-George Carlin will be performing two shows at Clowes Memorial Hall April 24 at 7 and 10 p.m.; 239-5151.-

George Carlin is an odd phenomenon. A counter-culture antagonist who’s somehow achieved popular success, Carlin is surely a crossover and most likely an anomaly. A relentless road dog, he performs nearly 100 shows a year, his commercial success and drawing power are nearly without peer.

He’s spent his career railing against society — or at least a good portion of it — and in turn society — or at least a good portion of it — embraced him for it. Maybe his persistence wore us down; maybe we just like to be told how full of shit we are. Either way, Lenny Bruce has got to be pissed he missed the boat.

A skillful wordsmith, Carlin is not usually concerned with headlines. Topical humor isn’t his thing. He’d rather claw deeper to spill the dirty truth about the way we live and push the buttons of the things we hold dearest: Gods, kids, flag, country. As detached and disdainful as he claims to be, part of Carlin’s skewed charm has to be that under it all, you can still see the fire burn. He’s seen the worst for what it is, and in the face of it, he’s still got some hope on reserve. As he’s often said, scratch the surface of a cynic and underneath you’ll find a disappointed idealist.

His third book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops, is due out this fall and his 13th HBO special will debut sometime next year.

George Carlin will be performing two shows, at 7 and 10 p.m., at Clowes Memorial Hall, April 24. Tickets, going for $34.50 and $39.50, are available through Ticketmaster, 239-5151.