Girl at the Rock Shows

Writing about comedy is one of the hardest things for me to do. You aren’t allowed (or at least really shouldn’t) to give up any jokes from a comedian when reviewing them, which means you have to get a bit creative when it comes to reviewing a comedy show. You have to focus on things like the audience, the ambiance, heck, maybe even the outfits– anything but the jokes. Thankfully for me, comedian Tim Heidecker came to town on Wednesday night with a band in tow. Although I still can’t tell you the punchlines of his jokes, I have plenty to say about what he and his band brought to the iconic First Avenue stage.

Tim Heidecker is one half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric. That truthfully means nothing to me but probably something to many of you. On top of being the Tim in Tim & Eric, Heidecker has been in everything from Bridesmaids to Us, but acting and comedy isn’t all that this man does. He is also a musician who has played in various bands over the years and even appeared in a music video for Ben Fold and Regina Spektor. Over the year, Tim has combined his love of comedy and music to come up with multiple parody-styled songs that he put on display on Wednesday night.

I’ll be honest: if I want funny or parodied music, I instantly reach for Weird Al of Wolves of Glendale, but, full disclosure, it’s not a realm that I visit frequently. That didn’t stop me from enjoying all of the songs that Tim and The Very Good Band performed. I loved that some of them were very much a schtick, but other songs felt a bit more raw and real. Although every song had parts that would make you chuckle and some that would make you laugh from deep in your belly, there were some moments of the tracks that just seemed to tell the story of everyday life. I liked this as it brought a more “real” aspect to a show that I expected was all fun and games. Again, don’t get me wrong, Tim is a funny man, and there were definitely times when his songs and jokes between the tracks had me cracking up, but I just really liked that it wasn’t all fun and games, yet it was all served up with a sense of passion.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t get all of the jokes that Tim told and sang. Some were over my head, and others just fell flat. There were also moments when I felt that the energy fell a bit flat, but one thing remained constant, and that was the fact that I started to question what Tim would have been had he just been a musician. He has a great voice. Sure, there were moments where clearly he wasn’t really “singing” and more just trying to get his jokes across as his band played, but there were others where I felt that Tim’s voice really shined. It had a slight 90s vibe but also had this grit that comes there, here, and there, but it was balanced out by the tenderness he showed with the guitar. It was weird, I’m not going to lie, and I realize now, as I write this, how crazy I must sound, but it was something that stood out to me and really highlighted Tim’s talent as a musician.

Although Tim was great, I instantly became fixated on his band. They were clearly seasoned musicians with the way they not only performed flawlessly but could adlib with some of Tim’s jokes and on-stage happenings. They definitely were not the main attraction for the majority of the audience that had come out for the show, but they definitely caught my eyes and ears throughout the nearly two-hour-long show. Stylistically, the group seemed more comfortable in a jammy blues-rock style, but that’s not to say that they didn’t venture out of their comfort zone every now and again. Their sound was fluid and organic but fit the cadence of the night so perfectly and truly only enhanced an already excellent performance.

TimHeidecker wasn’t the only comedian to grace the stage on Wednesday night. After a quick opening set and then claiming that the band needed to take a quick break, comedian Neil Hamburger (a character played by comedian Gregg Turkington) took over the stage for a quick set. Neil was instantly a favorite moment of my Wednesday night. His jokes were dry and hit you like a one-two punch rather than being delivered by a lengthy song or anything like that. His appearance is that of a creepy old drunk man, and his “smoker cough and hack” between every joke had me roaring with laughter. The cherry on top for me when it came to Neil Hamburger’s set was that many of the jokes revolved around music. As I mentioned, it’s not appropriate or allowed for me to give you the punchlines but Neil absolutely had some zingers about bands from all genres and all eras. It was a quirky and quick performance that I quickly learned was not for everyone as my friend and boyfriend didn’t quite get sucked into Neil’s world like I had but to each their own. I thought Neil was great, and I hope to have another chance to see him perform.

Wednesday night at First Avenue’s mainroom was good. It wasn’t as explosive as I wanted to help keep me going late into the night, but it was solid. I love that both Neil Hamburger and Tim Heidecker ran the gamut as far as all of the different kinds of comedy they gave us but used music as the common factor between it all. I still don’t see regularly covering comedy shows in my future because trying to figure out how to describe this show took about ten times longer than it does to review a concert, but I am so glad that this is how I spent my Wednesday night.

Line Up:

Neil Hamburger

Tim Heidecker

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 42

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Neil Hamburger – 0

Tim Heidecker – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Andy of Whiskey Rock N Roll Clulb MPLS

Overall Score – 7.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — afters / Vinny Franco and the Love Channel / anni xo / Drug League

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!