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Comedy Club Quotes

Open mics, audition tapes, and paying dues.

One comic describes the formal 'SNL' audition process; another name-checks the Luna Lounge scene where Janeane Garofalo and David Cross got their start. These quotes are less about jokes themselves and more about the club circuit that built them.

I think the process of 'SNL' is still pretty formal. You make an audition tape, your agent sends it in, they watch people's tapes, and then they invite people to perform at a comedy club in Los Angeles or New...

Quotes by Noel Wells

I started in the club route. I did the alternative scene later on. When I lived in New York, I did the Luna Lounge and stuff, where Janeane Garofalo and David Cross and all those guys worked out of, but...

Quotes by Nick Swardson

The development of the comedy club industry destroyed the uniqueness and intimacy of the profession but it also created jobs for comics and bred some great performers.

Quotes by Marc Maron

I've played every comedy club and every theatre across the country for the last 25 years and seen a lot of audience members from different ethnic persuasions.

Quotes by Lisa Lampanelli

Always Quotes

I did a gig at a comedy club in Bournemouth where they served a buffet while the acts were on. There was the clang of people carving turkey during the set. If you put comedy and turkey side by side,...

Quotes by Jack Whitehall

I grew up in Iowa, and the improv comedy club Comedy-Sportz across the river in Illinois held auditions. They took me even though I was only 16 - you really had to be 18, but they never checked me for...

Quotes by Eric Christian Olsen

When I was a child, I wanted to watch things that made me laugh. It's attacking boredom, as simple as that. I was 19 when I first went to a comedy club - I wanted to do it, so I...

Quotes by Dylan Moran

I used to go to the Cleveland Comedy Club all the time. If there was a comic I liked, I'd go see him two or three times that week. Bob Saget was one of those guys.

Quotes by Drew Carey

A comedy club is a place where you work out material, you're trying material.

Quotes by Chris Rock

Audience Members Quotes

If I find a comedy club where no one's camera works, I'll go.

Quotes by Chris Rock

I don't believe I can offend you in a comedy club. I don't believe I can offend you in a concert. A comedy club is a place where you work out material; you're trying material.

Quotes by Chris Rock

Science was always a passion, but I also loved 'Monty Python' and 'The Young Ones,' and I discovered the Footlights comedy club at university, where a lot of those people got their start. I had a go and loved it...

Quotes by Ben Miller

With stand-up, I can have an idea, go down the street to a comedy club and work on it, flesh it out, book a venue, people will come, then film it. I do all that myself; I never have to...

Quotes by Aziz Ansari

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 'Comedy Club' quotes page cover?
These quotes come from comedians reflecting on how the comedy club circuit shaped their careers - from open mics to national tours to how the industry itself changed over time.
Is there a quote about breaking into a well-known sketch show?
Yes - one line describes the fairly formal audition process for a major sketch comedy show, including submitting a tape and being invited to perform live at a comedy club before getting considered.
Does this collection discuss how the comedy club industry has changed?
Yes - one quote argues that as the comedy club industry grew, it created real jobs and launched great performers, but also cost the profession some of the intimacy and uniqueness it once had.
Is there a quote about touring comedy clubs for many years?
Yes - one comedian reflects on playing every club and theatre across the country for 25 years, describing the range of audiences they encountered along the way.
Why do people search for comedy club quotes?
Aspiring comedians and entertainment writers often look for firsthand accounts of the club scene, which pairs well with readers browsing Believe quotes or Audience Members quotes.

For more on performing for a room, see our audience members quotes and believe quotes pages.