment and about both my sister and dad who have passed away, but it's also sort of like, about, like, would my dad accept me and love me now? Like the. You know, or, like. I don't know. I just. It all kind of ties to that for me, somehow. Does that make any sense? I don't know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, of course it does. Yeah. No, I think in, like. In a lot of ways, like, so many things are about grief.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So many things are about, like, learning to express your passion for something and then acknowledging that it will go away.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. And I think like, you know, Mary Katherine, who plays Trisha in our show, she's. You know, she plays my sister on the show. You know, when Poppy dies, she's like, well, that's the price of love. And I think about that a lot. I think about, like, you know, whenever you lose somebody, it's kind of your obligation to not fade away, to, like, to take the things that they gave you and live your life more. And I really. I kind of struggle with that. So I think that that's a little the stage. It's a little the show, and I don't know. Yeah, we can also cut that out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You keep saying that. We're gonna do, like, a super cut of you saying you can cut that out. You say it literally after everything that you say. That's great.

[Bridget Everett]

Wow.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's funny because in the dynamic today is you'll say something so thoughtful that I actually have to take it in. And while I'm taking it in, you take it back.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, well. Cause I feel like I'm like, oh, I think Mike's blacking out right now. Let me just. Let me let him off the hook.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, God. This is called the slow round.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay, good. Hit the track.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What are people's favorite and least favorite thing about you?

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, wow. That's a good question. One of their favorite thing about me, maybe they think I'm funny. Their least favorite thing about me is I don't like conflict. So it's probably sometimes hard to communicate with me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, what about you? How does it manifest?

[Bridget Everett]

I'm sure you've answered this question.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, I have so many.

[Bridget Everett]

I mean, yeah, there's a lot of things with somebody with not a lot of self worth. I can tell you a lot of things that they don't like about me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Although I had a new one today, which is the same thing that allows me to be present on stage and kind of block out the rest of my life in existence, I think can sometimes be challenging for people in my personal life.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's what I mean.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Would you like to give an example? Or we can do the next question, whatever.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, but the example is basically like, I think sometimes I'll come into a day strong and positive and blah, blah, blah. And I think the people around me are sometimes, like, yesterday you were, like, under a table.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know what I mean?

[Bridget Everett]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And, like, I think part of that is honestly being a performer all these years, and you learn to just be like, okay, that's there. And I'm gonna do this, and I'm gonna try to pick up the Pieces.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What's the best piece of advice someone's given you that you used?

[Bridget Everett]

Well, the. Do you really good. But the other one, I was getting to a point where, like. Where, honestly, like, everything and everybody was getting on my nerves. And, like, that's obviously me. It's not them. But one time my friend said something. She was like, we were in this, like, this sort of large friend group kind of fight, and, like, somebody was trying to one up the situation. Well, my pilot got canceled or whatever, and she's like, hey, you don't corner the market on pain. Like, we're all. I was like, that is such a smart thing to say.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You don't corner the market on pain.

[Bridget Everett]

That is so good. But it's also a great reminder that, you know, we all got our own shit. So I don't know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm blocking you before you take it back and say, you can cut that. Because I was.

[Bridget Everett]

What are you gonna do with the supercut?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I was literally taking it in. But I knew. I knew that you were gonna come in with. You can cut that out.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because I thought that was. I think that's a deep feeling that you don't corner the market on pain.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. I think about that at least once a week. Like. And that was six years ago that she said it. Or more. You know, you can be going through some of the most. You know, my mom died a year ago, and it was, like, one of the hardest things I've ever been through. But I had a friend going through something and equally as devastating and, like, was acting in a different way, and I was like, you know what? Just, like, we're all riding our own waves and just try to. Let's try to work it out together.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, that's great. What's a song that makes you cry?

[Bridget Everett]

All of them. I mean, so many. Because I feel like I connect emotionally. The only way I can emotionally connect is often through music and through song. Oh, God. I'm not gonna say one that I wrote, but a lot of times I write a song for some people, so.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You can say when you wrote it.

