My Opening Line

By My Opening Line, Starburns Audio

What's My Opening Line about?

Hosts Keith and Chemda (of Keith and The Girl) ask comedian friends and performers about their first time on stage. Listen to popular comics telling embarrassing stories of their first performances as they share some of their most terrible opening lines, awkward executions, and epic fails.

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My Opening Line episodes:

02.15.2020
51: Siobhan O'Loughlin's First Time
Siobhan O'Loughlin, host of the news-making traveling bathroom show Broken Bone Bathtub, discusses what it was like growing up in a family that supported the arts (WHAT?!) and the shows and situations that led to a documentary about her global...
01.18.2020
50: Joe DeVito’s First Time
With 20 years of hard-learned experience and advice, stand-up comedy staple Joe DeVito talks about his work as a journalist, advertising writer, praised comedian of stage and screen, and funnyman on cruise ships.
12.07.2019
49: Hannah Berner's First Time
Summer House's Hannah Berner began her entertainment career studying drama in a performance arts middle school before creating her own viral sketch videos and memes. After her intense work with the popular media company Betches, she joined the Bravo reality...
11.10.2019
48: John F. O'Donnell's First Time
Keith and The Girl legend and Redacted Tonight correspondent John F. O’Donnell shares his stand-up beginnings at age 12, taking his show on the road, and being a featured act on Comedy Central. Even mental breakdowns couldn’t stop John’s creation...
10.13.2019
47: Kyle Ocasio's First Time
Keith’s girlfriend (and a comic who has performed worldwide for over a decade, including multiple military tours) discusses early stand-up influences including Rita Rudner and the blatant sexism that has carried over from then to now. Guest Kyle Ocasio talks...
08.30.2019
46: Gina Brillon's First Time
HBO stand-up veteran Gina Brillon is here to discuss her early days performing in front of fellow students into a hairbrush, professionally starting stand-up at 17 with her identical twin sister, and the lesson on how she became comfortable in...
07.21.2019
45: Katharine Heller's First Time
Whether it’s starring in commercials, acting in voiceover work, entertaining an audience through improv, written sketches, or songs, Katharine Heller is as well-rounded an artist as they come. But she’s on this show now, so you know you’re about to...
07.04.2019
44: Andrea Allan’s First Time
After her first stand-up experience (at an open mic night while plastered), Andrea Allan still knew she wanted to perform stand-up comedy. After a roast battle (where she bombed on stage while literally being completely naked), she still knew she...
06.22.2019
43: Lenny Marcus’s First Time
From putting together a bringer show of 60 people to performing multiple times on late night TV, Lenny Marcus covers the highs and lows of his decades in comedy, including his first televised standup show and writing for SNL’s Leslie...
06.08.2019
42: Dave Hill's First Time
Whether it’s stand-up, TV, books, or music, Dave Hill’s fun and quirky personality has branched out into so many avenues of comedy and art. Dave talks about self-doubt, believing in yourself, and what Twitter called his permanent ban. Spoiler: the...
05.27.2019
41: Chemda's First Time
It’s all fun and games until Chemda’s in the hot seat. It’s the greatest singing voice Keith has ever heard, and Keith wants to know how it formed, how Chemda discovered it, and the places it took her. From famed...
04.29.2019
40: Mike Cannon's First Time
We delve into how innocuous childhood situations shape an artist in the biggest ways as Mike Cannon covers the George Carlin line that changed his life (spoiler: it involves an anchovy’s cunt), how club owners abuse their performers, barking for...
04.22.2019
39: Jessie Jolles's First Time
Comic and actress Jessie Jolles joins us to talk about her start and rise in entertainment from her childhood performances to being the spokesperson for major TV commercials and the wide-spread success of her web series It's a Date! She...
04.05.2019
38: Josh Gondelman's First Time
From his big break in The Music Man to being a multiple Emmy and Peabody award winner, Josh Gondelman regales us with stories on his school musical triumph, teaching pre-school, his first time on stage, his late night stand-up debut...
03.15.2019
37: Dan Hartley's First Time
Actor, writer, and producer Dan Hartley shares his career stories including his first stage performance at age 10, humiliating himself in front of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, and being his own stunt man on Law & Order: SVU. The...
03.08.2019
36: Sean Patton's First Time
Whether it's being born in The Big Easy (New Orleans), talking about his bathroom habits (wiping with dryer sheets), performing his first set (after drinking half a pitcher of Jack and Coke), working as a professional dog walker (only to...
01.21.2019
35: Dante Nero's First Time
Dante Nero talks about how he leveraged his (male) stripper work into a stand-up comedy career. From his introduction and close friendship with Patrice O’Neal to starting the podcast that took his career to the next level, Dante gets naked...
12.24.2018
34: Jesse Joyce's First Time
Jesse Joyce, writer for the Oscars and Comedy Central Roasts, discusses his very first jokes as a child, alcoholism, and discovering stand-up. Jesse remembers when he learned The Big Stand-Up Trick, and he talks about the difference between old and...
12.23.2018
33: Jon Laster's First Time
Jon Laster, comedian and actor, talks Def Jam, roast battles, and where it all began. The gang discusses legacy, the reason Eddie Murphy quit stand-up, the death of an absentee dad, and the joy of making your mom smile. Enjoy,...
12.22.2018
32: Frank Liotti’s First Time
Frank Liotti joins Keith and Chemda to talk about his acting and stand-up career. They talk about the rarity of getting to see comedy performances as a kid, misunderstandings coming from people always assuming comics are joking, and taking advantage...
10.29.2018
31: Shane Mauss's First Time
Shane Mauss, comedian who made it to national television by year 3, shares his ups, downs, and secrets to success. From him calling up his local club and saying, “I want to be a comic,” to headlining, to late night...
10.05.2018
30: Paul Hooper's First Time
Road Dog Paul Hooper is this episode’s guest. After visiting 10 countries and 42 U.S. states, Paul talks about life as a comedian on the road for over 2 decades. We chat about how audiences differ from place to place,...
09.21.2018
29: Mehran Khaghani's First Time
The hilarious and energetic Mehran Khaghani joins us to talk about his beginnings as well as his confrontations with Joe Rogan and Roseanne Barr. The gang talks about using laughter to combat physical violence, the comedy that changed their lives,...
08.30.2018
28: Abbi Crutchfield's First Time
Abbi Crutchfield shares how it all started, including her cultivating her own comedy… group? club? in college. Abbi talks with Keith and Chemda about small town living and everything that led to her hosting TruTV’s You Can Do Better.
