Neil Hamburger, Gregg Turkington’s boozy, obnoxious, borderline-malicious standup persona, is a real person. Hamburger even has a phone number that Turkington has delegated entirely to his onstage alter ego, answering machine message and all. It’s probably the closest anyone can get to speaking with the late Andy Kaufman.
“There’s no development, this is life,” Hamburger said, shooting down the notion that Turkington’s native Australian drawl is hiding somewhere within Hamburger’s voice box. If it is, don’t expect him to unveil it anytime soon as Hamburger, who maintains a playful modesty when discussing his recent successes, is not interested in tinkering outside his usual realm of comedy.
“It’s like you’ve got one of these guys that makes a good peach pie, you know, but he can’t handle sticking his thumb in the pie filling and picking away at the batter,” said Hamburger, in regard to his refusal to dabble in self-indulgent comedy. “When he brings your peach pie to the table, it looks like a rat was in it. It’s just not right.”
Hamburger’s style is one of a kind. Referring to himself as “America’s Funnyman,” he begins each show by ambling out onstage in a soaking-wet, Tony Clifton-esque tuxedo, clutching multiple drinks underneath his arms, and sporting a sweaty, badly combed head of jet-black hair slicked back above his foggy, horn-rimmed glasses. He hacks loudly into the microphone before beginning each joke, which usually skewers modern pop stars, frustratedly squawking “WHY?” at the audience.
“It’s pretty obvious if you watch the show that guys like Abbott and Costello, the Ritz Brothers, Laurel and Hardy – that’s the type of thing that we do onstage,” said Hamburger. “It’s just sort of a saltier version of it.”
When Hamburger performs at the Black Cat on Monday, he’ll certainly divide first-time viewers. It’s a polarizing style of dry humor that will perplex some, delight others and offend the rest. But love him or hate him, it’s easy to see Hamburger is bold and pushing the boundaries of an industry that needs a creative facelift badly.
Neil Hamburger will perform at the Black Cat on Monday. Doors open at 8. Tickets are $12.
essner@umdbk.com