[Bridget Everett]

But, like, someone say, my life tonight always makes me cry. And we do cover that in our show a lot, but it was. It comes to, like, someone with my sister. And then there's. Oh, God, I can't even say it. The. I can't even say it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You can't say the name because you'll cry.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, there's this song, what Are youe Doing the Rest of youf Life, that my mom and I used to sing together. That's one of them.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What's the Rest of youf Life song about?

[Bridget Everett]

Well, it's just like, what are you doing the rest of your life? North and south and east and west of your life? It's just like I have only one request of my life to spend it all with you. It's just like, about being with somebody and like. And just, you know, and I always fuck up the intervals like on the. Da da da, da da da. Whatever. The. My mom would always get it right and like, it's. I don't know, it just. And it also reminds me like when we were little, we all, you know, we had a music room and we practiced piano and if we hit the wrong note, my mom would be like F sharp. So it's like this sort of tender moment. It also has like, her correcting me, you know, and like, you know, we just. And even like, as she was kind.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of like, it has like a history of sorts.

[Bridget Everett]

A history of sorts. You know, like we, you know, my family connects through music and she was a music teacher and all that. So anyway, it's just really cool to. I don't know, it's not always like the literal lyrics to a song. It's the feeling or the moment in time or something like that. Like, a lot of times I've heard a song 150,000 times and I still don't know all the words because I'm just experiencing the feeling of it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Okay. What is. What's the most absurd thing you've ever done while drunk?

[Bridget Everett]

I remember walking home from karaoke one time and I was walking out and I turned to my friend Kudish and I was like, call me tomorrow and tell me what I did.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's great. Support for working it out comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile offers wireless for $15 a month with the purchase of a three month plan. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan. Bring your own phone number along with all of your existing contacts. Mint Mobile also offers plans for kids and seniors. Find out how easy it is to switch to Mint mobile and get three months of premium wireless service for 15 bucks a month. To get this new customer offer and your new 3 month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mint mobile.com burbigs mintmobile.com burbigs cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com burbigs there is a $45 upfront payment required, equivalent to 15 bucks a month. This is for new customers only on the first three months. Plan speeds are slower above 40 gigabytes on the unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See mint mobile.com for details. This is just material I'm working on and you're. And if you have any material that is in process. Throw it. Throw it in the mix.

[Bridget Everett]

This is too embarrassing. Everything I. I looked on my phone. It's nothing I can say out loud.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Are you serious? Even just half baked stuff, like things like stories or things that you don't even know what it could be. Because a lot of this stuff is just, like, things. I don't know what it is.

[Bridget Everett]

Well, let me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, mine is like. Like, I wrote down this thing this week because Columbus Day is coming up and I was like, it's also indigenous people's day. Do you notice that?

[Bridget Everett]

No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm like, yeah, it's indigenous people's Day and it's Columbus Day. If you look on calendars, same day.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm like, I don't. I think they should. I think indigenous peoples, they should exist, but maybe not the same day.

[Bridget Everett]

I like it. Write it down. It stays.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Write it down.

[Bridget Everett]

It stays. Because it's like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like any other day for indigenous.

[Bridget Everett]

I can hear you. I can see you. I can see you doing it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Any other day, for example, the day before Columbus Day or any other day in history.

[Bridget Everett]

See, look how happy this is making you. This is it. Hit it, hover, Go.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Hit it, hover. Hit it, hover and go.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But Columbus Day, it does tie into this other stuff I'm talking about right now, which has to do with Rome, because I went to Vatican City. We met a bunch of us comedians. Meant the Pope.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The whole deal. It was a whole thing I've talked about on the podcast before. But it's like, it was a whole thing. And then like. But I did have this feeling of, like, you go around Rome and it's like the ultimate cultural appropriation of, like, Jesus.

[Bridget Everett]

It's like, no, no.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You guys killed Jesus.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, you can't do this. You can't do it. And yet it's like, yeah, and yet. Yeah, I like it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like the Wilkes Booth family being like, and now we're making Lincoln Logs. You know, it's just crazy. But then I was like, it's right in itself.

[Bridget Everett]

See?

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's like. But then I was like, the other Day. I was like, oh, Columbus Day is like that. It's like indigenous people's day being the same day as Columbus Day.