08.30.2018
28; Abbi Crutchfield's First Time
Abbi Crutchfield shares how it all started, including her cultivating her own comedy… group? club? in college. Abbi talks with Keith and Chemda about small town living and everything that led to her hosting TruTV’s You Can Do Better.
08.17.2018
27: Mark Douglas's First Time
Mark Douglas is the creator of the extremely popular YouTube channel The Key of Awesome, which has over 5.4 million subscribers. The channel features musical parodies of some of the biggest songs in pop culture including Kesha's TiK ToK (with...
08.03.2018
26: Mike Lawrence's First Time
Roast Battle Grand Champion Mike Lawrence worked at McDonald's for 7 years before landing multiple TV appearances. Mike discusses the effects of growing up with a comedian mom, discovering his comedy skills while working the fast food window, his move...
07.21.2018
25: Carmen Lynch's First Time
Carmen Lynch talks about being in the Top 20 on Last Comic Standing within 2 years of performing stand-up before regaling us with stories of how she learned the secrets of stand-up comedy, her attendance at a Learning Annex stand-up...
07.13.2018
24: Lucie Pohl's First Time
Overwatch’s Mercy joins us to talk about her break in theater, television, and one of the biggest video games of all time. Lucie Pohl talks about her first times performing, getting a role taken away from her, taking away a...
07.06.2018
23: Bonnie McFarlane's First Time
Bonnie McFarlane talks about starting her comedy career in Canada, making her way to clubs in the U.S., and the differences between the audiences in the two countries. From her first time on stage to her first moment on television,...
06.29.2018
22: Jimmy Pardo's First Time
Jimmy Pardo, host of Never Not Funny, talks about what he experienced in 30 years of stand-up , from soup to nuts. Jimmy covers the fear of the art form, the secret to success, the audacity of it all, and...
06.23.2018
21: Allison Raskin's First Time
Allison Raskin, of Just Between Us and the comedic soap opera GOSSIP, talks about getting fired from her improv group, her #MeToo moment, and leaving BuzzFeed. She explains why constantly performing could cause more harm than good.
06.09.2018
20: Julian McCullough's First Time
TV regular and stand-up veteran Julian McCullough discusses his first times on stage including when he performed stand-up immediately after seating customers and how it felt serving fellow comedians. As a comic, he explains why it's important the jokes you...
06.01.2018
19: Graham Elwood's First Time
Comedy Film Nerds’ Graham Elwood visits NYC to talk about his stand-up beginnings that include Judd Apatow and Doritos, and we have the tape! Graham discusses the lows that included bankruptcy and divorce as well as the highs that now...
05.25.2018
18: Chris Mancini’s First Time
Today we visit with Comedy Film Nerds’ Chris Mancini, and we talk the beginning of podcasting and the early mistakes. We discuss his start in stand-up, his experience managing a comedy club, and what’s more important to him – his...
05.25.2018
18: 18: Chris Mancini’s First Time
Today we visit with Comedy Film Nerds’ Chris Mancini, and we talk the beginning of podcasting and the early mistakes. We discuss his start in stand-up, his experience managing a comedy club, and what’s more important to him – his...
05.11.2018
17: Jeff Meacham's First Time
Actor Jeff Meacham is doing very well with the show Black-ish, but, before that, Keith and Chemda worked with him as children’s party entertainers. We catch up with Jeff and go over his rise to success, the scary detours on...
05.11.2018
17: 17: Jeff Meacham's First Time
Actor Jeff Meacham is doing very well with the show Black-ish, but, before that, Keith and Chemda worked with him as children’s party entertainers. We catch up with Jeff and go over his rise to success, the scary detours on...
05.11.2018
17: 17: Jeff Meacham's First Time
Actor Jeff Meacham is doing very well with the show Black-ish, but, before that, Keith and Chemda worked with him as children’s party entertainers. We catch up with Jeff and go over his rise to success, the scary detours on...
05.05.2018
16: Nick Thune's First Time
Comic and musician Nick Thune lets us know where and how it all began, the differences between comedy music and regular music to those in the business, and what he learned about women.
05.05.2018
16: 16: Nick Thune's First Time
Comic and musician Nick Thune lets us know where and how it all began, the differences between comedy music and regular music to those in the business, and what he learned about women.
04.28.2018
15: Gaby Dunn's First Time
Actress, writer, and comedian Gaby Dunn discusses her first times in the spotlight. Yes, she has a massive following and videos with millions of views, but first, there was MTV audition-crying. Enjoy!
04.21.2018
14: Dan Soder's First Time
While selling the radio station records he was supposed to be playing, Dan Soder painfully learned how to write jokes, saw how alcoholism affected networking, and discovered the politics of picking an opener.
04.14.2018
13: Ted Alexandro's First Time
25-year stand-up veteran Ted Alexandro talks about breaking out from a stand-up duo and going solo to begin his illustrious career as well as sharing his first joke on stage ever, his performance that led to being cast as a...
04.07.2018
12: Gilbert Gottfried's First Time
Legend Gilbert Gottfried covers his first times in comedy while sharing his need for attention and being raised by television. The gang covers Gilbert’s early impressions, his breaks on TV, and the time Jerry Seinfeld sucked off Boris Karloff. This...
03.24.2018
11: Alia Janine's First Time
Comedian Alia Janine not only talks about her first time performing stand-up, which happened to be with Andrew Dice Clay, but she talks about other firsts as well, including her first dance as a stripper, her first time masturbating on...
03.17.2018
10: Kevin Allison's First Time
Kevin Allison, from MTV’s The State and host of the Risk! podcast, shares his monumental firsts on stage. From his first time performing with members of The State (with no clothes on), to his first catastrophic character work following the...
03.10.2018
9: Christian Finnegan's First Time
Fletcher Christian Finnegan, Comedy Central staple and veteran stand-up comedian, talks about his performing debut at NYC's alternative art house Surf Reality, the same place where Keith and Chemda first met. Christian shares with us his thoughts on comedy and...
03.03.2018
8: Myq Kaplan's First Time
Myq Kaplan has had many successes in comedy from competitions like Last Comic Standing, @midnight, and America's Got Talent to his late-night sets and live comedy tours around the world. Listen to this episode about his start in comedy, and...
02.24.2018
7: Ruby Karp's First Time
Wunderkind Ruby Karp, who was featured in a video on feminism with Amy Poehler at age 7, performed a TED Talk at age 12, and wrote a book at age 16, shares with us the first time she performed solo...

