By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
December 14, 2001
Without his trademark zig-zaggy pageboy, Emo Philips doesn’t look much like himself these days. But listen to him speak in that familiar, sing-songy cadence and the voice is instantly recognizable.
“Everyone made fun of my hair when I had it,” says Philips, who grew up in Downers Grove. “Now people talk about it even more, even though I cut it three years ago. I like it better short, but I may let it grow back again just so people will stop talking about it.”
This day, Philips is phoning from Los Angeles, where he is driving home after his clarinet lesson.
“My goal is to get good enough to play Andy’s Jazz Club [in Chicago] one day,” he says. “I’m not there yet. I’ve been playing the clarinet for two years and the saxophone for [three] weeks. But I’m starting to sound musical, which is a start.”
It’s not Andy’s, but Philips will have to make do with a series of showcases at Zanies downtown and in Vernon Hills this weekend, sans instruments.
Philips, who had a role in Weird Al Yankovic’s “UHF,” executive produced the original 1992 indie version of “Meet the Parents.” The film was remade last year and opened No. 1 at the box office.
“It would be comedically churlish of me to comment on their film,” says Philips, 45. “The producers asked me for a couple articles of my clothing and I thought they wanted it for a celebrity auction. Turns out they gave it to the guard dogs at the studio to keep me off the set. Those dogs sniffed right through my Mother Teresa outfit.”
Next up for Philips is a trip to England with Carmi, his wife of 1-1/2 years.
“She’s a chef and is going to study at the Cordon Bleu in London for 10 weeks,” says Philips. “It’s fun being married. And she’s the celebrity in our family. She’s related to Pocahontas and is very pretty. But she looks more like the Disney [animated] version than the real one.”
Speaking of Chicago, Philips had this to say:
Favorite Chicago comedy club: Zanies. Comedy clubs should be tiny. A lot of clubs are way too big. I’d rather do several shows in a small room than one in a big room. It’s intimate and intimidating being right in front of people. You’ve got the pheromones working, too.
Favorite restaurant: Meritage in Wicker Park.
Favorite Chicago meal: I love foie gras with berry reduction sauce, which is served with a corn bread pudding at Meritage. I get it every time I’m there.
Favorite nightspot: Andy’s Jazz Club. You can hear jazz at any hour there. Jazz is like eating or going to the bathroom. You hate to wait for it.
Favorite hotel: I usually stay with family, but the Inn of Chicago is nice.
Favorite Chicago sports team: The Cubs. When I was a kid, I always went to Wrigley Field.
Favorite Chicago personality: Jay Marshall, who’s this 83-year-old magician who used to run Magic Incorporated on Lincoln Avenue. He used to be on the “Ed Sullivan Show” and worked all over the world. He had a little puppet called Lefty made out of a handkerchief.
Favorite thing to do in Chicago: I like to walk around downtown and talk to myself while I work out new jokes. I have a cell phone in my hand so no one bothers me. I can walk for hours.
Best thing about playing to Chicago audiences: Chicago audiences tend to laugh more at dead-battery jokes. They bomb in California. And Chicagoans laugh at all my exposure jokes about freezing to death. They appreciate it.
Favorite thing to do in Chicago would be: To hang out with [actor] Steve Buscemi, who I don’t know, at Andy’s Jazz Club and try to egg him on until there’s a fight. Maybe we wouldn’t fight. I just love him. I think he’s the most talented actor and want to hang out with him.
The last word on Chicago: Home.
