Mike Birbiglia might appear to be the nice guy who will always let you borrow a pen in class, but don't let his image fool you. His comedic rhetoric pours out of his mouth with ferocious speed. Unlike some established comedians who use vulgarity to catch your attention, Birbiglia depends on his awkward situations, personable character and honesty to draw you into his world, which now includes regular appearances on Comedy Central and late night talk shows, as well as having a sitcom in the works.

Recently, Birbiglia took up playing the guitar, adding to his repertoire an original composition, "The Oatmeal Song," aka "Christ is God." On his road trips across America in his "black conversion van with a red strip, like the A-Team, because [he likes] to remain inconspicuous while … on the run from the law," he was inspired by the Christian rock that would pop up on the radio.

Birbiglia said "every religion should have its own rock," and added at the Barrymore Thursday, "You can count on some 'Christ is God'; I always like to play some 'Christ.'"

BH: How did you get started doing comedy?

MB: I entered the funniest person on campus contest when I was in college, and I actually won, which is absurd because I was scared to death. And I won the chance to perform at the DC Improv to open for Dave Chappell … and then I took a job there working the door at the comedy club, and that's how I ended up figuring out how to do comedy. It was like going to comedy college. I kind of skipped real college and went to comedy college.

BH: What was your favorite late night show that you had the opportunity to perform on?

MB: The Letterman show was kind of mind-blowing. I was 24, I couldn't even conceive of the idea of being on that show.

When I was 17 or 18, I was in the audience of the Letterman show, and I remember thinking, "This is the best thing that has ever happened in my life," and then seven years later, I'm on the show, and I'm like, "Oh wait, no, no, this is the best thing that ever happened in my life."

So that was great, and then being on "Conan" was amazing because I was an intern on that show when I was in college.

BH: Where did you go to college, and how was your experience?

MB: It was good, I kind of barely graduated at Georgetown. Strangely enough, now I perform at orientation for the new students, and it's odd because I barely graduated, and now I'm like the role model.

BH: Were you a party animal in college?

MB: I've always been kind of a nerd. I'm very socially awkward. I have a habit in my life of making awkward situations even more awkward.

Two years ago, I was moving a new bed into my apartment, and this woman who lives in the building opened the front door for me with her key, and she said: "I'm not worried because a rapist wouldn't have a bed like that."

And what I should have said was nothing, but what I did say was, "You'd be surprised." And there is nothing you can say after that, [except], "See you around the building!"

I think there is something wrong with my brain where I don't have an "on-deck circle" for ideas, you know, just "Batter up!" A lot of the ideas are bad and are at the plate going, "I don't know about this one, Mike." I turn into a drunk Little League dad: "You go take some cuts, Son." That pretty much sums up my social inadequacies.

BH: When you come to Madison, are you planning on drinking at all?

MB: It's really hard to say. It depends on how the show goes, but two-drink Mike loves dancing and does a magic trick, three-drink Mike enjoys Biography and serious opinions about wildlife — five-drink enjoys dancing with wildlife, … my favorite of the three groupings is five-drink Mike.

BH: So have you been warned of Madison's alcohol consumption habits?

MB: I've actually been to Madison, and I love it there. I've witnessed the problematic partying situation. Hopefully, people take those parties and bring them to the Barrymore.

I hope [there'll be] two-drink Badgers versus five-drink Badgers.

BH: Well, we probably are closer to five-drink Badgers…

MB: "Five-drink minimum." [Laughs] You're in a different phase in your life. Five drinks puts me in a coma, and two drinks does me fine.

BH: Do you have any friends in Madison you are going to visit?

MB: "Do you have any friends, at all?"… Well, I have two.

My friend Ed is from there, I know him and his family, but he lives in New York now. … I'm friendly with guys at the radio station. … I'm bringing some secret special guys, and I'm friends with them.

This tour has been great, the commercials on Comedy Central, it's a lot all at once, but it's a good a lot. I don't know if that's a sentence … but I'm going to stick with that.

BH: I hear you are in the works developing a show for NBC. How's that going?

MB: That's right, it's based on my Secret Public Journal. It's going great; there is a writer named Andy Secunda who wrote for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and he's the main writer on it. … It's a half-hour single camera comedy, based on my life and my journeys into awkwardness.

Tonight Mike will be on the Conan O'Brien show coinciding with the release of his new CD, My Secret Public Journal Live. He takes over the Barrymore Theater this Thursday the 27th at 8 p.m.