Nick Swardson, one of the most successful road comics to ever hail from Minnesota, has always emulated the hard-partying lifestyle of a rock star. So it’s appropriate that his seventh comedy special, “Toilet Head,” was taped at First Avenue.
“This is next-level surreal, as a Minnesotan, ” he says from the club’s greenroom in the opening moments of the 45-minute film, which started streaming Feb. 12 on YouTube. “I grew up here in First Avenue. ... Paul Westerberg is my mom and Prince was my dad.”
Moments later, we see him bound onstage in front of a seated crowd eager to soak in Swardson’s signature brand of scatological, sophomoric humor that makes Jim Carrey look like Noel Coward.
The St. Paul native, who got his start working local clubs when he was still a teenager, hasn’t matured much in his three decades of road work and over 30 feature films, including “Grandma’s Boy” and “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.”
That will sit well with fans who would rather guffaw at stories about diarrhea, passing gas and indecent exposure than endure an evening of political barbs.
Swardson, who taped this special 14 months ago, makes some references to his past behavior in which he appeared too inebriated to perform and makes sure to point out that he’s drinking water. But his sober state doesn’t keep him from celebrating pastimes like day drinking.
“If that was an Olympic sport, guess who would take the gold?” he said. “Minnesota!”
The best parts of the special, directed by Twin Cities filmmakers Ryan Becken and Jeremy Nordeen, happen when Swardson shares tales about hanging with famous friends like Zach Galifianakis and the late Norm Macdonald. Those anecdotes are dated, but they fit the mode of an entertainer who refuses to grow up.
