Reggie Watts Stacks Up

By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 12, 2011 6:00PM

One of comedian Reggie Watts’ most memorable bits can’t be named on television, or in front of the kids. It’s basically a song about making a profanity laced stack of…well, how about you just listen for yourself (lyrics NSFW—duh).

So, is it the swearing that makes Watts so funny? Of course not. Is it him stacking beats and looping vocals on the fly? That certainly doesn’t hurt. It’s his assumed passivity and unpredictability that feels as if you’ve eavesdropped on a songwriter messing around with tunes in his living room —ones that they would never actually record--except for the fact that he’s constantly making wild-eyed eye contact with you.

We first saw Watts as part of Conan O’Brien’s “Prohibited From Being Funny on Television” tour where we were initially struck by, well, that hair. That fro. It’s flowing and untamed, and makes him look slightly more unhinged than his largely improvised act already suggests. He also has a handful of solo albums, the most recent of which, Why $#!+ So Crazy?, was released last year and includes a DVD. But lest you forget about the level of musical talent involved…his rock band Maktub has released five albums with him as the frontman. Oh, and he also played with a little group called LCD Soundsystem during their farewell Madison Square Garden concerts. His live show is a wonderful combination of hilarious wit and catchy beats. And you’re invited along for the ride, even if neither of you know exactly where it’s going.

Reggie Watts performs two shows each night this Friday and Saturday at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse Ave., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., $20 - $27