Top 173 Quotes & Sayings by Fred Armisen - Page 2

I'll just say that there are times when TV shows, like 'The Honeymooners' or 'I Love Lucy' or something, where they're totally in their stride, and this thing happens, where you can tell they got everything they wanted. And it starts to look a little relaxed. No criticism to the shows whatsoever; these people are geniuses.

Missing something doesn't help anything. You can only look at the future, what you can keep doing.

Over the years, El Perro del Mar became this artist that, every record that came out, I just loved it.

I really loved touring with my band, but it felt like we would spend a lot of time playing in empty rooms - empty clubs. We had some good successes, but it's so physically hard to load up a van and drive all day.

The bands that were big in '77, like the Clash and the Sex Pistols and Talking Heads, I got into them in the early '80s. And it changed my life. It got into my DNA.

I spent most of my 20s playing music. I was in a band, and we worked really hard and did not get very far.

Surround yourself with people you like and respect; surround yourself with people you just want to be around and keep making things.

I will always, no matter what, be a punk more than anything.

For me, I would get so frustrated because I would see these other bands just whip by us.

I love my bandmates, and they're my friends, and even though we had fun and got to tour and I got to play the drums a lot, which I'll always appreciate, we had a really rough time. We toured and tried to get people to come to our shows and put out records, and we really struggled.

I think a comedian has a more specific job. Whereas a musician can fall into different categories, you know, of making background music or doing a soundtrack or wanting to be in a band or writing the song, or writing your own songs. And then comedy is a very black and white thing. You want to make people happy.

I think Ian MacKaye is everything that I always wanted to be.

I get very, very little sleep.

There should be comedians who perform only for robots - I'm saying human comedians that only perform for robots.

Sometimes in Portland I'm like, 'Who is funding this city?' It's doing great - there's all these new shops; there's a synthesizer store. Where is this coming from?

I'm not by nature a cynical person. But sometimes your expectations are different from reality.

I feel really lucky to get to do comedy, and music, at all. I want to do as much as I can.

For some reason, juggling things makes everything work better. That's just how we operate. It just makes the other project more of something to look forward to. I think the more you keep things going, the more it helps the other project.

Before 'SNL,' I would do stand-up, opening for Jeff Tweedy. It was worse than bombing in that people were dead silent.

When 'Pale Fire' came out, that album was a big friend of mine. I've just always purely been a fan of El Perro del Mar.

If something seems like a little venue, don't treat it like that. Do it all. If you're sort of wondering why you're doing something at some location, just do it - any size theater, production, or whatever. It's all helpful.

All of my memories are now on hard drives. I'll change phones or I'll change my laptop, and all my photos stay.

I find it weird to use my own voice on TV.

I would see people on TV, or I'd see bands I really liked, and I thought, 'I want that.'

I love driving. Listen to some music.

I love painters because I don't paint, so I get to enjoy art; I like collecting paintings.

I believe in limitations. I think the worst art ever made - in my opinion, because it's all so subjective - is where the artist had complete freedom.

I would never play a character that wasn't true. It's not a moral thing; it's just that it's more convincing if it's a little bit like me.

As far as value goes, obviously it's nicer to be in an environment where you feel comfortable. But it's also clear that it's probably not the most realistic thing.

I don't think I've ever hosted anything in my life.

I was actually late to the punk movement because I was too young.

The way James Franco goes to new projects, he does it the way an artist should, which is with a question mark. Like, will this work?

My problem is with intimacy. That's where I have my biggest problems.

There's almost no such thing as a hipster.

Wayne Coyne has put out Flaming Lips records in gummy bear skulls and all these different kinds of packaging that's really, really inventive. And that's what you should always do.

Talking Heads were a big influence on my comedy. For David Byrne, every album had to be different. With 'Portlandia,' every season has to be different. You gotta reinvent the look, all of it.

I take any project on a month or two at a time. Meaning, I don't think too far ahead.

We almost called the 'Portlandia' show 'Stumptown.' That was the original name.

One person who was interesting was Jello Biafra, who was - of all things - very professional!

Everywhere I go, somebody says something to me. It's really nice.

I can only parody stuff I love.

When I'm hungry, I need to eat right away.

Music documentaries are tricky because of 'Spinal Tap.' That movie has stood the test of time.

I was really close to being this guy who used to be in this band who is still playing and trying to get some recordings together, but I got really lucky.

There's no judgment on bands that continue on who aren't popular; some people get enjoyment out of it. I'm just not one of those people.

I feel like Miami is way, way too hot.

I was impersonating people way, way, way early, as far back as I can remember. And I would do people on my street for my parents, I remember. And in school, I did the same thing with all the teachers. It was just like, I mean, it was something I loved to do. I don't think there was a time when I wasn't doing it. I was always doing it.

Something about Portland just really resonated with me.

Ever since I was really little, I started doing a - I don't know how to put this - mentally challenged person on my street. I meant no harm by it, but I remembered how this person talked, and I did it for my mom, and she was not into it. She said, 'You can't do that!' But my dad really laughed.

I'd want to direct a video for Yoko Ono. As long as I got to work with Yoko Ono someday, I'd be really happy. I just think she's such a great artist - it would just be so nice.

The Long Island experience is so strange. You're a satellite around the city, so the presence of the city is always looming.

My showbiz career started with 'SNL,' and to write an 'SNL' book... well, there are already enough of those.

I really like watching TV at home.

You should approach everything in life like, 'What is this?'

I really like Au Revoir Simone.

I don't know anything about the wine world at all.

El Perro del Mar sort of accompanied my time at 'SNL.' To concentrate and focus, I would play the bass to one of her songs from her third album.

Hopefully there will be a day when all comedy is all robots.

I will always consider myself a punk because of those experiences in high school. It will always be a part of me.

I like that 'Broad City' exists, and I love being around at the same time as 'Key & Peele.' I love those guys - I just, I love their faces.