Smothers Brothers at The Canyon

The Smothers Brothers When Tom and Dick Smothers first brought their sibling rivalry act to San Francisco's Purple Onion nightclub, Dwight Eisenhower was president, the New York Mets didn't exist and America was yet to send a man into space. That was 1959, and today, the Smothers Brothers are the longest-running comedy team in history. Their performance at The Canyon in Agoura proves that their humor continues to generate hilarity at a time when America really needs something to laugh at.

Although no longer the freshfaced innocents they once were (Tom just turned 72 and Dick is 69), the two still possess the impeccable timing and musical chops that make them far from just another nostalgia act.

One thing is for sure: They're still bitter about the unceremonious cancellation of their CBS variety show 40 years ago. Their savaging of the Johnson and Nixon administrations made network honchos nervous in the 1960s, although what they did is nothing compared to what Jon Stewart and "Saturday Night Live" do on a regular basis today.

But back then, television was quite a different world, and political satire was not something that went over well on network television. Reminding the audience of their axing, Tom Smothers announced, "We're not the original Smothers Brothers. They passed away in 1969."

In a 20minute montage projected on screens around the club, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and its most controversial moments were proudly displayed, including Pete Seeger's singing of the anti-Vietnam "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" and Pat Paulsen's uproarious campaign speeches. When the montage ended, Tom and Dick continued their act by triumphantly singing "We're Still Here."

In their current act, Tom and Dick still feature a medley of their early routines, such as folk songs like "The Streets of Laredo," "Blue Tail Fly" and "Hangman, Hangman," where Dick tries intently to get through the song while Tom interrupts, getting the words wrong and basically acting like a fool.

Tom is so good at ad-libbing gibberish and making dumb remarks that all Dick has to do is drape one arm around his bass fiddle and stare at him, stone-faced without saying a word. Dick Smothers is still one of the great, underrated straight men in comedy.

Backstage, before the show, Tom remembered their early years, when they played alongside other upstart comedians like Bill Cosby and Bob Newhart. "We were stars before we were competent," he wryly observed. Tom admits to having trouble injecting politics into their act. "I'm not like George Carlin or Bill Maher. I get angry when I talk about politics." But the brothers still seize the opportunity to sling the occasional barb at the right wing:

Dick: "What gives you the right to do something stupid and then deny it?"

Tom: "I'm a Republican."

Tom also took some pokes at Agoura and blathered on about Conejo Valley's indigenous Native American tribe (the "Shashmu Indians"). He is also a yo-yo master, faultlessly doing tricks as the silent "Yo-Yo Man," with Dick acting as "ringmaster," giving a play-by-play of every stunt.

The Smothers Brothers always lampooned Broadway show tunes just as they did folk music. One of their most famous bits involves Tom ridiculing Dick for singing "I Talk to the Trees" from "Paint Your Wagon." ("Hi there, Mr. Tree. How's Mrs. Tree and all the little bushes?").

The target this time was "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha," which Tommy says is sung by "Don the Coyote." It's all innocent silliness, but you can't help but laugh at the stupid arguments the two devise.

If there's one thing Tom regrets about their act, he said, "We don't take enough risks. We've been around long enough where we can get away with it, but we don't do it often enough."

It's nice to see that after 50 years, the Smothers Brothers are still trying to get it right.