Al Yankovic Quotes

There's nothing more vulnerable than just standing in front of a thousand people, or ten thousand people, and doing your best to entertain them, touch them in some way.

I love performing in front of a live audience and just stepping out in front of ruddy Royal Albert Hall is just something, I can't describe it.

I love performing live: it's my very favorite thing to do.

I got on stage and I went, "Oh wow. No stage fright." I couldn't do public speaking, and I couldn't play the piano in front of people, but I could act. I found that being on stage, I felt, "This is home." I felt an immediate right thing, and the exchange between the audience and the actors on stage was so fulfilling. I just went, "That is the conversation I want to have."

Interviewing somebody is a lot different than being handed a stick in a 20,000-seat arena and trying to sell tickets. You're very green when you start. I'm still learning things to this day. I'm decent at interviews now, but man, getting people to buy tickets is the easiest thing in the world for me.

I love connecting with the fans. I love being on stage.

It's such a thrill to perform live. You never know if you're going to get hit with a bottle or a bra.

Onstage, of course, you have the luxury of rehearsal and discovery and time and comfort, which then turns into terror when you actually have to put it in front of people.

I played Winnie the Pooh in first grade. I was an early adopter of standing in front of people and looking like an idiot.

The stage is like a cage of light. People are no longer afraid of you - they are the ones out there in the dark, watching.

The weird thing is, I used to skate in front of, like, 5,000 people and I was never nervous, but the first time I got on stage, there were four people there and I vomited.

I don't get intimidated. When I'm on set, I never really get intimidated by people. But in social situations, it's weird sometimes. You don't want to seem like you're kissing somebody's ass because they're a celebrity.

I am always the Baywatch girl at heart. The rock 'n' roll got harder and softer but I wouldn't give up those times for anything.

Everyone knows there's only one thing less welcome on a stage than a mime, and that's a clown, because everyone knows that clowns eat people.

Whenever people have trouble public speaking, it's because they are just thinking about themselves.

Stand-up comedy - I love this job, and I gotta tell you, folks - knock wood - it's been working. 'Cause I was one of those kind of people, even when I had a regular job, I couldn't even call in sick right. You know, I was like, 'Hello? Yeah, I can't come in today. I have scurvy.

I always wanted to be in the world of entertainment. I just love the idea of an audience being happy with what I am doing. Writing is showbusiness for shy people. That's how I see it.

The best part of performing is the people. I love interacting with people. My favorite part is the crowd. I love rocking out with the crowd, that's definitely the best part.

I hate those people that get up and they're amazing. I think you just have to be kind of wasted to go and do it.

I love the feeling of letting fly, of pushing as far as I could go with my voice. The only way you can really graduate how you do it is by doing it regularly to people who don't have to be super impressed. You can do it in the studio all day long but you don't get the flashback that you get onstage.

I love being onstage, I love the relationship with the audience.

During that Grammy moment, when I nearly collapsed, I was thinking, Are you kidding me? I've always been really good with my heels. Even pregnant, I could perform in heels. Note to self: Never wear a train onstage.

I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up.

I was nervous and confident at the same, nervous about going out there in front of all those people, with so much at stake, and confident that I was going to go out there and win.

I was born and raised to entertain other people. I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. Everything about me is based on show business - I think it will bring me happiness. I hope so.