Tim and Eric bring their eccentric comedy to Philly | The Triangle

Tim and Eric bring their eccentric comedy to Philly

Comedy duo and fellow Philadelphians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim brought their “10 Year Anniversary Awesome Tour!” to the Merriam Theater July 20. They were traveling to promote the 10-year anniversary of their cult-classic TV show “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” The packed audience was treated to a night of hilarity and surprises.

I had no clue what to expect coming into the theater. I’m a big fan of their TV show, but most of the comedy from the show was based off of inventive editing and cringe-worthy awkwardness. I was intrigued and a bit fearful into how this would translate onstage.

I made my way into the theater, noticing that the only things on stage were a disc jockey stand and a projector screen. The theater was buzzing with excitement, except for my row. There were probably eight empty seats between myself and the next person in my row, but I couldn’t find any other empty seats. Maybe I smelled bad? Or maybe a family just backed out last minute. Before I could further ponder my scent, the show began.

Over the speakers, Wareheim’s voice introduced the opener, DJ Douggpound. Decked out in a bright yellow jumpsuit, DJ Douggpound blended comedy with musical elements and vocal loops. I was beginning to see how the show was going to shape up. He warmed the crowd up for about twenty minutes, utilizing one-liners and humorous vocal edits. He then thanked the audience and introduced Tim and Eric onto the stage.

Before they came out, the projector screen lit up. Dr. Steve Brule, one of the recurring characters from the show portrayed by John C. Reilly, provided helpful tips for the audience during the show, such as peeing your pants instead of going to the bathroom and missing out on any of the performance. Then the stars came out.

Dressed in sparkling white suits with no pants on, they performed a musical number with as much skill as two slightly overweight comedians with no training in dancing or singing possibly could.

The show featured a blend of musical and performance sketches, often based off of popular bits from the show. The duo also utilized a lot of crowd work. For one bit, three audience members were brought on stage and pitted against each other in a business simulation. Some of the show was less fun for the audience, though. Fake spiders were thrown on the front row, then doused by an exterminator, and Tim spit up a half-eaten hot dog on the crowd.

The screen was also used throughout the show. New and old bits were shown on the screen, and a new episode of “Tim and Eric’s BedTime Stories,” a new show by the duo on Adult Swim was played throughout the show. The biggest surprise was at the end of the show. I don’t want to ruin it, but the 12-minute video shown at the end of the performance would make any Tim and Eric fan very excited. Stay tuned for new updates from the comedy duo.