What's My Opening Line about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

My Opening Line episodes:

51: Siobhan O'Loughlin's First Time

50: Joe DeVito’s First Time

49: Hannah Berner's First Time

48: John F. O'Donnell's First Time

47: Kyle Ocasio's First Time

46: Gina Brillon's First Time

45: Katharine Heller's First Time

44: Andrea Allan’s First Time

43: Lenny Marcus’s First Time

42: Dave Hill's First Time

41: Chemda's First Time

40: Mike Cannon's First Time

39: Jessie Jolles's First Time

38: Josh Gondelman's First Time

37: Dan Hartley's First Time

36: Sean Patton's First Time

35: Dante Nero's First Time

34: Jesse Joyce's First Time

33: Jon Laster's First Time

32: Frank Liotti’s First Time

31: Shane Mauss's First Time

30: Paul Hooper's First Time

29: Mehran Khaghani's First Time

28: Abbi Crutchfield's First Time

28; Abbi Crutchfield's First Time

27: Mark Douglas's First Time

26: Mike Lawrence's First Time

25: Carmen Lynch's First Time

24: Lucie Pohl's First Time

23: Bonnie McFarlane's First Time

22: Jimmy Pardo's First Time

21: Allison Raskin's First Time

20: Julian McCullough's First Time

19: Graham Elwood's First Time

18: Chris Mancini’s First Time

18: 18: Chris Mancini’s First Time

17: Jeff Meacham's First Time

17: 17: Jeff Meacham's First Time

17: 17: Jeff Meacham's First Time

16: Nick Thune's First Time

16: 16: Nick Thune's First Time

15: Gaby Dunn's First Time

14: Dan Soder's First Time

13: Ted Alexandro's First Time

12: Gilbert Gottfried's First Time

11: Alia Janine's First Time

10: Kevin Allison's First Time

9: Christian Finnegan's First Time

8: Myq Kaplan's First Time

7: Ruby Karp's First Time