Among comic Tim Cavanagh’s superbly done musical takeoffs is, fittingly enough, a spoof of the 1976 Steve Miller Band hit, “Fly Like an Eagle.”
The pop tune features Cavanagh spreading his lyrical wings in a different direction, including the following segment:
I want to fry up an eagle
My curiosity
First killed the cat
Who wasn’t that tasty.
The veteran standup performer cooks up a whole new PG-13 show Saturday as he launches the new season for the local YES Comedy Showcase at YES Cinema in downtown Columbus. The series features nationally touring talent, including favorites from the nationally syndicated “The Bob and Tom Show” based in Indianapolis, to benefit the local Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center.
A season’s worth of shows generally raise about $8,000 for the cause, said Diane Doup, community outreach coordinator for the nonprofit center. And Cavanagh seems a good place to start, since his last appearance in 2015 sold out the 177-seat venue.
“He’s such a (comic) genius,” Doup said. “When you’re having a blah day, it’s fun to just put him on an all-play on YouTube and let his songs go and go.”
Since leaving an all-girls Catholic school classroom as a teacher years ago, Cavanagh has brought his comedic songs and inventive standup to concert halls, corporations, college campuses and nightclubs across the country for more than 30 years. More than 200 of his tunes have been featured on “The Bob and Tom Show.”
He is best known for songs such as “I Wanna Kiss Her (But She Won’t Let Me),” “99 Dead Baboons” and “Get Drunk with Dignity.” His music has attracted audiences as varied as those via Comedy Central, XM Satellite and even the BBC.
“I hope the audience walks away feeling a little better than they did when they came in,” Cavanagh told The Republic before a show three years ago. “And, hopefully, maybe they will look at the world with a slightly different perspective.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Aiming at the funnybone” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Who: Musical comic Tim Cavanagh, based in the Chicago area, kicking off the new season of the fundraising YES Comedy Showcase.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: YES Cinema, Fourth and Jackson streets in downtown Columbus.
Concessions: Beer, wine and variety of snacks.
Beneficiary: Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center.
Tickets: $20 in advance at yescinema.org or at 812-379-1630 or $25 the day of the show, also often available at the venue.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
