Interview: Tom Green Brings Stand-Up to West Nyack

WEST NYACK—April 20, 2012 at 04:11 PM

When fans tuned in to The Tom Green Show in the late 90s and early 2000s, they weren't seeking celebrity guests or high-budget camera work.

They wanted one thing: Tom Green.

The Canadian-born comedian married absurd antics and scatological humor to cultivate a personality that found a welcome home on MTV, Rolling Stone's cover and countless late-night shows.

And on April 27, 28 and 29, Green will perform his brand of stand-up comedy in West Nyack. Green is taking the stage at Levity Live, a new comedy club in the that has hosted the likes of and, this coming weekend, 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan.

Though Green's career took off with his eponymous show and a handful of ribald films like Freddy Got Fingered and Road Trip, he notes that just him and a microphone is a familiar feeling.

"I did stand-up before my TV show," he explained, noting he's currently making his way around the world. He recently performed a five-week string of shows in Australia, and is heading out west after his stop in West Nyack.

"It's my first time in Rockland, I'm excited," he said, describing his show as "high-energy" and "ridiculous." "Anyone that liked my show will love my stand-up."

Green has also wrapped up taping on a comedy special that is set to air on Showtime later this year.

Lately, Green's been most active online: he hosted a popular interview show in his living room and streamed the program over the Internet, wrangling—and drinking with—guests like Tony Hawk, Steve-O, Thora Birch and Crispin Glover.

Green's also a Twitter doyen, having sent out over 14,000 tweets to some 121,000 followers. His missives are eclectic, ranging from chatter with fans to news commentary.

(There's a dose of the recognizable Green, too: "Seals are just hairless dogs with no legs," he notes.)

But when he's on stage, there are no online updates.

"I don't tweet during performances," he said. "And actually, I don't like the audience to be on their phones while I'm performing, either."

A portion of Green's act focuses on just that—folks' addiction to their cell phones and Facebook accounts.

"People need to get out and laugh," he said.

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The details

What: Tom Green at Levity Live

When: Friday, April 27 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Sunday, April 29 at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $22; buy them here.