Tim & Eric Awesome Show Live - The Comedy Festival, Day 1

Neil Hamburger was already opening the show prior to its 8PM start time. Setups like “Why does God give people AIDS?” still got great participation from a wandering-in crowd. (The answer: “So they have an airtight excuse from seeing the latest Robin Williams movie.”

The show was filled with video from the Adult Swim show along with appearances by many of their discoveries including Pierre getting great applause for “Doo Dah Doo Doog”

and James Quall with impressions of George Carlin if he was in Gone with the Wind:

“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. I’ve thought of much more interesting words to say.”

A bulk of Tim & Eric’s time on stage were as Casey as her Brother running through five (5!) songs as the pair. They came to the stage wearing a train costume, Chinese Dragon style - their movements knocking over “The Comedy Festival” sign, much to the delight of the audience. Included in the set was “I don’t want to go to school”, “No sunsets”, “Right way to Rock and a Right Way to Roll.” The final song, “Hamburgers” saw Casey and his brother (in a bit too brief of a hamburger costume) pelting the crowd with hot dogs. Casey vomiting on stage at the end.

There was a little clean up after that.

Ron Lynch followed with a bit about an “animatronic comedian” who had to re-teach people how to laugh out loud after surgically installed iProds had destroyed live comedy. Among his lessons:

“If everyone else is laughing at it, it must be funny. If only you are laughing, you are crazy and will be put into a small box.

The show climaxed with Tim as a BMX biker attempting stunts on stage. At this point the show had felt a little long and Tim & Eric seemed to know it, telling us “You’re not getting out of here that easy!” and advising ushers to “Lock the doors in the back” and “Turn off the air conditioning.”

Audience members were selected for a stunt - three attendees in white hats (who had previously grooved out to a Beaver Boys video). They lay side by side for a big jump.

But Tim won’t do it, tell us he needs a fourth and that we “don’t have the balls” to be it. At that moment, an audience member rushed the stage to do it, but Tim repelled him quickly with the lack of balls accusation. After a couple of dismissals later (including “You’re a woman!” to a female volunteer), Eric becomes the fourth and lies across the three other volunteers.

Tim, then in an amazing visual feat that must be seen, not blogged, jumps the quartet in his bike. Amazing.

The end saw Tim tells us (and Eric, it seemed) that Eric’s dad has died with music and fog interrupting the confession to his frustration. (See my previous post about confusions between salutes to fake deaths / real deaths). Eric looks sad and then dances off.

Afterward the show, I spoke quickly with Eric about the recent video war on aspecialthing over the message board’s top 20 list. Eric asserted after their video taunts of Eugene Mirman and Andy Kindler that they expect to see themselves at the top of the next list. They believe they’ve said their peace on the matter, but if any other members on the list make videos against them they are ready to respond in kind the same day. Even if that person is #1 on the list, Paul F. Tompkins. Eric: “We have inside knowledge of things with his family. We will take him down.”