Jon Rudnitsky and Mike Answer Your Questions About Failure and Jokes

Summary

Podcast Summary: Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

Episode: Jon Rudnitsky and Mike Answer Your Questions About Failure and Jokes

Date: June 22, 2026
Host: Mike Birbiglia
Guest: Jon Rudnitsky

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Overview

This episode centers on the realities of being a working comedian, with Mike Birbiglia and Jon Rudnitsky delving into themes of failure, the struggle for recognition, performing in challenging venues, and the truth behind the comedy grind. They answer listener questions on topics from breaking into stand-up, navigating social media, mental health, and the comedy club scene, blending personal anecdotes with honest (often hilarious) insight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jon Rudnitsky’s Documentary and the Road Comedy Experience

• Jon’s Documentary: Mike watched Jon’s still-unreleased documentary, which chronicles his life as a stand-up comic after SNL, including playing tough rooms like hotel ballrooms and sparsely attended clubs.
• Shared Struggles: Mike relates Jon’s experiences to his own film, "Sleepwalk With Me," emphasizing the universal grind of stand-up.
  • “It is so much like my movie Sleepwalk With Me. Like, so much like it.” (Mike, 00:35)
• Artistic Purpose: Jon purposely filmed his special in unfavorable venues to highlight the unglamorous reality of stand-up, stating,
  • “Most special comedians are trying to look cooler… What if I do the exact opposite?” (Jon, 02:22)
• Theme of Resilience: Losing SNL led Jon to appreciate the journey, not the destination:
  • “I learned that, like, the win can't be getting the thing because I've had it, lost it... you have to be like, hey, I said something new tonight. That's the win." (Jon, 04:50)

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2. The Nature of “Making It” in Comedy

• Making Money in Comedy: Both Mike and Jon discuss the unpredictable, fluctuating income of a comedian.
  • “How long were you doing stand up until you started earning money?” – “I'll let you know.” (Audience Q&A, Jon, 13:51/13:57)
• Marketing & Social Media:
  • Jon laments his lack of marketing prowess but admits to trying new trends like crowd work on Instagram.
  • Mike frames social media as the new “mailing list,” a necessary evil for connecting with the right audience.
    • “It’s a function of connection, period… The mistake is not extending yourself to who is looking to possibly be on your frequency.” (Mike, 32:05-32:10)
  • Jon notes: “You can do that for that few people, but it can reach that many…” (Jon, 32:37)

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3. Hard Gigs Give Way to Growth

• Bombing and Adversity: Jon shares stories of being chased off stage for political jokes and performing for indifferent crowds.
  • “I did get chased off stage in 2016. A woman at the Muskegon Bowling Alley... she just got over and she ran on stage and I ran out.” (Jon, 21:40)
• Earning Respect:
  • “Literally, I have to earn their respect every time… They're not there to see me.” (Jon, 05:44-05:50)

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4. The Comedy Community and the Comedy Cellar

• Getting Passed at The Cellar:
  • Jon’s process: A five-minute audition, recommended by fellow comics.
  • Both recount initial failures and eventual acceptance, highlighting the importance of perseverance.
• The Club as Community:
  • Mike champions the Comedy Cellar as the best in the country:
    • “The staff is nice. The comics are the best… You feel like, I made it.” (Mike, Jon, 23:15-23:28)
  • Rejection is common—even Mike didn’t pass the Cellar until his third attempt.

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5. Mental Health, Failure & The Myth of the Comedy “Middle Class”

• On Mental Health in Comedy:
  • Q: "Are all comedians mentally ill?"
    • Jon: "Yeah, I think so. But...aren't we all mentally ill and we just talk about it?" (25:47)
    • Mike references Conan O’Brien’s comment about being a “high-functioning depressive.”
  • Catharsis: Both see stand-up and journaling as therapeutic outlets.
• Comedy’s Shrinking Middle Class:
  • “There isn’t really a comedy middle class. You’re either selling out MSG or you’re in those shitty rooms.” (Jon, 27:12)

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6. Navigating the Modern Comedy Landscape

• Politics of Booking Gigs Nationwide: Neither avoids “deep red states” and both reject stereotypes about regional audiences.
  • “You meet a lot of kind people everywhere.” (Mike, 21:00)
• Improv vs. Scripted Material:
  • Early in writing, their sets are about 50/50 scripted vs. improv, but filmed specials are 90-98% scripted.
  • Jon tries to improvise large chunks up front: “In Ohio recently, I did like 40 before I got into any jokes.” (Jon, 35:06)
• Late-in-Life Comics:
  • Jon’s encouraging response to a listener, “Susie Chicago,” who started at 69: “No, no, no. My mom started doing shows...she just wanted to do it for fun.” (35:22)
• Actors Doing Stand-up:
  • Both (jokingly) tell actors to stay away.
  • Mike shares how Tom Hanks was genuinely good at stand-up when preparing for the film "Punchline".

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7. Stage Fright & Performing Anxiety

• Do you still get nervous?
  • Jon: “Every time." (37:16)
  • Mike: "Half the time." (37:21)
  • Both relate the anxiety to the feeling of “jumping out of a plane.”
  • Over-preparing mentally helps contain what actually goes wrong during a show or a film shoot.

