Anti-comic wants you to laugh at botched stand-up
Any stand-up comedian will tell you timing, delivery and actual humor are important to successfully eliciting laughter from an audience. But when it comes to self-proclaimed "America's funnyman" Neil Hamburger, you can throw all that out the window, as his brand of anti-humor breaks all the rules in favor of an uncomfortably offbeat performance that might come across as everything but funny to the uninitiated.
Hamburger (played by Gregg Tirkington) got his biggest break opening for Tenacious D on last year's "Pick of Destiny" tour (he also made a cameo in the film). The bespectacled dweeb, with his signature comb-over and outdated tuxedo, has also appeared on Adult Swim's "Tim and Eric Awesome Show" and Tim and Eric have, in turn, been guests on Hamburger's own online show, "Poolside Chats With Neil Hamburger."
With a new album (his first musical offering) of original country songs entitled "Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners," the down-on-his-luck comedian brings his nervous stage routine to town this week to talk about current events, his depressing life and other topics. And he's sure to botch it up as usual by clearing his throat at inopportune moments, insulting the audience and coming off as an awkward novice with little comedic talent. But that's Hamburger's shtick, and fans of off-kilter humor that pokes fun at itself seem to love it.
THE 411: Neil Hamburger with Pleaseeasaur and Attractive Eighties Women. $10. 9 p.m. Oct. 2. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta. 404-522-3950, www.americasfunnyman.com, www.badearl.com.
