What Nate Bargatze has said about Stand-up comedy craft

4 quotes · 1 episode · May 21, 2026

Nate Bargatze, Comedian who stars in The Breadwinner, has been quoted on Stand-up comedy craft 4 times in 1 episode of SmartLess, most recently on May 21, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.

In their words

  • Bargatze says that because he talks slowly and is Southern, he had to learn to pull audiences into his rhythm quickly, especially after high-energy acts.

    “I had to learn to get people into my rhythm very quickly. So since I talk slower and I was from the South”

    SmartLess: "RE-RELEASE: Nate Bargatze" (May 21, 2026) · Listen from 15:24

  • Bargatze describes writing a stand-up hour as a movie in which he is the main character, with each joke leading into the next.

    “The way I've looked at writing, it's a movie. So I'm the main character of this movie”

    SmartLess: "RE-RELEASE: Nate Bargatze" (May 21, 2026) · Listen from 17:17

  • Bargatze argues that staying close to the laugh reduces pressure, since a long setup demands a bigger payoff.

    “I try to never be too far from the laugh because the farther you are from the laugh, the bigger the laugh has to be”

    SmartLess: "RE-RELEASE: Nate Bargatze" (May 21, 2026) · Listen from 18:30

  • Bargatze says he always goes on stage with prepared material and cannot really do crowd work.

    “I go up prepared. I mean, I can't do the other. I can't really do like crowd work”

    SmartLess: "RE-RELEASE: Nate Bargatze" (May 21, 2026) · Listen from 16:33

Episodes

  • "RE-RELEASE: Nate Bargatze"

    SmartLess · May 21, 2026 · 54 min

    Comedian Nate Bargatze tells the SmartLess hosts about his magician father, early bombs, his clean storytelling style, arena touring, and life in Tennessee.

Others on Stand-up comedy craft

Nate Bargatze on other topics