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8. Closing – Upcoming Shows and Final Reflections

• Jon’s Documentary Premiere: “Special Boy” will debut at the Galway Film Festival in Ireland (July 10).
  • “Nobody's going from Galway to Nantucket… This is a first.” (Jon, 39:14)
• Full Circle – Community & Resilience: The episode ends with warm encouragement, self-deprecating banter, and a recommitment to the shared madness of the comedy life.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the road grind:
  • “It's simply the art form of one person speaking to two or more people. That's it.” (Mike, 04:26)
• On success and ego:
  • “If that's the win, you're gonna kill yourself. Because that's just not what it's like.” (Jon, 04:38)
• On outsider energy:
  • “I was in Uncut Gems, but I'm just trying to reset a password…” (Jon, 09:43)
• On emotional rollercoasters:
  • “I feel like I live a full movie every time I go on the road.” (Jon, 10:33)
• On appearing to ‘make it’:
  • “If you're not for everybody... you have to figure out how to get this to a lot of people, so that the 1% of those people is who [will] like this.” (Mike, 33:06)
• On the hustle:
  • “I asked you to come over to my apartment, do a reading of my next movie. You're great. I see you do stand up at the Cellar. You're great. I see this doc eventually. It's got a hit.” (Mike, 15:44)
• On honesty and failure:
  • “It's funny. Because I'm prepping for the next movie I'm directing right now. And what I've realized about prepping…is that to prepare, you're thinking of all the things that could go wrong at once. And then when you do the thing, only about three things go wrong.” (Mike, 37:41)

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Notable Timestamps

• 00:04–04:43: Discussion of Jon’s documentary and the tough life of a touring comic
• 13:49–16:56: Audience Q&A: Making money, marketing, “doing everything right”
• 20:15–22:23: Booking/performing in conservative states, “being chased off stage” anecdote
• 23:00–25:04: Getting passed at the Comedy Cellar and comedy club culture
• 25:40–27:37: Mental health realities in comedy and the “missing middle class”
• 30:19–32:29: Social media and connecting with niche audiences
• 33:31–35:10: Structured vs. improvised jokes
• 35:14–36:58: Listeners starting stand-up later in life; actors doing comedy
• 37:11–38:22: Coping with pre-show nerves
• 38:28–39:25: Jon’s doc premiering in Ireland, wrapping up

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Tone & Language

Casual, self-deprecating, honest, and full of camaraderie and inside-baseball humor about the realities of the comedy world. Both Mike and Jon speak warmly, with an undercurrent of resilience and humility, offering real talk about the ups and downs of trying to “make it” in comedy.

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Summary by Podcast AI – Your friendly guide to the comedy trenches.

Transcript

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're here with John Rudinsky. This is working out. I'm Mike Birbiglio. Okay. Here's what I'll say it. This morning, I watched the unreleased documentary that you made about being a road comic post snl.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Your cast member for one season. Then you went on the road as a comic and documented yourself performing in, like, challenging clubs. Very like.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. And clubs is even a generous for a lot of these places.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Hotel ballrooms, motel ballrooms.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's. These are hard gigs. It's actually like, so much like my movie Sleepwalk With Me. Like, so much like it.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. That's why I was really excited for you to see it, because I knew you could relate to the. The struggle. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's. And.

[John Rudnitsky]

And it's.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's.

[John Rudnitsky]

So.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm excited for people to see it when it comes out. Hopefully some. Someone's watching this who will buy it and distribute it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

So I can stop doing these gigs.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But Holy how it is. You're so funny.

[John Rudnitsky]

Thanks, Mike.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's so miserable. And also it is in. In, like, makes you feel good about being alive and being a comedian at all.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's. It hits these themes that we talk about on this podcast all the time. And. And today's is going to be interesting episode. Cause we. We took questions on Instagram for you and me to talk about. And what's funny is some of the.

[John Rudnitsky]

Who is John Ranitsky?

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's gonna be the first half hour. But I actually do think, like, a lot of the questions tie in to your documentary, which I think people will love. But also, we can kind of talk that out here. But it's. I have to say, like, I don't want to give anything away about your special. Like, I. But I. I will say, like, man, was I moved by it. And I feel like I'm very rarely moved by a comedy special. It is. I mean, how. I don't want to get into too hard because it's like, people can't see it, but it's like, how long did it take to shoot?

[John Rudnitsky]

Took like, four months.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wow.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. With my buddy Noah, who's in the doc. He was my. Oh. He is my opener. And, you know, the dream is obviously to have a Netflix special. And it's clearly, I'm so far from that in this documentary. And I, for the last 10 years or whatever have been like, what do I have? These fucking gigs. I got to get out of these fucking gigs. And then I got good at these gigs and Then I thought, yes, well, I'm kind of think I might be better at these gigs than I would be at, like, a gig where I'm set up to succeed in a way. So I'm like, what if I shoot the special at these terrible places where they're half filled and they don't know it's a special? Because why would anyone shoot their special there? And they don't even know who I am. And I have to earn their respect because that's how all my shows are. And I just thought, yeah. Cause most special comedians are trying to look cooler. They're high fiving their most famous friends backstage. And I was like, what if I do the exact opposite? What if I am walking through the most poorly lit hallway past people doing a puzzle in the lobby and, you

[Mike Birbiglia]

know, at one point there's. Your name isn't even on the marquee. No, the show is that night. And you're like, when do you change the marquee? And they're like, it's two hours before the show. I mean, it is, it's. Yeah, it's great. And it's great. I look, I. And it's so funny. And you are so good at doing those gigs. Like, you're performing for 12 people in like, Oklahoma. And it's like. And I'm like, the audience is lucky. That's a funny show. That is a good show.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Thank you, Mike.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It gets to the heart. That movie really gets to the heart without giving it away of like, what, you know, working out and my career and your career and all these comedians. Like, it's at the heart of what we're even doing, which is like stand up comedy. It's simply the art form of one person speaking to two or more people. That's it.

