“America’s Funnyman” Neil Hamburger will saunter onto the stage in the nation’s capital this weekend, but without much fanfare.
Hamburger has been known to amble through a sea of ironic T-shirts on stage without the crowd noticing. Surprising, because in that crowd, Hamburger should stand out. His look conjures a pre-Improv era of comedy: tuxedos, highballs and comb-overs. But, Hamburger is not just trying to comply with the Gridiron Club Dinner’s dress code.
A hard-luck comedian scraping for gigs is the shtick. Ex-wife jokes are routine. His hacking cough keeps the act flowing or tamps down hecklers, who may or may not be invited. Hamburger tells offensive jokes, lobbed with horrible delivery. Many of his targets and much of his material are still mired in the 1990s era of grunge music from which his comic persona sprang. The audience often finds itself laughing despite itself, asking: Are Lady Diana jokes really apropos? Were they ever?
If Hamburger gets political, it won’t necessarily be the standard liberal stand-up routine. Hamburger said as “America’s Funnyman,” he would work the next Tea Party rally if it calls.
“Any sort of disgruntled audience is perfect for me,” he said. “And I did some stuff for the Lipton people years ago, a corporate event, handing out samples.”
Hamburger appears with Daiquiri at the Black Cat’s Backstage at 9 p.m. Sunday.
For a Q&A with Hamburger, visit washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment.
