They may be two of the hottest acts on the comedy circuit, but that's where the similarities end between Mitch Hedberg and Stephen Lynch.

One is a glossy eyed bundle of deadpan hilarity, the other has a penchant for cleverly sophomoric folk-rock sing-a-longs. One is low-energy personified, the other is upbeat and cheerful. One's a little bit of Steven Wright. The other is a bit of Adam Sandler.

As the saying goes, opposites attract. The two burgeoning stand up standouts have joined forces for a national theater tour this fall, coming through Milwaukee Friday at the Riverside Theatre.

"Hell yeah, man. I'm really looking forward to it," Hedberg said enthusiastically about bringing the tour to the Riverside. "I love Milwaukee. The last time I was here was at the Comedy Café. It was packed, ya know, but more because people I think went to hang out and catch a show. They weren't really there to see me. Now it's a little different, where people are coming to see me and know what to expect."

Things have been looking up for the St. Paul, Minn. native as of late. His latest CD, "Mitch All Together," has sold over 63,000 copies. He's built up a sturdy fan base, the members of which could no doubt quote any number of his oddball observations ad nauseum. After all, it's not every day that you can secure an opening slot with Dave Attell and Lewis Black on the "Comedy Central Presents" tour.

"It was just the best experience to date," Hedberg said of the tour. "It was my first theater tour outside of the clubs, and I was really happy to be invited along as a co-headliner. I had so much fun. Dave Attell and Lewis Black are the nicest guys on the planet. I wish it never ended and could have gone on forever."

Hedberg has come a long way since he first hit the comic radar in 1996. But as he recalls, his path to the top of the comedy plateau wasn't always straight.

"I always enjoyed making people laugh," he said. "I think that's how it starts out, ya know? Just goofing off with your friends and trying to get a laugh out of them. You have fun, but I never really thought about it as a career. I didn't see many avenues for it, that is until my buddy introduced me to the open mic. Eventually I started getting paid and it just went from there."

There's little doubt that Hedberg is a comedy original. With his trademark scattershot delivery, shy persona, and bone-dry style of humor, it's almost impossible to mistake him with anyone else in the game. But the performer is quick to point out that the act never strays too far from the true Mitch.

"I get a lot of people who say, 'I like your character,' but I don't think that's true," he said. "It's really just more of an extension of myself. When I get on stage, I like to drink and have fun, and that leads to a lot of embellishment of my character. It's a performance, but it's still me."

Joining Hedberg on stage is singer/songwriter/comic Stephen Lynch, whose zany brand of folk comedy has earned him a sizeable following nationwide. And while he's most commonly identified as a comedian, the Michigan native insists that he's first and foremost a musician.

"I would consider myself a songwriter above all else," he said. "My songs just happen to be funny. I think a lot of people come out to the shows to laugh, and I get that. But for me personally, it's more important to challenge myself musically."

Lynch's choice in musical styling is folk — a genre which seemingly goes hand in hand with other acts teetering the fine line between music and comedy, like Adam Sandler, Tenacious D. For Lynch, it's all just part of the act.

"I'm into all kinds of music, mainly rock and roll," he said. "I grew up listening to a lot of my parents' records, a lot of Simon and Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell. Those are the kind of influences I draw into my act. Folk music lends itself really well to comedy because you can tell a story. It's very sincere, and there's just a lot of room to have fun with it and laugh. It works better than house music anyway."

While the tour marks the first time the two performers will have ever shared a stage, each is readily familiar with the other. According to the duo, energies are running high as they prepare to kick things off tonight in Madison.

"I'm really looking forward to this weekend," Lynch said of the Wisconsin dates. "I'm a big fan of (Hedberg), and I think we both have core audiences that overlap a bit. It'll be great for both of us."

"I've heard of Stephen Lynch and I know a lot of people like him," Hedberg said. "I finally got a chance to meet him in Toronto. He managed to get a drink after the bar closed, which I thought was cool. We ended up talking and hit it off. Then through the genius of Clear Channel, we put together a tour."

Fans should expect new material as well as old favorites from each act. Lynch will be playing in support of his upcoming DVD, "Live at the El Rey," while Hedberg will be incorporating new bits into his repertoire of crowd favorites.

"I wanna shake things up a bit," Lynch said "There'll be a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new. I always try to strike a healthy balance."

Stephen Lynch and Mitch Hedberg will perform at The Riverside Theatre, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $27.50. More information is available by calling 224-3000.