[John Rudnitsky]

Mm.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. And you do get confused when you see these flashy comedian specials where it's like an arena or whatever.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of like, wait, maybe it's that. And it's like, no, no, it's not that.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah. Because if. If that's the win, you're gonna kill yourself. Like, because that's not what. What it's like. That's just not what it's like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

And I actually think getting SNL and losing it and getting to this point where I made this thing, which, you know, who knows where it's going to land. It was just like, I'm like, grateful actually, that I. That I've been on this journey so that I can make this thing wherever it lands. Because I'm like, this is worth it. And I learned that, like, the wind can't be getting the thing because I've had it, lost it. And if that was all that there is, then. Then it's over. So you have to be like, hey, I said something new tonight. That's the win. I have a joke that worked tonight.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No. And people are happy, and people are. Audience. People are happy in this way that I found, compared to other specials, to be totally convincing, because you show people who are disinterested so that when you show someone who's happy, you go, well, that's real.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Yeah. I literally have to earn their respect every time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

Because they're not there to see me. They're there because that's the option for something to do in that town that night.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

And even then, a lot of people come. It's empty.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Yeah. It's. It's called. So when it comes out, it's called Special Boy.

[John Rudnitsky]

Special Boy. It's great because of my. My mom telling me I was a special boy. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Again, I don't want to give it away, but, man, you talk about being on SNL and. And how it gave me so much anxiety watching it.

[John Rudnitsky]

This is, like both of your movies, in a way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It is. It's like, don't Think Voice meets Sleepwalk With Me. It's.

[John Rudnitsky]

That's how we should pitch it. Will you come with me to hbo?

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's Don't Think Twice, Meet Sleepwalk With Me, except no one's famous, and it's a documentary. Are you with me? Who's with me?

[John Rudnitsky]

Who's with me? Who wants to go to Kenosha? Who wants to go?

[Mike Birbiglia]

But you were on snl, and you were. I mean, it's literally what they describe as actor's nightmare, which is there's a scene going on live on television all over the world, and you're supposed to be in it, but you're not on stage. You didn't realize you were in that scene. There's an empty seat in the scene, and then you.

[John Rudnitsky]

We can laugh about it now. We can laugh about it now, right? It's fine.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Ten years ago. Ten years ago.

[John Rudnitsky]

Ten years Ago. Ten years ago.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Ten years ahead.

[John Rudnitsky]

You think you're never gonna get over something like that. I mean, granted, I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it, but empty seat.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Then you run on New York, sweaty, out of breath. You do the rest of the scene,

[John Rudnitsky]

and then you come off and you

[Mike Birbiglia]

see the Kenan, who's, I think, been on the show longer than anyone in history.

[John Rudnitsky]

Fifteen years or so.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. You go, you've seen stuff like that before, right? Goes, not like that.

[John Rudnitsky]

He goes, yeah, not like that. Not like that, man. And the thing is, you know, everyone's. Oh, my God, everyone's pissed off at snl. You know, like, even the people that have been, you know, been there eight years, they're pissed. More pissed off than anyone because they feel like they deserve some sort of respect. Keenan's in the best mood.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

Keenan's like, gives me a hug. Every time I would see him, he'd give me a hug, you know, you're doing great. He's the only one that would make me feel reassured. And that moment, he was like, not like that. I was like, oh, how does that even happen? Oh, the show's only been on 50 years and that's the worst. Anyone's up. No big deal. No big deal.

[Mike Birbiglia]

What is it about you that made that happen?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, well, it's the same reason I'm sweaty right now. Because nothing's changed.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because you came through.

[John Rudnitsky]

This was an empty chair and I was supposed to be here.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because you came through the next parade.

[John Rudnitsky]

Cuz I came through the Knicks parade and I said, and the trains were delayed. I'll take a bike. And then I ended up in the middle of the parade. And then I was surrounded to the point where I couldn't even maneuver the bike. Wow. And all these guys are smoking a blunt and looking at me. Go, bike boy. Look at dumb bike boy over here.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You are bike boy.

[John Rudnitsky]

I'm bike boy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You are bike. Getting picked on.

[John Rudnitsky]

I got picked on on the way here, like in high school.

[Mike Birbiglia]

In like, the Peace and Love Parade.

[John Rudnitsky]

In the Peace and Love Parade, they could all agree, we hate the spurs and this. We hate the sp.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We hate bike boy.

