Lewis Black

grow as a comic was was great because it was like uh i you know all of a sudden you know he'd been rolling along he was doing well and then he found that little voice that comments on what he's doing and i went and i and i i went wow he really that's a huge breakthrough because it's finding those things it's finding out how to go out uh out there with uh

grow as a comic was was great because it was like uh i you know all of a sudden you know he'd been rolling along he was doing well and then he found that little voice that comments on what he's doing and i went and i and i i went wow he really that's a huge breakthrough because it's finding those things it's finding out how to go out uh out there with uh

maintaining the armor and not showing the armor and being and trusting a lot of the times what is the most personal to you is the thing that makes you the funniest. And so to say, oh, I'm going to show this. I'm going to show my anger. God, they're going to love this is crazy because it's it's what if they don't like it, then they don't like me.

maintaining the armor and not showing the armor and being and trusting a lot of the times what is the most personal to you is the thing that makes you the funniest. And so to say, oh, I'm going to show this. I'm going to show my anger. God, they're going to love this is crazy because it's it's what if they don't like it, then they don't like me.

Well, it was the first time was, A comic that I named Dan Ballard worked out of Michigan and it came into the club I ran. When I first started Doing stand-up more regularly was on Saturday night, we'd have a free show, I'd host it. Hosting allowed that kind of freedom you have. What hosting allows is that there's no expectation you're going to be really funny.

Well, it was the first time was, A comic that I named Dan Ballard worked out of Michigan and it came into the club I ran. When I first started Doing stand-up more regularly was on Saturday night, we'd have a free show, I'd host it. Hosting allowed that kind of freedom you have. What hosting allows is that there's no expectation you're going to be really funny.

So I grew from that into being funny. And then he came up one night and he was just visiting. I hadn't seen him in a while. And he said, and he'd been performing. And he goes, when you go back on stage, I want you to yell everything. Just yell it. He said, you're angry. And you have reasons to be angry and you're on stage, you should be yelling about it. He said, I'm yelling all the time on stage.

So I grew from that into being funny. And then he came up one night and he was just visiting. I hadn't seen him in a while. And he said, and he'd been performing. And he goes, when you go back on stage, I want you to yell everything. Just yell it. He said, you're angry. And you have reasons to be angry and you're on stage, you should be yelling about it. He said, I'm yelling all the time on stage.

Nothing that I say, everything I say is goofy. I shouldn't be up there yelling. You need to go up there and yell. Just go do it.

Nothing that I say, everything I say is goofy. I shouldn't be up there yelling. You need to go up there and yell. Just go do it.

I'd been doing it off and on since I was 21, but not committed. Do it, forget about it.

I'd been doing it off and on since I was 21, but not committed. Do it, forget about it.

Well, what happens there, to finish the, what happens when I go on stage in Yale is I went, Oh, wow. This is it. That obvious. I was like, what? And it was like, how did it take this long? But I see it in everybody else that I've watched and really whose work I've thought is terrific. You know, you watch them grow and I kind of went, wow, that's the door. And then everything was about modulating.

Well, what happens there, to finish the, what happens when I go on stage in Yale is I went, Oh, wow. This is it. That obvious. I was like, what? And it was like, how did it take this long? But I see it in everybody else that I've watched and really whose work I've thought is terrific. You know, you watch them grow and I kind of went, wow, that's the door. And then everything was about modulating.

Everything was about how do I use this? How do I use what I've got here? How do I use this thing that is funny and that I know makes me funny? How do I do it? And then apparently for a while I had no idea. I'd come on stage full bore yelling and then get louder. I mean, I was crazy.

Everything was about how do I use this? How do I use what I've got here? How do I use this thing that is funny and that I know makes me funny? How do I do it? And then apparently for a while I had no idea. I'd come on stage full bore yelling and then get louder. I mean, I was crazy.

My friend Kathleen Madigan, who's one of my favorite comics on earth and we've been close for a long time, she and I met on the road and she said it was, you know, after years she said, you know, when I first was watching you on stage, all I thought was, He can't possibly make it. I don't know how he's doing it. They're not laughing for seven minutes. They are scared to death of you.

My friend Kathleen Madigan, who's one of my favorite comics on earth and we've been close for a long time, she and I met on the road and she said it was, you know, after years she said, you know, when I first was watching you on stage, all I thought was, He can't possibly make it. I don't know how he's doing it. They're not laughing for seven minutes. They are scared to death of you.

And she said, but I was afraid to tell you that because then after seven minutes, you finally broke them. And then they started laughing. And I didn't notice it at all, at all. I didn't know that people come up and go, how'd you learn that thing? I didn't even know that I did the fingers.

And she said, but I was afraid to tell you that because then after seven minutes, you finally broke them. And then they started laughing. And I didn't notice it at all, at all. I didn't know that people come up and go, how'd you learn that thing? I didn't even know that I did the fingers.