Maybe you couldn't make it to Portland for the 2017 Bridgetown Comedy Festival, but now, with the help of modern technology, you can have a virtual simulation of being in the audience for a live episode of Hold On with Eugene Mirman from that very festival. Marvel at Guy Branum's sassy story of unsuccessful sexcapades, be star struck by Karen Kilgariff's celebrity encounter, and bask in the inglorious origin of Kyle Kinane's comedy career.

At the tenth and final Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, a motley crew of daring storytellers boldly ventured onstage to have their stories cross-examined by the festival's very namesake. Michael Showalter reminisces about experiences touring with Eugene, Caroline Rhea remembers not being remembered by a comedy legend, and Ira Glass shares an unaired This American Life story. Titular, eponymous, and always curious: Eugene Mirman was present at his own festival to question these stories!

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the most famous astrophysicist to ever tell a story to Eugene Mirman on a show called Hold On. He's also probably the most famous astrophysicist ever to tell a story to any Eugene for any reason, but it's the story he told THIS Eugene that you'll want to hear. In it, a pre-fame Neil weighs a potential graduate school job. If you were given as many guesses as there are stars in the universe, you probably couldn't guess what that job was!

Host Eugene Mirman sits down with comedian and writer Sara Benincasa to discuss all of the details behind the story she told at a RISK! show in New York. Her featured story deals with one of the funniest conversations anyone could have at a funeral. Learn more about the unusual Benincasa family trade and discover which glam rocker's family actually owns a funeral home, all in this hilarious, question-filled episode of Hold On.

Mike Lawrence is an excellent comedic competitor on shows like @Midnight and Roast Battle, but his adversaries on those shows might set their sights on his pre-comedy pursuits for japes and jabs if only they knew...in high school he was big into slam poetry. Thankfully, Eugene Mirman is a friendly fellow who's curiosity trumps any temptation to mock. Mike shared his story of coming up through the slam poetry open mic scene in Florida in a story for RISK!

You might think it's in the job description for political comedians like John Fugelsang to take powerful politicians down a peg or two, but during the 2012 election, John learned it's not always the best idea to ask the tough questions. Host Eugene Mirman finds out how the struggling new father made his mark on the Romney-Obama presidential race and what it did to his career, as the two dig into John's story on this politically-charged episode of Hold On with Eugene Mirman.

Janeane Garofalo (Wet Hot American Summer, Ratatouille) joined Eugene Mirman onstage in San Francisco for a live edition of Hold On, and now you get to hear her story and the questions it raised! Janeane recounts how rambling became a hobby and how her impromptu excursions have helped her reflect on what she wants in life.

Jean Grae is a rapper, actress, and comedian who is probably the only living person that can boast that she's guested on tracks with Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, Wale, and Lil B, and has shared the stage with John Hodgman. That means she has some stellar stories like the one about a crazy ride home that she shares in this live episode of Hold On at NYC PodFest. Eugene Mirman shared the stage with Jean and went along for the ride - with a few pit stops for pointed questions along the way.

Alice Wetterlund (People of Earth, Silicon Valley, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates) thinks it's important to do the right thing. Sometimes that means looking out for the disadvantaged - even if they walk on four legs and hiss. Eugene Mirman is a curious cat, so he invited Alice to SF Sketchfest 2017 to spin a yarn about empathy, gratitude, and feral kittens. Now you can hear her story, his questions, and the adulation of the crowd in this special live episode of Hold On!

Moving back in with your parents is rarely a sign that your life is going in the right direction. On this episode of Hold On, host Eugene Mirman sits down with comedian Matt Braunger to hear a funny, but cautionary tale about a pivotal time in Matt's life. Hear why he was forced to live with his folks and what it meant for his relationship with them and his stand-up comedy career.

Jonathan Katz is a comedian's comedian who has earned the right to reminisce about life on the road -- but none shall be spared the inquisitive storytelling musings of Eugene Mirman! Not even the esteemed comic and former cartoon psychiatrist can tell his story at the Boston Comedy Festival without invoking the devastatingly keen observations and lacerating questions called forth in every hilarious episode of Hold On with Eugene Mirman.

Mara Wilson's book has a question for a title: Where Am I Now? Eugene Mirman has some questions for Mara, particularly in regards to her story about doing community theater in Texas. So, he invited her to the Boston Comedy Festival to share her story of drama on and offstage, and to answer his questions about said drama for a special live recording of Hold On with Eugene Mirman: the only comedic storytelling audio show with all of the questions from Eugene Mirman you love!