[John Rudnitsky]

We hate bike boy. Bike boy. And I'm like, I got to get to Mike Riglio's podcast. He's the only one who's seen my documentary.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, my God. That is a dilemma when only one person has seen your documentary. You. Really?

[John Rudnitsky]

And he's willing to have on his. Willing to have me on his podcast. And I'm bike boy, and I'm in the middle of this thing. It was a journey to get here. But yeah, I guess, to answer your question, what is it that makes me that guy?

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's all connected.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's all connected. I.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's everything everywhere, all at once.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's everything everywhere, all at once. I actually want to make a movie about.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's a good idea.

[John Rudnitsky]

But it's called. But it's called nothing nowhere, ever. And it's true. Because I feel like I think nowhere.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Not at the same time.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yes. Not at the same. Because I feel like I'm in Uncut Gems, but I'm just trying to, like, reset a password while I'm trying to get a cup of coffee, and somehow it's like full blown panic. Oh, my God, I gotta move to Carol Gardens. Maybe that'll help.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Everything is funny through a certain lens.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Even your movie's a good example of this. Like, you're literally playing for, like, 10 people in a lot of cities in, like, junky places.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's really funny.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And through a certain lens, it's really sad. Like, you can't afford to even be there. You're paying more in rent and gas and car rentals and flights than you're even being paid.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's funny.

[John Rudnitsky]

I know. It is both. It is both funny and sad. It's everything everywhere all at once is the truth. And I do feel like. I don't know if you feel this way or if you felt this way when you were playing gigs like that, but it really is like a full emotional arc. Like, I feel like I love a full movie every time I go on the road. Cause I get there, I'm like, what am I doing with my life? And I'm in the back of the room and the opener is just bombing. And you're like, I can't do this anymore. And then you go up there and you turn the show into something. And. And then somebody comes up to you afterwards and they're like, I was having a rough week and you really made me feel all right. And then you're like, all right. I guess that. That's why. And then you, like, you leave and you're like, I'm happy I did that. And then the next weekend you forget and you're like, I can't believe I'm fucking doing this shit again.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, it's every. If you're. If you're watching this or listening to this and you want to know what it's like to be a performer, but you're not a performer, walk out on the street and start performing.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's what it's like.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

By the way. Always, like, you get to five years in, it's pretty much that.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You get to five days in, it's pretty much that. You get to 15, 20 years in, it's pretty much that.

[John Rudnitsky]

You feel that way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

Now 100% sold out theaters.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Those shows are better. But I do often. Do you do the benefit shows and this and that, where you go like, oh, that sounds not good. You know, the announcement before me is sad and morose about some kind of announcement. Someone dying or someone having a stroke. And please welcome Mike Birbiglia. It still happens. That never ends.

[John Rudnitsky]

It never ends.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I don't think it ever ends.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, but I guess we get our funny from that a bit because if it's all cozy, then it's harder to draw from things. I suppose I.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This put things in perspective. Once I did a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I think it was me and Mulaney, a few other people and I did. I. It's, you know, it's conference. It's not conference room, but it's like a ballroom. People eating. Most people kind of don't know who you are. You're kind of doing your best to get a few laughs.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And then after me, there was like a sit down conversation with Seinfeld being interviewed by someone. He didn't do a set, but he was like, interviewed. And I see Seinfeld afterwards and he was like, ah, man, I wanted to do a set like you. Oh, man. You go, oh. Like, even in a situation where it's not a great gig, the real true people, the true comedians are like, I want to do that. Even though it's not ideal.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah. And also you think, I mean, at this point, because of 10,000 hours of terrible gigs, you're like, I think I could do it. Yeah, I think I could.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I could try to win them over.

[John Rudnitsky]

I think I could turn this into something. I think I can make this all right. I think I can make them love me.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay, so we're going to go to questions. This is from. Sometimes we do this every few months. We get questions.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

PK Smash says, how long were you doing stand up until you started earning money?

[John Rudnitsky]

I'll let you know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Set your clock.

[John Rudnitsky]

What's crazy is it really fluctuates, you know?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, sure.

[John Rudnitsky]

It really fluctuates because you get a private gig or something that's normally tougher than a club gig and it pays ten times what a club gig would pay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

For five shows or something.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[John Rudnitsky]

It can really change, you know, but.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay. One of my favorite things about your movie is that you keep kind of explaining that you're just not good at marketing. You're just like. You're just like. So much of being a comedian is Marketing and, like, I'm just so bad at it. And then you're like, watching people do crowd work on Instagram. You're like, that makes people big. Then you try to do that. But then you're pretty good at groundwork. Like, you literally do it. You're like, oh, this is good.

[John Rudnitsky]

I try. I try. I think. I think I am good at it. But it's a little too late, I guess, to, you know, how is it

[Mike Birbiglia]

that you're doing everything right and it's going somehow?

[John Rudnitsky]

That's what I'm trying to ask you. Do you. Did everyone do you know? What would you say?

[Mike Birbiglia]

Here are my guesses. I actually don't. I actually don't know.

[John Rudnitsky]

You don't know?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think is that this is. This is hard because it's like, you're such a good comic. I think it's gonna happen.

[John Rudnitsky]

Okay, great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think you're gonna break.

[John Rudnitsky]

Okay, great, Great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's my feeling.

