Mitch Hedberg is an alternative- alternative stand-up comic — an observational jokeman who revels in rapid-fire, one-line non sequiturs.
Like Henny Youngman. You know, if Henny Youngman looked like Matthew Sweet and had the stage presence of a stoner trying to make his buddies laugh.

Mumbling, gazing at the floor, running his fingers through his hair, Hedberg, 36, likes to spend his stand-up shows pondering the frivolous side of life. Hedberg on parades: “If you’re watching a parade, make sure you stand in one spot. Don’t follow it. It never changes.” A beat. “And if the parade is boring, run in the opposite direction. You will fast-forward the parade.”

And this is him on his physical appearance: “I was going to have my teeth whitened, but then I said, (expletive) that, I’ll just get a tan instead.”

It’s a routine that used to bomb with audiences before they keyed in to his weirdo, silly, sometimes adorable style. (“Koala bears are so cute,” one bit goes. “Why do they have to be so far away from me?”) Despite a 15-year career in stand-up, he’s still more a cult comedy figure than a mainstream one, though he’s had his share of good breaks: a stint opening for Ellen DeGeneres on tour, several spots on “Late Night with David Letterman,” a “Time” magazine piece that named him “the next Seinfeld.”

Most folks know him from his connection to the Comedy Central cable network. He had his own stand-up special on that channel several years ago, and it’s still rerun regularly. The network also recently put out Hedberg’s second comedy CD/DVD, “Mitch All Together,” on the network's own record label.

“They’ve been very good to me,” Hedberg says.

A tour last year opening for Comedy Central stars Lewis Black and Dave Attell solidified Hedberg’s fanbase enough to justify his own tour of theaters — including the Celebrity on Thursday — with musical comedian Stephen Lynch. Hedberg, a Tempe Improv regular, promises the largeness of the theater won’t detract from his performance.

“My act has never been about intimacy,” he says. “I don’t really connect with people, I kinda go into my own world onstage. It’s not self- indulgent, but I don’t look at the crowd that much.”

He says his onstage persona is “an exaggerated version of me, like elements of me maxed out.” While it’s fine for the stand-up stage, Hedberg says translating it to the world of television sitcoms is a bit tougher. He’s had development deals with the Fox network and MTV that didn’t pan out (“Every time I put it in writers’ hands they come back with something that I act like I like, but I don’t”), though he’d love to develop something for Comedy Central. “They’re making comedy cool again,” he says. Until then, he’ll continue enjoying the time he spends touring, bringing his skewed comic view to audiences across the country.

For wannabe stand-up comics, Hedberg offers only one piece of advice; and like his stand-up, it’s concise, quirky and yet makes complete sense:
“I think everyone has a potential to be a good comedian,” he says. “It’s just thinking like you always think and when you get to the funny part, write it down.”

Mitch Hedberg
With: Stephen Lynch
When: 7:30 p.m. Thu.
Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix
How much: $27.50
Info: (602) 267-1600, ext. 1
or www.cc.com