Elna Baker helped hundreds of babies get adopted at her old job. No, not human babies. Elna was a fake nurse at a fake adoption center in FAO Schwartz, where she helped place realistic baby dolls in the homes of wealthy Manhattanites. Hear how she got attached to a little bundle of plastic joy in her story she told for RISK! in New York City. Host Eugene Mirman digs into the details of Elna's unusual job in this episode of Hold On.

Comedian Kurt Braunohler (IFC's Bunk, Audible's Wedlock) once found enlightenment in the oddest of places: an Apple store bathroom. There, the seeds of inspiration were planted in his mind and he decided to take an unconventional break from his (then) long-term relationship. Eugene Mirman sat Kurt down to hear how that unusual plant went and to ask a few burning questions.

[Contains explicit content] Storytelling can bring together people from many different cultures and, at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, it brought together Eugene Mirman and Gad Elmaleh for a special live recording of Hold On. Montreal was a fitting place to hear the tale of Gad's transition from the French tradition of live comedy to a more casual North American stand-up style. It's also fitting that Eugene was on hand to casually interject with thoughtful and funny questions.

They say that cats have nine lives. Well, comedian Chris Fairbanks was lucky enough to share several of those lives with a stray he took in. Chris told a few memorable anecdotes about his feline friend for The Narrators in Denver. On this episode of Hold On, Eugene Mirman breaks out the catnip to learn more about the indelible origin story of Chris' fiery furball companion.

Normally, when Eugene Mirman wants to pause a story to dig for some background information, he tends to do it in a recording studio. On rare occasions, he ventures outside, goes up to Canada, and does his detail-digging live onstage as part of the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. This is one of those rare occasions and the details he's digging for are provided by hilarious stand-up Cameron Esposito (Take My Wife on Seeso), whose story of self-discovery turns out to be both inspiring and...

In 2016, intrepid comedian Eugene Mirman had the audacity to put Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival on hold so he could bring comedians onstage to tell funny stories and answer funny questions. One such comedian was the prolific stand-up comic, writer, and ironic re-tweeter, Joe Mande (Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, Kroll Show), whose story of gaming Twitter gets scrutinized on this live episode of Hold On with Eugene Mirman.

On this episode, comedian Steve Agee (The Sarah Silverman Show) opens up to Eugene Mirman about his first experience with the party drug ecstasy. Once the story gets going, the questions start flying. Learn about the good times and the bad times that can result from taking recreational drugs as Steve explains the how and why of his hilarious true tale that he originally shared at a Don't Tell My Mother show in Los Angeles.

If you tell a performer to "hold that thought" while they're telling a funny story, you might get kicked out of the show you're attending. Not so if you're Eugene Mirman holding up Mary Lynn Rajskub's hilarious live story. He didn't get kicked out of the Just for Laughs Montreal presentation of Hold On with Eugene Mirman - in fact, he was allowed to ask as many questions as he wanted about Mary Lynn's unintentional brush with the oldest profession.

Sean Patton has the ability to remember everything when he's beyond blackout drunk. So when he becomes the drunken catalyst for some insanity at a house party, Sean is able to tell the whole story. On this episode of Hold On, Eugene Mirman finds out what else Sean can remember about that fateful night.

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who have gone on Eugene Mirman's show, Hold On, to tell a story and answer Eugene's questions about it; and those who have not. Sharp-witted comedian Baron Vaughn (Mystery Science Theater 3000, Grace and Frankie) can now say in all honesty that he has successfully transitioned from the latter to the former. He dropped by the studio to spill his guts (among other things) about a revelation he had in the jungle while on ayahuasca. Trippy!

H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers) has the most recognizable voice in comedy, but it's his parents who have a talent for recognizing exceptional dining experiences. Eugene Mirman recognized the opportunity to have Jon onstage at NYC Podfest to relay a funny account of his parents' restaurant recommendation and answer questions about the family's memorable dining experience.

On this episode of Hold On, host Eugene Mirman sits down with fellow comedian Ken Reid to hear a story about his super-weird neighbor Eddie Murphy -- no, not THAT Eddie Murphy. Eugene asks Ken about being a nosy neighbor, bizarre Halloween traditions, and the effect early exposure to horror movies can have on a kid. Ken originally told his story for the live show RISK! in New York. This one's not for the faint of heart!