Singing comedian performs today at Nooner

Comedian musician Howie Nave will help ring in the new school year today by poking fun at students' ideals during the UNIQUE-sponsored nooner, held in the University Union Redwood Room at noon.

"Starting the semester is parallel to having a new relationship," the 39-year-old comedian said in a phone interview. "Everything's all new and exciting at first, but then it wears out."

A San Jose native who performs in clubs all over the western U.S., Nave is known for his singing parodies and his regular appearances on the nationally-syndicated "Dr. Demento" radio show. He has also been the opening act for Neil Young, Trisha Yearwood, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In addition to club and corporate gigs, Nave has also performed on cruise ships. "I didn't last long on Carnival," he said. "They fired me for telling Kathie Lee (Gifford) jokes."

In his act, Nave will combine stand-up comedy and songs like the popular "I Want a Part-Time Girl for Christmas" and "Post Academia Blues," which was written after he graduated from Humboldt State University.

"My seven years of college prepared me for different changes in life," he said.

Nave's comedic inspirations come from everyday life. "Everything I look at is research," he said.

The self-described sarcastic also finds humor through the news, reading material, and more recently, the internet.

"I'd like to know how people who can't type, like me, have cybersex," he joked.

According to Nave, that which people hold most sacred, like religion and relationships, is fair game for his routine.

"Being on stage, as a stand-up, is the last place an individual can say what they want without worrying about political correctness," he said. However, he will not tell Bill Clinton jokes."There's no humor in it," he said. "It's been overdone."