What can I say about Tim Heidecker that hasn’t already been said? I’m struggling to come up with anything original in this intro paragraph. If you recognize the name, then you’re aware that he’s quite possibly the most influential comedian of the last twenty years. If you don’t recognize the name, have you ever even laughed?
No, but in all seriousness, when I saw Tim was actually coming to the Midwest, I jumped right on it. It isn’t that often that we get subversive comedy here, and I’m a huge fan. I’m a premium subscriber to his podcast, Office Hours Live, and of course love all of the Tim & Eric and On Cinema work he’s done. So I got myself a ticket for the August 24th show in Oklahoma City, and could hardly wait for the day to come.
I actually ended up getting a VIP ticket. The VIP experience included early admission, a Q & A session, a sound check, and a signed CD, later changed to a signed poster due to it being “higher value” according to Tim. I agree. Not that I would have complained about the signed CD, but the poster is going to look great framed.
I didn’t go in to the Q & A session with any questions prepared simply because I didn’t know how it was going to work, but I did end up asking two questions. I asked him, from one Bob Dylan nerd to another, to settle once and for all which is better: The 1966 tour, or the Rolling Thunder Revue tour? He completely dodged taking a firm stance, responding that he doesn’t have to pick because they both exist, and they’re both great for different reasons. Then later I brought up the fact that he recently said he had met with the Red Letter Media guys, and asked if he had met the great Rich Evans. He said no. Bummer.
Then he brought out his backing band, The Very Good Band, and sound checked two songs that he hasn’t recorded yet. First one was a real sincere Country inflected tear jerker, and the second was a more upbeat tune about taking shrooms with The Very Good Band by a pool.
This tour, christened the Two Tims Tour, sees him doing the first half as his washed-up conservative stand-up comedian character immortalized in An Evening With Tim Heidecker, and the second half is dedicated to his music.
The comedic half of the show was a Kaufman-esque wonder to behold. Not only was Tim in character, but the entire crowd played right along with him. They would cheer him on as he struggled to write on a big drawing pad, or boo on cue when “Obiden” was mentioned. You could tell the tour had been going on for a while now, because the set was so tight. Definitely been well rehearsed by this point. My only criticism is that it was so short, only lasting about 30 to 45 minutes.
Then after a very brief intermission Tim and The Very Good Band took the stage. I must admit, I haven’t done the deepest dive on Tim’s music, but this show converted me. His songs are catchy, and his backing band are simply amazing. Drummer Josh Adams and bassist Eliana Athayde make for a solid rhythm section, and Connor Gallaher’s guitar work absolutely blew me away. And of course, the very funny Vic Berger playing keyboard made the night even more special.
Tim’s music is the perfect juxtaposition against his trolling comedy. It’s very sentimental, sincere, and emotional. A lot of them deal with people, places, and times in your life that have passed. Existential dread and societal anxiety are major themes. “Buddy,” of course, “Stupid Kid,” and “Backwards” were highlights.
But that’s not to say the music set completely abandoned the comedic flare. At one point he covered Bob Dylan’s “Lenny Bruce,” commenting throughout on how ridiculous the lyrics were. Later he claimed his guitar was on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and belonged to Jimmy Pag… Or, Johnny Depp, and got dressed up like him. Even some of his own songs, like “Slurp It Up” and the closing “Hot Piss” are obviously more comedic, as you can probably tell just by the title.
All-in-all, it was an absolute blast. Tim Heidecker and The Very Good Band absolutely delivered. The energy of the performance, in both the comedy set and music set, was unparalleled. I can’t even imagine how exhausted he must be afterwards, but I’m glad he does it for us. This was the last stop of the tour, but if he does it again, I absolutely recommend you go.