[John Rudnitsky]

I love this. I it all.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because first of all, I saw you in Cassie David's movie.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I love you forever.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yep.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're great.

[John Rudnitsky]

Thank you.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I asked you to come over to my apartment, do a reading of my next movie. You're great. I see you do stand up at the Cellar. You're great. I see this dog eventually.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's got a head, it's got a hit. It's got, like, your mom said yes. And then I'll have to figure out a new shtick other than I don't know what. I'm not good at marketing. Yeah, it'll hit, but. But it takes time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're gonna come. As of today, you're gonna come do my show in Nantucket in July.

[John Rudnitsky]

I'm very excited to come to Nantucket.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Gonna be me, you, Gary Simons. That's.

[John Rudnitsky]

This is my win for the summer, Mike. You just kind of threw it out there for me. I'm like, well, I got Nantucket coming up. You know when they say, what do you got going on this summer? That's what I'm gonna say. I have a documentary nobody's bought. To Nantucket with Mike Riglia. What projects you working on? That's it. That's what I got.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, my God, I hope it wasn't an empty offer, cuz I don't know. I'm living for Nantucket now.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Look at the logistics. I'm not sure it's going to work.

[John Rudnitsky]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't do this to me. No, don't do this to bike boy on camera. Right now it's been a tough day.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm just not sure.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, no.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I have to. I have to call a few people, get some no's, and then see if that comes through.

[John Rudnitsky]

Okay. All right, let me know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You're fourth.

[John Rudnitsky]

You're four. Okay, so now I'll tell people when they ask me what's going on. So I'm in the running to open for Mike. We're waiting to hear a couple no's for other people.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay, we'll get another question. That was a long answer for I forgot what?

[John Rudnitsky]

The fucking question.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Long until you start earning money.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, man.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Okay.

[John Rudnitsky]

Fluctuates.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Support for working it out comes from Quince. Summer always changes how I get dressed. I don't know about you, but I go from super sloppy to mostly sloppy. But the truth is, joking aside, I want pieces that feel lighter and more breathable. Who doesn't? Things that are easy but also put together. That's why I keep coming back to Quince. Here's what I'll say about Quince. This is not in the copy. This is not what they're demanding. I do. I'm offering this. I don't think a lot about my clothes. This is my truth. This is my truth. But I ordered a few things on Quince and I really enjoy wearing them. And they're like comfy sweaters, comfy shirts, like comfy basic things. And. And. And they're just not that expensive. And I think it's a really good site. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quin.combrbigs for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U I N C E.comigs for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com bigs working it out is supported by Rula. Let's talk about therapy for a second. We talk about therapy all the time on this show. I talked about it with Gary Gman with Sarah Sherman. That was a good episode where we talk about her face. I've been in therapy for a long time. Some people in the comment section of my YouTube say too long, but I've been for 25 years. Anyway, we talk about it a lot. I know firsthand. Sometimes navigating mental health care can be challenging. Here's the thing about Rula. Rula helps to make that part easier. Rula works with major insurance plans. Sessions can cost as little as $15 and in some case, $0, depending on what your benefits are. Rula isn't just a directory. They help book appointments. They stay on top of your schedule. And Rula sticks with you throughout your journey, checking in to make sure your care is actually helping you move forward. Thousands of people have already used Rula to finally get the care they needed. Don't keep putting it off. Go to rula.com brewbigs and get started today. That's R U L A.com Brabiggs take the first step. Get connected. Take control of your mental health. This is elutes44 says. Are you hesitant to book shows in deep red states?

[John Rudnitsky]

No.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I don't think so at all.

[John Rudnitsky]

No. Those shows can be great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Your documentary gets this. Hopefully people get this from my tour and stuff like that. It's like, I think there's like a deep misunderstanding of the country sometimes.

[John Rudnitsky]

Totally.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Where people are like. People are like, oh, red states with Midwest must be. No, it's great.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, what are you talking about?

[John Rudnitsky]

I mean, there's a totally other. I mean, I have hundreds of hours of footage from this documentary and there is. And it was going on during the election. I'm like, there's another version of this movie where it. Is that. Where you kind of see that it's like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

That people aren't really what we make them out to be a lot of the time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Here's what I'll say.

[John Rudnitsky]

People are just getting bad information.

[Mike Birbiglia]

A hundred percent.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Ton of people getting bad information. Yeah, sure.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. You.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Me. My experience is you meet a lot of kind people everywhere.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

A lot of nice people everywhere in the country. Ever in the world that I've gone.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, I know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like, more often than not.

[John Rudnitsky]

More often than not. It's true. Yeah, it is. It's. It's wild. It's wild. So. Yeah. And I also. I mean, I also don't go very political with my act at all, but in.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And you look a little maga.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. A MAGA passing until I start talking and I'm like, oh, God, I don't know. I got caught up at the airport. But I did get chased off stage in 2016.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

A woman at the Muskegon Bowling Alley.

[Mike Birbiglia]

For what?

[John Rudnitsky]

I was performing at a bowling alley in Michigan and. Yeah. And I did do a Trump thing and she did chase me out of the venue. That's how the show. That's how the show ended.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Chased you?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah. She just got over and she ran on stage and I ran out and just waved goodbye and I never came back. Never came back. Really? Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Did she catch you?

