Comedy Central Presents: Mike Birbiglia

Before he pivoted to off-Broadway storytelling, Mike Birbiglia was a twenty-something stand-up mining his own awkwardness for a solid half hour. His second Comedy Central Presents appearance catches him in pure joke-telling mode. He categorizes his personality by alcohol intake, noting that zero-drink Mike has serious opinions about wildlife, while two-drink Mike loves dancing and knows a magic trick. He also theorizes that his mere presence would bring an orgy to a grinding halt and proudly claims his family’s status as “Olive Garden Italian”.

Filmed at New York City’s Hudson Theater in late 2005, the set aired during Season 10 and served as the television companion to his breakthrough Two Drink Mike album. At the time, Birbiglia was touring colleges relentlessly and building a dedicated following through his syndicated radio appearances. He closes out the thirty minutes with an acoustic guitar, mocking the guy who ruins every party with an unprompted Oasis cover while fully embracing the persona himself.