Comedy Attic welcomes Eric Andre

Whether it’s emerging naked and thrusting himself against the walls of his set, lighting himself on fire or tasering his own groin, comedian Eric Andre is best known for his outrageous entrances on Adult Swim’s “the Eric Andre Show.”

The star and host of what Spin magazine has called “the weirdest show on TV” will return to Bloomington’s Comedy Attic for several performances this weekend.

Andre will perform at the Comedy Attic at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with additional shows at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for students, and are available at comedyattic.com.

“He could just as easily eat a live animal on stage or he could just do stand-up jokes,” Comedy Attic Owner Jared Thompson said. “No one will know until it happens. He’s a weird dude and we have a forgiving crowd that is going to allow him to be odd.”

Andre co-starred in the ABC comedy series “Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23” and was cast in “the Internship” and “the Invention of Lying.”

He created “the Eric Andre Show” as a television series produced by Abso Lutely Productions in 2012 with comedian and co-host Hannibal Buress.

The live-action “Eric Andre Show” challenges the traditional talk show format with his manic performance style, stunts, mockery and improvisational humor. As a parody of a low-budget public access talk show, the program is known for taunting and tormenting an unpredictable mix of celebrities and imposters.

Though the episodes are only 15 minutes long, the show is segmented with street pranks, hidden camera bits, flashes of inexplicable studio chaos and the general deconstruction of late night tropes.

“If you ask a comedy club owner, ‘How do you feel about not knowing what’s going to happen?,’ most would be scared to death,” Thompson said. “But that’s exactly why I booked him. A one-of-a-kind experience is so much more than just a fun night out.”

Andre’s previous visit to the Comedy Attic in October of last year was the night before the debut of his show’s second season. Now on the heels of season two, the show has been renewed for a third season expected to air this year, according to Adult Swim.

A visit to Andre’s official website, ericandre.com, may give the viewer an indication of his comedic persona.

The website features a penis cursor, raining buckets of chicken, animated sidebar .gifs and an ’80s style pong game.

Thompson said it’s hard to predict just how comedian Andre will take the stage.
“I want the audience to walk away thinking, ‘That is something I will never see again,’” he said.

Follow reporter Jillian Ranegar on Twitter @JillRanegar.