[John Rudnitsky]

I don't know if you know Jake Nord when he writes at snl.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He was.

[John Rudnitsky]

He was my opener then, and he remembers it well. Me us getting chased out of the Muskegon Bowling alley.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So she was like, you got back here. She was she drunk?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, she was hammered.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, she had.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, she had plastic cup stacked rum and Cokes stacked in front of her.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wow. Yeah. This is Tay League says. What was the process of getting passed at the seller?

[John Rudnitsky]

Five minute audition. Yeah, that was it. SD watches and hard to get, though.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Who. Who. Someone has to recommend you. Right? Who recommended you?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, well, Emma Williman.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's nice.

[John Rudnitsky]

Without me asking, by the way.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, that's nice.

[John Rudnitsky]

Which was so nice. Yeah. And Chris decephano had reached out as well. I think maybe Santino did, too. But I don't know if she got back. And then Emma Williman did it without me asking, and then she was like, yeah, great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Super nice.

[John Rudnitsky]

It was so nice. And I remember I didn't even showcase when I was on SNL because I was still nervous about doing the seller. And I. I feel like when it happened, it happened at the. At just the right time, you know, this is my.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And what was your once per episode plug of the comedy seller? I just think it's the best comedy club in the country.

[John Rudnitsky]

It is the best.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I mean, it's unbelievable.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's unbelievable.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Food's great.

[John Rudnitsky]

The hang is great.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The hang is great. The staff is nice. The comics are the best. Comics. Like, I just think it's, like, fantastic.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's the best. And it's. It's like. Yeah. You feel like I made it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I always tell New York tourists, people are like, I'm coming to New York. What should I do? I always say the comedy seller.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because it's also not even. It's hard to get reservations. You gotta do well in advance.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's not that expensive.

[John Rudnitsky]

No, it's a. It's an incredible night.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

And I love, like, sitting and having dinner. How is it over that room? Oh, it's good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

And then you're running in between shows and hanging out. Wait, what was your story of getting past?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I. I think it was Tom Papa recommended me.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'd open for him in Jersey.

[John Rudnitsky]

Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And how many years didn't go well?

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, it didn't go good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I was like, 23. I started when I was 19.

[John Rudnitsky]

That's crazy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. So this is like 45 years ago.

[John Rudnitsky]

It was like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, it's like 20, 25. Years ago.

[John Rudnitsky]

The feeling's the same, though.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's insane. I'm literally just realizing that it's my birthday this week. Happy birthday this week. Wow. Thanks, man. Yeah. 25 years ago.

[John Rudnitsky]

That's crazy.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Didn't get past.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, you didn't get past.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No, I auditioned three times.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it was so painful.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because I was just so sad. Every time I didn't get past. I was just so sad.

[John Rudnitsky]

Do you feel like when you think back to your 23 year old self, like, oh, I wasn't ready or.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, of course.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

No. And by the way, actually ties into your documentary and doing hell gigs in the middle of nowhere for 10 people. It's like I actually needed to do that more.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So that the nerves are gone in any situation.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yes. Bombing at an SNL table read helps.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know, you're like something very few people have experienced. Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

You're in front of like all your heroes and a different movie star every week and you're just eating and then you're like, crazy. Like, I guess this. Yeah. Showing Kenosha is not so bad. Not so scary. Anyway, we have a great job. We get to just hang out with funny people, watch them go up. It's inspiring.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Which segues into this next question from everything is pop. Are all comedians mentally ill?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, I think so. But I've been wondering, I've been wondering lately, aren't we all mentally ill and we just talk about it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's right. That's a good question too.

[John Rudnitsky]

And. And we take our mental illness and we found a way to channel it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

That's what I'm wondering. Or maybe some people are fine. Are some people okay?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I. I don't think so. I don't. My experience with comedians is no one's okay.

[John Rudnitsky]

No one's okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, you got to. If you probe enough.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

On the surface, they seem good. And then you probably. Oh, okay.

[John Rudnitsky]

I'm trying to think of, like, who might be okay. I think Adam Sandler seems great. I don't know him at all, but I'm like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Does seem good.

[John Rudnitsky]

He seems good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. Agree.

[John Rudnitsky]

Conan seems good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Conan seems pretty good. Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

I guess I'm describing billionaires.

[Mike Birbiglia]

The billionaires seem to be doing well. But you know what's funny about that is I thought that. And you don't have to have seen your documentary to kind of identify with this idea. I think one of the things that your documentary kind of zooms out to is the cultural conversation right now of like, there's a declining Middle class. Yeah. And it's like there's the big winners and there's the big losers. Yeah. In America. And I think that that's true in comedy also.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's like there isn't really a comedy middle class.

[John Rudnitsky]

You're either like selling out MSG or you're in those shitty rooms. Because the clubs are also like actually for the MSG people to kind of work out their stuff now it feels like. Or just YouTubers who have a huge following. And I mean, I'll get weekends at some of those clubs, but a lot of the, A lot of those weekends are going to people with a following who haven't even been doing stand up that long.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Completely.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Anyway, but, But I feel good. Is mentally ill. What do you think your mental illness is if you had to build pinpoint it?

