MAKE US LAUGH, FUNNY BOY! -- EUGENE MIRMAN

Comments (0) By Libby Molyneaux Thursday, Jan 28 2010

You might know him from the teevee -- Conan O'Brien's show and Flight of the Conchords -- but did you know that comic Eugene Mirman was named the Best New York Comedian by The Village Voice in 2009 and is one of 2009's "Hot" Twitter-ers. according to Rolling Stone. Though neither of those publications has been relevant for years, Mirman is still a talent we should be paying attention to.

More About

You went to Hampshire College -- have your read Richard Rushfield's book? It's amazing anyone learns anything with all the drugs and not going to class. I haven't read his book -- in fact, I was too high to even learn to read. I hope what I'm writing now makes sense, since I'm randomly hitting buttons on my keybeard.

You've been described as a "longtime fixture on the downtown alternative comedy scene" and have opened for indie bands Yo La Tengo and Modest Mouse. Do you ever perform for nonhip people ?

I did a show recently in Nashua, New Hampshire, for its Chamber of Commerce. The audience was very nice, but I wouldn't describe them as hipsters. I bet only twoÂ of them (maybe fewe

r) knew that Doug Yule was ever in the Velvet Underground.

If you had a catch phrase, what would it be ?

Not sure, but here are some possibilities: "America, you're such a country!" and then throw my hands in the air. Or maybe, "That's like asking to hide in a goat's vagina ..." then I'd make a face like someone said something stupid to me and shake my head.

What are we missing by not following you on Twitter ?

You're missing tweets like this:â€¨Just got my time machine working. Now I'll finally get some pussy.â€¨Kid crying at ATM 'cause her pacifier fell, imagine how upset she'll be when she discovers we're unjustly in Iraq.â€¨Turns out a watched pot totally boils. It just takes 10 minutes and is very boring.

Who do people say you look like ?

Oliver Stone and Tom Waits. I'm lying.

If you could call a moratorium on one overused stand-up premise, what would it be ?

I wish people would stop talking about the movie Multiplicity. It's from 1996! Stop doing material about it. On a side note, I'm glad Barack Obama made it impossible to joke around about what would happen if there were a black president.

What do you like to do in L.A. ?

I like to go to Skybar and hide Ziplock bags full of vomit everywhere I think celebrities will sit. I also love going to Amoeba.

Anything else you'd like to say to L.A. Weekly readers ?

If you are a famous musician, actor or news personality, please come and say hello.

Eugene Mirman & Pretty Good Friends Maria Bamford, Marc Maron, Brendon Small and Larry Murphy.
Wed., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., 2010