Eddie Izzard is, without question, the greatest stand up comedian of his generation. Actually, I feel calling what Eddie does "stand up comedy" does not really grasp the essence of an evening in his presence. His amazing ability to tie together what appear to be dozens of loose threads is astounding. He is capable of integrating wildly divergent cultural references (the Bible and Aliens?) without any of it feeling forced or contrived. Eddie Izzard does not go for the obvious laugh--in fact, he seems to eschew the easy routes and often pursues lines of thought that leave the audience baffled for stretched before pulling it all back together. You cannot be lazy when you see him--to do so is to miss out on what makes him a true genius in his milieu.
