I usually write about music, but this is different. Neil Hamburger is different.
One of his routines, a live recording, came on the comedy-station on my satellite radio the other day (he’s a stand-up comic y’see) and you’d never tell it was live, really…since any audible laughter was barely above a murmur. Most were confused. Most were maybe disturbed. Most just didn’t get it. That’s the beauty of it. It’s so-not-funny it is funny. He’s masterful, misunderstood and beguilingly charming whilst “Destroying The Mood…” (And, if you look up his work via Drag City, you can find that there’s more to him than being “America’s Funnyman…
Watch:
Many in the music biz seem to be getting his jokes, though – as he’s been enthusiastically selected by such big name rock/pop acts as Tenacious D and No Doubt to be an audacious opening act touring through substantial theatre audiences.
Last autumn, Hamburger recorded a live album in Nashville with Detroit-transplant Jack White via Third Man Records. Not to mention his televised (/youtubed) collaborations with such names as Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Green, Tim & Eric (Awesome Show) and Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
Watch:
If stand-up comedy ain’t your thing…well…then perfect! Swing down to Detroit -tonight only! – to P.J.’s Lager House and dig this new/stale, awesome/bad flavor of comedy.
Opening the night is stand-up comic Nick Flanagan – but I’d recommend getting their early to see the local boy: raw, regal, quasi-renaissance man, Phreddy Wischusen, a writer, a spoken-word artist, a musician and an ebullient barrel-chested poet of freak-pop sunshine and sharp tongued, erudite effusions…
http://www.myspace.com/phreddeeznutz
See you there?
More info: http://www.dragcity.com/artists/neil-hamburger
Anyway –
There’s musical goings-ons later this week that might interest you.
Soon to be stratospheric, and already the darling of many o’ buzz-showering music blog, Grand Rapids Stepdad are starting up another dayglo-dashed dance-pop party at the Blind Pig tomorrow night (9/19).
Adaptable acoustic-to-electro-musing folk-pop winder Nathan K. is opening things up while sublime spaz-pop noodlers Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt revs things up further. Stepdad percussionist Jeremy Malvin (a busy electro-composer/band-leader and remixer in his own right) is DJing between sets under his musical moniker Chrome Sparks.
But then for something completely different –
Magnificently melodious post-rock groovers Skeleton Birds are playing Woodruffs on Friday night (9/21). Intricately layered, eclectic/percolating percussion, airy atmospheric guitar sheens and warm, syrupy bass going from sonorous purrs to lower roars, gushing forth under mellifluous lead vocals – it’s putting me into that dusky/dreamy autumnal mood.
Listen:
Skeleton Birds – “All My Love”
Lawless Carver’s opening up…
Info: http://www.facebook.com/skeletonbirdsmusic
What else…?
Well, next week I’ll have some things to share regarding YpsiFest. But until then, enjoy this recently-revealed track by Ypsi rock-fuzzed folk-mystics the Ferdy Mayne…
Listen:
Ferdy Mayne – “Labrador”
…a preview of their forthcoming E.P.
More soon.