[Bridget Everett]

Perfect.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like, in such contradiction. And then I was like, I was just free associated on it yesterday. But it's like, also, it's like we talk about how divided we are as a country, and it's like, well, maybe I don't put the two holidays that compete with each other on the same day. Maybe give me some space. One could be in February, March.

[Bridget Everett]

Give everybody their moment.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Give everybody their moment.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, you can have that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So that's a new. Yeah, that's nice. Give everybody their moment is a nice line. That's a good tag. And then the other thing I have is just about St. Anthony, which is when I was a kid, my dad would be like, where are my goddamn keys? My dad is like, big timber. And he gets set off by small things.

[Bridget Everett]

Where am I?

[Mike Birbiglia]

God, keys. And my mom would pray that would just be. She'd be like, I'm gonna say a prayer to St. Anthony. I was like, I don't think either of these tactics.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then St. Anthony, I just feel like, is the. Is the saint who got the bummest deal. He's like. They're like, you're a saint. He's like, oh, that's great. And then they're like, you gotta find everyone's keys.

[Bridget Everett]

He's like, who's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Everybody's who. Everybody's keys. Yeah, that's your job. I don't want to be a saint anymore.

[Bridget Everett]

It's a lot of work.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot of work.

[Bridget Everett]

Now that's. For me, that falls under the category of religious humor, and it does go right by me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's interesting, because you didn't have a Christian upbringing at all.

[Bridget Everett]

No, not really. No. My mom would be like, you know, she called us all the wrong names because we're Bridget, Brock, Bryan Brooke, Brad Britton, and she couldn't get her name straight. And it's like, you know, she cussed a lot, but she's, you know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What's. Bridget?

[Bridget Everett]

Bridget, Brock, Bryan, Brooke, Brad Britton. Those are my. It's me and my five sons.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, my God. Cause you're youngest of five or six.

[Bridget Everett]

Six.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, youngest of six. I'm youngest of four.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Is that part of how you ended up being like you are? Yeah, like, trying to get. Trying to get attention, Blah, blah, blah.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, all of it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, me too. Same thing. Did it work? Did you get the attention?

[Bridget Everett]

Well, I got the microphone and the HBO show.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Do you have anything you're working on right now where you feel like you want to go in that direction? You're not sure?

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah. I'm working on a new song, potentially for my show at the Beacon. But it's interesting because I have a show that I know works, and I. I get nervous to disrupt it because I don't want to let people down, but it's a new song. And then. So I actually was just talking to Matt Ray, who's. I've written a lot of songs with. He plays the piano, my band. He plays for a lot of people. He's an incredible musician. I was just talking about. He's like, just send it to me. And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's hard for me to share and.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right. You get nervous about sharing.

[Bridget Everett]

Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Can you say what the song is about?

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, yeah. The song is. Well, reason to bring it up because it's like. It's a. It's a ballad. But my mom, one time, well, she came to see me at Joe's Pub, like, the only time she saw me in New York. And after the show, she said. She's like. She said that was Freedom in Motion. And, like. And so I've been trying to write that song for a very long time. And so I have. I have the idea of it, and I have. Whatever. And I just, you know, I want it to be, like. If I'm going to do it, I want to be, like, expansive and. And beautiful, and I want it to mean something. So. Those are really hard songs to write because, like, yeah, they're not hard. Like, you know, it's like, emotionally, but it's also just like, you want to, like, get the feeling of it. And I feel like I have the feeling, and if I share that with somebody and they don't think that it's. If I do it for the first time in front of 3,000 people, and they're like, yeah. You know what I mean? So. I don't know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's a beautiful title.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, it's a great. And it's. It's. It's the best thing anybody's ever said to me. And, like, a compliment I could take.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's interesting. Like, I. That's such an amazing compliment to receive from your mom. And it's a great thing to write a song about because it's so deep in you.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like you're all of your best work. It's like. It's, like, so clearly from the gut it's just putting it out there. Like, I had a thing where I recently wrote this joke about how my parents, you know, when I was starting out, they sort of didn't want me to be a comedian. And it's 25 years later and I've had some success, and now they really don't want me to be a comedian because I'm kind of. I'm saying a lot of the same stuff, but I have a much larger platform.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, do they see a lot? I mean, sure, they come and see all your stuff and.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, they. No, they don't.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh, really?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, not that often. Every now and then they came maybe six years ago.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then. Yeah, they don't. And I don't say that to illicit sympathy. They don't. I feel like they like humor and they maybe don't love my humor. And also. Well, it's also close to the bone. I talk about myself, I talk about them.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

