Rob Carlson admits that he sometimes has the urge to perform a serious song. He chuckles when he credits his two partners with keeping him on message.

That message always brings a smile to the faces of those listening. Few musicians have the talent to combine humor with music as well as the trio Modern Man.

That quality is something Carlson and companions understand and appreciate – even when they are tempted with a serious thought.

“The thing that is unique about us is the comedy aspect,” Carlson said in a telephone interview earlier this week from his home in Connecticut. “That’s our niche.”

Guitarists Carlson and David Buskin and keyboardist George Wurzbach bring Modern Man back to Lewiston next week for an evening of laughter in L/A Arts’ final cabaret show of the 2004 season.

That show will be Carlson’s second visit to Maine in less than a week. Carlson will perform Saturday in Portland as part of the Tom Rowe Tribute Concert. Rowe, who was a member of the popular Maine folk group Schooner Fare, died earlier this year of cancer.

Modern Man’s wacky approach to music has earned the musicians accolades describing them as a cross between Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Marx Brothers or the Three Tenors and The Three Stooges.

Back Stage magazine wrote that “these guys are the Thomas Alva Edison of humor. They’re inventive. You know, the bulb goes on.” According to folk artist Tom Paxton, “If you don’t mind banging your forehead on the table or hitting your date repeatedly on the shoulder while screaming with laughter, though, this is your deal, believe me.”

Carlson and Buskin first met as part of Christine Lavin’s live CD project “Laugh Tracks,” recorded at the Bottom Line in New York City. Buskin later introduced Wurzbach into the fold.

They began as the TestosterTones, but when a club owner refused to put their name on the marquee for a show that was to lead to a live album, the trio had to scramble to find a new name. They went through hundreds before settling on Modern Man.

“It was the only one that one of us didn’t hate,” said Carlson.

The three members are all solid musicians who have all successfully made a living in the music industry.

Carlson, 54, was once part of a 1970s duo that was being compared to Seals and Croft. But before they could capitalize on their critically acclaimed debut record, his partner Jon Gailmor left for a girl in Europe. Their agent at the time was future Sony head Tommy Mottola.

Buskin has penned some of the best known commercial jingles for companies like the U.S. Postal Service, Jif Peanut Butter, Burger King and Goodyear. His “Just Watch Us Now” jingle for NBC earned him a Clio Award. Also a successful songwriter, Buskin’s songs have been recorded by Peter, Paul & Mary, Roberta Flack, Johnny Mathis and Pat Benatar.

The oldest of the group, Wurzbach is the only one who is classically trained as a musician. He has extensive work as a sideman for Johnny Cash and Mel Torme. As a solo artist he earned the New Folk Award at the 1995 Kerrville Folk Festival.

Modern Man has released a pair of albums, “Modern Immaturity” and “Modern Man: The Wide Album.” Some of their whimsical song titles include “Don’t You Hate It When They Make You Sing Along,” “Bumper Hunting” (about road kill) and “My Father Looks Like Moe.”

While few topics are sacred when it comes to their mockery, the group tends to avoid politics.

“Political jokes have a short shelf life,” said Carlson. “We’re looking for things that have some longevity.”

He prefers topics from God to Godzilla.