Fun Fun Fun Fest Interview: America's Funnyman Neil Hamburger

Neil Hamburger @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
Saturday, November 8
Waterloo Park (403 E. 15th)
Stage 2, 8:45p.m. - 9:45 p.m.
[info] | [tickets]

Neil Hamburger, aka Gregg Turkington, will provide a much-needed comedic respite from the barrage of punk, indie, hip hop and local music of this weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. He, along with others like the Tim and Eric Awesome Show and the locals of the Coldtowne Comedy Hour, will do their best to crack up the cold stares of the hipsters and get them to grab their gut for a chuckle. Hamburger, a character created by Turkington, is known for his question and answer jokes often poking fun at celebrities as well as his signature sleazy nightclub appearance. He constantly clears his throat during his performance, and he’s even been called “the world’s worst stand-up comedian”. But, it’s all part of his schtick, and everyone from Tim and Eric to Jimmy Kimmel to the guys in Tenacious D have been able to find the funny in Hamburger’s anti-humor. In a recent interview Hamburger did with Austinist, we learned a little about how he handles hecklers and what everyone can expect from his performance Saturday.

What’s been the high point of your career so far?

It would be either the time I found a $2 bill on the floor backstage at a nightclub in Phosphate, Texas... or else opening for Tenacious D at Madison Square Garden.

What advice do you have for budding comedians?

Go away!

What other act are you looking forward to the most at Fun Fun Fun Fest?

I wanted to see the Dead Milkmen, but I’m on the exact same time. So, I will have to crane my neck. Besides those guys, of course I am excited to once again see the Tim & Eric Awesome Show live… They are the funniest things going on in the entertainment industry today, and I am proud to have worked with them on a couple projects in the past. And, I’m looking forward to seeing Bill Haley’s Comets as well… a classic group, and it’s good to see them back in action.

What’s your typical response to hecklers?

I used to have all sorts of verbal responses to those jerks, but I’ve stopped even trying. Now, I just have a member of my small team of trained Soviet bloc assassins take them out.

Do you think it’s important to dress for success?

Yes! Too many of the bands today are slovenly. The least you can do when someone is paying to be entertained is tuck in your shirt and pull up your pants. I have no need to know the brand of underwear of the slobs on stage.

What’s the craziest response you’ve ever had to a joke you’ve told?

A group of sorority girls on a “girls’ night out” event at a comedy club I was performing at left the show early and ended up driving off a road into a ditch, and they all died.

What can we expect from your performance at the fest, any singing?

I might do a song or two from my latest album, Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners. But for the most part, the Fun Fun Fun folks will have heard enough music, and will likely be in the mood for the more preferable laughter.

Can you tell me a joke about Austin?

Can you remit $5.00 to my post office box first?

Neil Hamburger MySpace
Fun Fun Fun Fest Official

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