All this stuff. So it's like.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I don't know. It's like I make this joke where I go. I've been making this joke in my live tour recently where I go, you know, my dad. You know, my dad's a doctor and he knows a lot of stuff, and he worked his whole life to send me to college so I would learn stuff, and then I didn't. And then I got a job making fun of him in front of strangers. So that whole plan kind of backfired.

[Bridget Everett]

Or did it work out the way it was supposed to?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I don't know. He was. I will say this. This is. I don't think this will make it into the show, but I think it's a funny kind of random thing. You know, My dad had a hard year health wise, and so I was visiting him a lot, and I would try to just talk a lot because it's kind of like the radio. Just kind of like, keep him entertained and keep something ball in the air. And I was telling him about what's going on. I go, oh, you know, I got nominated for an Emmy. You know, that's exciting. And he goes, it's lost its luster.

[Bridget Everett]

Oh.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then.

[Bridget Everett]

Was he being funny?

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, no.

[Bridget Everett]

And then I gotta take my glasses. Oh, my God.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, but hold on, Bridget. He goes. And then I go. Then I go, I got invited to meet the Pope. He goes, well, that's good. The way we wrap up is we do working out for our cause and we give to. If there's a nonprofit that you like, will contribute, then we link to them in the show notes, encourage listeners to contribute.

[Bridget Everett]

Okay. Yeah, there's this. In my hometown, Manhattan, Kansas. There's this. It's called True Colors. Flint Hills. They advocate for LGBTQIA youth. They have a house. They, you know, I just think that. And they're struggling to keep their doors open. So it's. And I've worked with them before, and I just. I just love that, you know, there's a place for all those kids to go and get, you know, community and all that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's fantastic. Yeah, I think that's awesome. Bridget Everett, thank you so much for coming.

[Bridget Everett]

Did we do it?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, we did it. I think that's it. And I think you have to end the interview, of course, by saying you can edit that all out.

[Bridget Everett]

Yeah, please just take it all out and post, would you? Working it Out. Cause it's not done. We're working it out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Cause there's no one that's gonna do it. For another episode of Working it out, you can follow Bridget Everett on Instagram. Bridget Everett. You can watch her incredible show, somebody somewhere on HBO and Max. The full video of this episode, for all the body language, is on our YouTube channel, ikebrbiglia. Subscribe over there. We're going to be posting more and more videos. People really loved the Hannah Gadsby episode and the Lynn Miranda episode recently, the Jack Antonov episode. We've had some great ones over there on YouTube. Check out burbigs.com to sign up for the mailing list. Our producers of Working it out are myself, along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Birbiglia, and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer, Gary Diamonds. Sound mix by Shub Sarin. Supervising engineer, Kate Belinsky. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music. Special thanks to my wife, the poet J. Hope Stein. As always, my daughter Unu, who built the original radio fort made of pillows. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. If you're new to the podcast and you've enjoyed this one, we have almost 150 episodes that we've done. They're evergreen since 2020. They're all free, no paywall. Like some other podcasts we've had. Jim Gaffigan, Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro. So many amazing people go and comment on Apple Podcasts and say which one is your favorite so people know where to start. Thanks most of all to you who are listening. Tell your friends, tell your enemies. Let's say you're performing for a live audience and everyone's enjoying it. Except one person shouts, you're sick. That's not nice. Right, but maybe you can diffuse the situation by shouting back, hey, wait a minute. Maybe you don't quite understand the creative process. Let me recommend a podcast that might help you. It's called Mike Birbiglia Is Working It Out. Comedian Mike Birbiglia works out creative material with other comedians and creatives. I'm not sick. You're sick. Thanks, everybody. We're working it out. See you next time.