Todd Barry Essentials

New York comedians are fast, loud, and brash—but not the singularly peculiar Todd Barry. Rarely breaking out of a creeping whisper, and with a delivery riddled with stretches of nervous, anticipatory silence, the standup is a deadpan provocateur who meticulously picks apart the absurdities of everyday life (“Leak, Looking for Apartment, Friend Looking for Apartment”) and his own quirky personality (“Germaphobe”). Indie-rock fans are particularly attracted to Barry, whose '90s-bred sense of irony is in full effect in bits like “Behind the Music,” a takedown of the rockumentary series that's packed with obscure pop-culture references.