INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Ben Lerman preview
Ben LermanBirdy’s, 2131 E. 71st St.
Tuesday, June 3, 9 p.m., $5, 21+
Sure, an openly gay ukulele comedian would be out of place on Hee Haw (although perhaps not on the Wonder Showzen parody “Horse Apples”). But the ukulele has posed a strong challenge to, well, gender norms at least, ever since a long-haired, powder-caked Tiny Tim lovingly reworked the Mediocre American Songbook in braying falsetto (and surprisingly resonant baritone).
Enter Ben Lerman, raised in South Bend, resident of NYC since 1998, purveyor of satirical ballads about the gay community and urban life, and somewhere in the nether region between sexual personae — “I’m not a cub, not yet a bear,” he proclaims with plain-spoken, slightly-nasal Midwest folk inflection on the opening track from his solo debut Ukelear Winter. Listening to Lerman’s tunes brings to mind Steve Martin’s absurdist banjo routine, as well as the catchy, song-stories of local comedian and guitarist Heywood Banks. Like Banks, Lerman writes goofy but fully realized songs about an incident or idea — plastic surgery, say, or hiring an undocumented worker to the supposed benefit of both boss and immigrant.
Lerman says his act appeals to a wide audience; there’s a good deal of “Oh, no he didn’t” before hip-hop fans, for instance. Joining him on the bill are a couple local folk acts that are ostensibly more serious, although game to join a comedian for the bill: singer-songwriter Noah East and Bloomington-based duo Stella and Jane. All of Ukelear Winter is available for free download at benlerman.net.