In other words, they're a reporter's nightmare. With no shortcuts for describing David and Chris Walsh's comedy, aside from the obvious ''edgy" or the eye-roll-inducing ''envelope pushing," there's nothing else for a writer to do but become a regular at their weekly shows and, finally, go to the Walsh ancestral home in Charlestown, sit at their kitchen table, and prod the brothers to articulate why their hard-to-characterize act -- which in a typical evening can consist of sketches, storytelling, videos, and a touch of nudity -- has landed them a much-coveted slot at next month's prestigious HBO-sponsored US Comedy Arts Festival.
''Our comedy is a very specific thing," says David, 32. ''It's like we're sitting in someone's living room and making jokes, but multiplying that by 10, hooking up a curtain, a stage, and doing the exact same thing. We want everybody to like it, but that's never the case. Oh, why can't they just like us?"
He can afford the self-deprecating humor because the duo's comedy career is about to reach a new zenith. For the past two years they've been fine-tuning their act with weekly shows at the Comedy Studio and ImprovBoston. Surreal skits such as the attack of the naked Yeti and stories such as the angry man who pleasures himself in front of City Hall at 3 a.m. have helped the brothers develop a loyal local following. Next month's festival in Aspen, Colo., presents an opportunity to bring their comedy to a national audience.
The Aspen festival is to the comedy world what Sundance is to film. Casting agents and talent scouts from the major networks, film studios, and cable outlets descend on the annual gathering to sign budding comedians to development deals and get them jobs both in front of and behind the camera. Sketch comedy acts such as the Upright Citizens Brigade, David Cross and Bob Odenkirk of ''Mr. Show," and ''Saturday Night Live" regulars Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch all performed at the festival before they found national fame.
