Biography
Neil Hamburger rose to prominence as one of his era’s most frequently cited and celebrated stand-up figures, even though his timing remained consistently poor, his phrasing often garbled, and his jokes either shopworn or grotesquely off-key. Comparable to Lenny Bruce, he cultivated a cult following among tastemakers by delivering routines that shattered expectations and carried an air of deliberate self-sabotage that went beyond ordinary humor. Before his arrival, audiences and critics alike assumed comedians must deliver both laughs and substance; Hamburger dismantled that assumption entirely, securing enough esteem among indie tastemakers that his releases appeared solely on select underground rock imprints. His stand-up work was captured on the 1996 album America’s Funnyman, the 1999 set Left for Dead in Malaysia, and 2002’s Laugh Out Lord, while his singing surfaced on the 2008 collection Sings Country Winners and the 2018 album Still Dwelling.
Born in Culver City, California, Hamburger entered comedy at his psychiatrist’s urging, who viewed stage performance as a therapeutic outlet. He placed his possessions in a Los Angeles storage unit and adopted a touring pace that reportedly reached 360 shows annually, although he also developed a pattern of abrupt cancellations. After a performance in Needles, California, he met manager Art Huckman, whose earlier clients included Rich Little and the Ritz Brothers. Under Huckman’s guidance, Hamburger contributed to the 1993 compilation Great Phone Calls, issued the Looking for Laughs EP the following year, and, after the Planet Pimp release Bartender, the Laugh’s on Me, signed with Drag City for the full-length America’s Funnyman in 1996.
On 1998’s Raw Hamburger he first ventured into explicit territory. He next shifted focus with the EP Pays Tribute to Diana, a direct salute to the late Princess of Wales. Persistent road work ultimately ended his marriage, yet he extended his schedule overseas, recording 1999’s Left for Dead in Malaysia before a Kuala Lumpur audience that did not speak English. Further stand-up documents arrived with 2000’s Inside Neil Hamburger and 2002’s Laugh Out Lord. The 2005 release Great Moments at Di Presa’s Pizza House appeared next, followed in 2006 by the online series Poolside Chats with Neil Hamburger. In 2007 he issued the live album Hot February Night, drawn from dates supporting Tenacious D, and joined the cast of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!.
The 2008 album Sings Country Winners fulfilled its title’s promise. Additional releases included 2012’s Incident in Cambridge, Mass. and 2014’s First of Dismay, which mixed live routines with songs backed by the “Too Good for Neil Hamburger Band.” On 2018’s Still Dwelling he interpreted vintage pop numbers alongside Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, D.J. Bonebrake of X, Bar McKinnon of Mr. Bungle, and session players John “Rabbit” Bundrick and Probyn Gregory.
Away from the stage, Hamburger performs under the name Gregg Turkington, who once operated Amarillo Records, played in Caroliner and the Zip Code Rapists, and appeared in the films Ant-Man, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and Entertainment—the last of which cast him as “the Comedian,” a figure closely modeled on his own stage persona.
Born in Culver City, California, Hamburger entered comedy at his psychiatrist’s urging, who viewed stage performance as a therapeutic outlet. He placed his possessions in a Los Angeles storage unit and adopted a touring pace that reportedly reached 360 shows annually, although he also developed a pattern of abrupt cancellations. After a performance in Needles, California, he met manager Art Huckman, whose earlier clients included Rich Little and the Ritz Brothers. Under Huckman’s guidance, Hamburger contributed to the 1993 compilation Great Phone Calls, issued the Looking for Laughs EP the following year, and, after the Planet Pimp release Bartender, the Laugh’s on Me, signed with Drag City for the full-length America’s Funnyman in 1996.
On 1998’s Raw Hamburger he first ventured into explicit territory. He next shifted focus with the EP Pays Tribute to Diana, a direct salute to the late Princess of Wales. Persistent road work ultimately ended his marriage, yet he extended his schedule overseas, recording 1999’s Left for Dead in Malaysia before a Kuala Lumpur audience that did not speak English. Further stand-up documents arrived with 2000’s Inside Neil Hamburger and 2002’s Laugh Out Lord. The 2005 release Great Moments at Di Presa’s Pizza House appeared next, followed in 2006 by the online series Poolside Chats with Neil Hamburger. In 2007 he issued the live album Hot February Night, drawn from dates supporting Tenacious D, and joined the cast of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!.
The 2008 album Sings Country Winners fulfilled its title’s promise. Additional releases included 2012’s Incident in Cambridge, Mass. and 2014’s First of Dismay, which mixed live routines with songs backed by the “Too Good for Neil Hamburger Band.” On 2018’s Still Dwelling he interpreted vintage pop numbers alongside Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, D.J. Bonebrake of X, Bar McKinnon of Mr. Bungle, and session players John “Rabbit” Bundrick and Probyn Gregory.
Away from the stage, Hamburger performs under the name Gregg Turkington, who once operated Amarillo Records, played in Caroliner and the Zip Code Rapists, and appeared in the films Ant-Man, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and Entertainment—the last of which cast him as “the Comedian,” a figure closely modeled on his own stage persona.
Albums
Seasonal Depression Suite
2023
Still Dwelling
2018
First of Dismay
2014
Hot February Night
2007
Inside Neil Hamburger
2000
Left For Dead In Malaysia
1999
Raw Hamburger
1998
Singles