[Mike Birbiglia]

I will say I identify with

[John Rudnitsky]

what

[Mike Birbiglia]

Conan talked about in. I think it was Fresh Air interview.

[John Rudnitsky]

Okay. Okay.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like years ago.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Where, where he's, he's, he, I think he describes himself as like a high functioning depressive.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, wow. Okay. So I was wrong about Conan. I said Conan and I didn't even know.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But it's funny. Like he, he talks about it and I was like, wow. Every now and then someone says something in interview. You go, oh, my God, that's exactly how I feel. Like he goes, I didn't used to say I was depressed because I felt guilty.

[John Rudnitsky]

I totally get that.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because my friends who were depressed couldn't get out of bed, couldn't leave their house.

[John Rudnitsky]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Well, I can leave the house.

[John Rudnitsky]

High function.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I can get out of bed. Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And so that's sort of how he, I think evaluated it in the long term.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. And I relate to that because I look at the, I look at my life and I'm like, I get to do the best thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

I actually love my life, but I am often mostly freaking out. But I, I feel like I get to at least like on the way here when I'm being called bike boy. I mean, this is, this should be a nightmare. But I'm like, well, this is a funny thing I get to talk about.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This is my lead story.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

So the fact that we get to channel it into something is, makes it okay. It feels like.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, I agree. I mean, I, I find that like when I'm not doing well, mental health wise, it's not because I'm not getting on stage or something, it's because I'm actually not writing in my journal, like writing my journal actually Is like. It's. It's. It. It lets out pressure.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Because I'm like. When I write it, I've said this in one of my specials, but it's like when I write down what I'm angry about or sad about, I can look at it as someone else's story and be like, oh, well, you don't have to get that upset about that. That's not that bad.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

For this guy. And it's like, this guy's you.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Oh, man. Damn.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But usually it takes a. Like a month or two to look back at the old journal entries to be like, oh, okay, I was being irrational in that moment.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. And that you can be like, well, this is not so different than that moment either. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Anyway, I'm cured.

[John Rudnitsky]

We're all good.

[Mike Birbiglia]

We're all good.

[John Rudnitsky]

We figured.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And your question is bullshit. Yeah. All right. This is uvi weed. Lodlo. When the question is, is social media the only way to make it in comedy? Now, that's what we were just talking about. It's not the only way, but it's a. It's a function of connection, period. Right. So, like, when I started out, I was a door person at the DC Improv in the late 90s when I was in college.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And I saw that there was, like, these comedians. I think it was like, Brian Regan and. And like, Jeff Dunham, who had the puppets.

[John Rudnitsky]

Of course. Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And. And I think a lot of them would have, like, like, little cards on the tables asking for people's mailing address.

[John Rudnitsky]

Sure, sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Or. Or email address. And then they would just, like, stay in touch and it would build a following. It's the same as social media. It's just an exponentialized version of it.

[John Rudnitsky]

Totally.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's like the analog version of what it became. But those comedians who did that, like, mailing us back then did well. Yeah. They figured it out. Yeah. But also, like, it's. If you think about it, sense of humor is just subjective.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So it's like my experience of your documentary is I was alone, laughing out loud in my bedroom watching it. Someone else might not laugh. They might not go, I don't. I'm not on that frequency.

[John Rudnitsky]

Right, right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So it's like the analog version of you would be like, here, sign up for my mailing list in the 90s. The now version is like, follow me on Instagram or whatever the hell is the next thing. Totally social media.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, like, I think that the mistake is not extending yourself.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

To who is looking to possibly be on your frequency.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Yeah, totally.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You know what I mean? Like, I think I feel like a lot of times I'll see people and they'll be like, I'm not doing social media. And then. And they're really good.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's like, that's fine. But also you have. The other end of that is, like, you might. People who have your frequency might not find you.

[John Rudnitsky]

I mean, these shows for 10 people, whatever. It's like, I can cut a clip from that, and it can get a million likes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

You know, that doesn't always happen. Often doesn't happen. But that fact that. That. That you can do that for that few people, but it can reach that many is. Yeah. Makes it feel like it's worth it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And it's also like. It's a specific sense of humor. It's like. It's like. I'd say you and I both are people who just have a specific sense of humor. We're not for everybody.

[John Rudnitsky]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So if you're not for everybody, which is most comedians.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Most musicians.

[John Rudnitsky]

My favorite comedians are really not for everybody.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Exactly. Then I think you have to figure out. Okay, I got to figure out how to get this to a lot of people so that the 1% of those people is who.

[John Rudnitsky]

Like this.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Like this.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Are like, I should go to his show in Brooklyn.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So that's why, like, the necessary evil of social media, I think, like, has to exist if you want people to watch what you're doing.

[John Rudnitsky]

So I think.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So this is Funky. Kong is asking how much of a joke is scripted versus improv? It's a good question.

[John Rudnitsky]

How much of.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Of, like, your jokes or my jokes are scripted versus improv?

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, yeah. What would you say?

[Mike Birbiglia]

For me, it starts from a place of, like, 50. 50.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

By the end, when I'm filming it, it's pretty much like, 90% screen scripted.

[John Rudnitsky]

Right.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Right.

