“A computer once beat me at chess,” begins one of Emo Philips’ best-loved one-liners. “But it was no match for me at kickboxing.” There’s a special kind of absurdity that connects Philips’ fans. With his pageboy haircut, turtleneck sweaters and flared trousers, he looks more like a musician from the psychedelic pop era than a stand-up comic.
But Philips has been working on the periphery of comedy for nearly 50 years, crafting hilarious anecdotes told through his creaky voice. His style alternates between kindhearted innocence and a noir awareness that our human existence is inherently strange. But his hard work and his unique way of making people laugh have captured new fans over and over, through his frequent Letterman appearances, as a woodshop teacher who slices off his thumb in UHF, or his animated therapy sessions on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Given Philips’ long history of collaborations with Weird Al Yankovic, his current tourmate Tim Cavanagh seems like a logical partner. Cavanagh’s work got an early push from Dr. Demento for his satirical songs. And he was a longtime favorite on The Bob & Tom Show for his celebrity birthday segments.
8 p.m. at The Lab at Zanies
2019 Eighth Ave. S.
