By Mary Ann Bourbeau
RED BANK – Fred Armisen can remember the exact moment he realized he wanted to be a musician.
“When I was 8 years old, my parents got me a Beatles record,” he said. “When I heard the drum intro to ‘I Am the Walrus,’ I knew I wanted to play drums. Whenever we went anywhere, if we went to an amusement park and there was a Dixieland band, my eyes always went to
the drums.”
At 10 years old, he began taking drum lessons at school. About the same time, he realized he had a knack for making people laugh.
“I loved making my dad laugh,” he said. “I was never trying to be the class clown, but the people in the neighborhood enjoyed my impressions and sound effects.”
Armisen will combine his talents in both music and comedy Aug. 13 at The Vogel in the Count Basie Center for the Arts with his show, “Fred Armisen: Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome.”
“It’s stand-up comedy with a guitar and drums,” he said. “We’ll talk about music; what is our experience listening to music? What feelings does it evoke when you walk into a restaurant or go to a concert? We’ll talk about music in general and specifics like punk or classic rock. It’s my observations on stuff and my opinions about music. It’s stand-up but using musical instruments as the subject matter. If you’re a musician, you’ll really understand. If not, it will keep you entertained.”
Armisen is the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy-nominated series “Portlandia,” which he created alongside Carrie Brownstein. He stars in HBO’s “Los Espookys,” which he co-wrote and executive produced, and writes and stars in IFC’s Documentary Now, for which he has received two Emmy nominations. He currently portrays Uncle Fester in the hit Netflix series “Wednesday,” where he opts to shave his head for the role instead of wearing a bald wig.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided to stop wearing fake beards, mustaches and prosthetics,” he said. “I’m too conscious of glue on my face and it looks fake to me. I tell people to let me know a few months ahead of time and I’ll grow a mustache.”
After graduating high school, Armisen attended the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan but dropped out to pursue a career as a drummer.
“I really just went there to meet musicians,” he said. “Every band I read about – The Talking Heads, The Who – they all met at art school. I decided to study film, but I could tell I wasn’t made to be an actual filmmaker. Lighting, F-stops – my brain just checked out.”
It was at SVA that Armisen met Damon Locks. In 1988, the two dropped out of school together, moved to Chicago and formed the punk rock band Trenchmouth.
“I met a musician and was in a band, so mission accomplished,” he said.
Like most struggling artists, Armisen worked in countless restaurants while pursuing his dream.
“It would be easy to romanticize my youth, but I remember stressing out about expenses,” he said. “I had to buy drums and rent a van. I made enough for gas and meals but there were moments when I worried how to get the rent money together. Maybe that all helped me get into comedy.”
In 2002, he was hired at “Saturday Night Live,” where he spent 11 seasons. He made a short but memorable cameo in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” as Tino, the club owner who encouraged Ron to get on stage and play his jazz flute. He has guest starred on comedies including “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as well as the offbeat TV special “Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Valentine’s Day Special.”
With more than 200 television and movie credits to his name, does Armisen have a favorite?
“’Saturday Night Live’ was a heightened experience working with all those geniuses,” he said. “But out of everything, ‘Portlandia’ is what I enjoyed the most. It was a sketch show with my best friend. It was a bizarre show, fun and silly, which reflected the way we are. I enjoyed it so much. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do, and the rest is just fun.”
The article originally appeared in the August 8 – 14, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