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, even when you film it, there's still a level of or.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, 98, 95. Like, it's mostly.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's mostly scripted by the end, but in the middle of the process, like, I find that, like, a lot of times I'll. It's like these cards. Like, I'll. I'll bring an idea up where I'm like, I know this line is funny.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yes. Yes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

But, like, I have to figure out what it's about.

[John Rudnitsky]

That's. That's how I work too.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

I think I, like, have one line that's an idea, and I think I can talk around it for a while.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

But it really varies set to set. But I know that the sets that are more improv heavy I enjoy more because it feels like I'm more just in the moment. It's harder to be in the moment when you're like doing your bits that you've worked out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

So yeah. I'll even try to improvise within the bit just so I can. It can feel fresh to me and I can find new things within it. So I'd say it's like 50, 50 when I go on the road, like I try to do like 20 up top. That's just not before I go into my jokes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You try to improvise for 20 minutes?

[John Rudnitsky]

I do, I do. I tried.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's impressive.

[John Rudnitsky]

In Ohio recently, I did like 40 before I got into any jokes.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Wow.

[John Rudnitsky]

You know, which is. It's fun.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Susie Chicago says I am a late in life comic. Started at 69. Am I crazy to pursue this at my age?

[John Rudnitsky]

No, no, no. My mom started doing shows really a while back. She stopped now but like, like 10 years ago when she was 59 and she was like. She just wanted to do it for fun.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah. I always think it's like, it's a fun experiment.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

To just stand in front of strangers and just say things that you thought of. Yeah. If. Even if it's an open mic or whatever.

[John Rudnitsky]

I mean it's just. It's the journal thing.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

You're getting it out. There's something very cathartic about it.

[Mike Birbiglia]

KM Brody says, what actor do you wish would try performing stand up? It's a great question.

[John Rudnitsky]

None of them stay the away from us.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Exactly. You heard it here.

[John Rudnitsky]

You got your thing, you got your.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Dude, Rudnitsky wants you out.

[John Rudnitsky]

We don't need any more.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah. They always say that. When Tom Hanks was getting ready for Punchline.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

He's acting as a stand up comedian. Punchline the 80s. He went to the Comic Strip and learned stand up. Like he got up.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

And everybody always says he's really good.

[John Rudnitsky]

He was.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, of course. Of course he was. Right.

[John Rudnitsky]

Of course he was. Of course he was. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah, I think. Yeah. I think it's hard to want to do Stan. You have to really have a sickness because if you're making it as an actor, that's such a much cozier existence.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

You know, whenever I'm on set, I'm like, this is lovely.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

Can we, can we get anything? We just need you to say something. We wrote in like six hours. Do you want some food? Yeah, sure.

[Mike Birbiglia]

This is Larry. Ma says, do you get nervous before going on stage?

[John Rudnitsky]

Every time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Every time.

[John Rudnitsky]

You do

[Mike Birbiglia]

half the time

[John Rudnitsky]

for me. Every time.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Every time?

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah.

[Mike Birbiglia]

For how long?

[John Rudnitsky]

I mean, until I'm up there.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

But I feel like. I always think I'm, like. My body thinks I'm jumping out of a plane three times a day.

[Mike Birbiglia]

It's funny because I'm prepping for the next movie I'm directing right now. And what I've realized about prepping for something is that to prepare, you're thinking of all the things that could go wrong at once. And then when you do the thing, only about three things go wrong.

[John Rudnitsky]

And it's not as bad as you

[Mike Birbiglia]

thought it would be, which is not. It's inherently not as bad as all things going.

[John Rudnitsky]

Totally. And when those things go bad, you're like, I got this.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I got this. I already planned out everything going wrong.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's why you plan it out.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I know. There's no getting around it.

[John Rudnitsky]

There's no getting around.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Yeah.

[John Rudnitsky]

We're sick. We're mentally ill.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I think. I think that's the ball game. Do you have any shows you unplug or anything?

[John Rudnitsky]

Oh, my documentary is premiering at the Galway Film Festival in Ireland.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Really?

[John Rudnitsky]

That's where it got in, Mike. It's very random, but that's where it's gonna be.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That's really cool.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's very cool. I'm excited.

[Mike Birbiglia]

I'm gonna go to my God. When is that?

[John Rudnitsky]

That's gonna be July 11th.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, our Irish. Our Irish listeners have got to go.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, July 10. July 10.

[Mike Birbiglia]

July 10.

[John Rudnitsky]

Yeah, July 10.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That might conflict with Nantucket.

[John Rudnitsky]

It's not. You said July 30. July 30.

[Mike Birbiglia]

You said, we'll be right back.

[John Rudnitsky]

No, we get a shot from up here. Drone shot.

[Mike Birbiglia]

So this summer, I got Galway, I got Nantucket. I got Mike singing today. I'm on the list for it.

[John Rudnitsky]

Nobody's going from Galway to Nantucket, by the way. This is a first.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Oh, yeah. Maybe we'll get the double. The double header. Galway, Nantucket crowd.

[John Rudnitsky]

We got it. I'll bring them.

[Mike Birbiglia]

That'd be cool.

[John Rudnitsky]

I'll bring them all in.

[Mike Birbiglia]

Be the one, be the one, be the one.