Tim And Eric & Dr. Steve Brule

The Chicago concert scene continues to amaze me. Just this semester I will be seeing Alt-J, Anamanaguchi, Despot, and Run the Jewels. I already had the opportunity to see Tim and Eric & Steve Brule at The Athenaeum Theatre on September 23. The amount of composition homework I have this year has definitely ramped up since last year. We have been writing around ten minutes of music a week. The good thing is writing has gotten easier over the past year, and our ability to write quickly has greatly improved. Although our free time is limited, I find it helpful to get away from my studio space and watch a concert or show. It helps clear my mind, and I come back to composing with a fresh perspective.

DJ Douggpound

The show featured Tim and Eric, Dr. Steve Brule, and DJ Douggpound. The night’s comedy featured Tim and Eric’s other worldly comedy with quick costume and set changes, hilarious drops by DJ Douggpound, and improvisational comedy with Dr. Steve Brule (John C. Reilly). DJ Douggpound (aka Doug Lussenhop), an alum of Columbia College Chicago, started the evening with a short set that featured jokes quickly followed by music drops and voice-over goodness. Even after his set, Douggpound was kept busy providing his comedic touch—perfectly timed sound effects.

During Tim And Eric’s set, the duo riffed off eachother’s jokes, and the audience was very much in participation. The costume changes really added a great variety, and the list of characters were amazing. Tim’s range of acting ability is ridiculous, from a sunglass-wearing hunk to a woman newscaster. It is easy forget you are watching Tim Heidecker, and just get lost in the specific character. Steve Brule, a character who has his own Adult Swim show “Check It Out” was the last set of the show. It was nearly an hour of improvisation, bringing many audience members on stage, and at the very end, bringing Tim and Eric back on stage to feature their signature “Married News Team” sketch. John C. Reilly’s genius to keep the audience on their seats for over an hour while improvising is unmatched!

Dr. Steve Brule

There is something that draws me to the often bizarre, uncomfortable, and overall hilarious atmosphere of Tim and Eric’s comedy. They have created their own universe, and are able to make what they want, without pressure to conform with mainstream Hollywood. John C. Reilly described the atmosphere while working with Tim and Eric as “total freedom and joyful chaos” on a Reddit AMA. When watching anything by Tim and Eric, you can usually recognize their style within a second or two. This also can happen while listening to influential composers such as Thomas Newman, Koji Kondo, John Williams, etc. These composers have found their own voice, and created their own world. This is something that every composer should strive to create.