Tim and Eric Awesome Show
Waterloo Park, Nov. 9
The performance kicked off with a song ostensibly called “Diarrhea,” which was repeated, uh, ad nauseam for five-plus minutes in nude-colored bodysuits covering flabby frames that also sported giant, fake genitalia. This is what Tim and Eric fans have come to expect; hit ’em with the poop stuff up front. They’ve become a cult Internet phenom, where characters and skits are instantly recognized. However, in a festival setting, on a stage next to a punk rock band, showing videos of naked men showering fails to translate, visually or aurally. Show fave Casey (Tim Heidecker) and his brother (Eric Wareheim) came out for a few uncomfortable songs, backed by a video featuring “Dr. Alan Thicke” (just regular Alan Thicke) shilling apples that let you sleep 15 minutes before you get … yes, diarrhea. What seems weird and edgy on television comes off sophomoric at a festival.
This article appears in November 14 • 2008.