Brian Posehn is the king of weird. He has made an entire career of being recognized as “Oh, That Guy!” Everyone recognizes him from his flagship roles on t.v. like Just Shoot Me, Mr. Show with Bob and David, or The Sarah Silverman Program; as well as smaller but notable roles in Friends, Seinfeld, and Newsradio. But the mainstream audience doesn’t often recognize is that he is also one of the truly great stand-up comedians working today.
The California native grew up a student of comic books, horror movies, and heavy metal – two personality quirks that have both influenced his comedy and steered his career from the outset. These passions finally fused for Posehn when he was given a role in Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects, which Zombie himself wrote specifically for Posehn.
He always seems to be on t.v. playing characters that fit into some kind of creepy or awkward pigeonhole. His stand-up has rarely been the focus of his career. His most notable work in stand-up was when he took part in his friend Patton Oswalt’s Comedians of Comedy Tour. A documentary that centers around a cross-country trek of alt-comics that included Oswalt and Posehn, as well as Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, David Cross, and many others. All of which are comedians with a heady sense of humor that didn't always lend itself to the typical mainstream crowd at a comedy club – so they took the show out of the clubs and into music venues. The title alludes to the idea that they were high-concept comics that all of the other comedians tended to love, but usual club audiences tended hate. The film documents the comics on the road as they managed to take their careers to a higher level while circumventing the usual club route.
Now, Posehn has built such a reputation and has such a loyal fanbase, he has come full circle and is now a major draw for clubs all over the country. He will be performing all weekend at The Laughing Derby, a perfect act to be on-stage as zombies invade the highlands.
