B.A.D. Dreams

The core of Kenny DeForest’s perspective is a skeptical optimism that disarms audiences even when he is taking on highly charged topics. His approach to contentious arguments is to expose their absurdity through well-calibrated analogies, such as his argument that stockpiling firearms to protect oneself against the federal government is like keeping a safe full of basketballs just in case your landlord turns out to be Michael Jordan. Rather than scolding the crowd, he relies on a relaxed charisma to point out how often people work against their own best interests. Recorded at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn—where DeForest spent years as a producer and co-host alongside Will Miles and Clark Jones—B.A.D. Dreams debuted as an album in November 2017. Though initially distributed as an audio-only release that hit number one on the iTunes charts, the video footage was eventually recovered and released years later. The performance captures a rising comic at a pivotal point in his career, shortly after his selection for Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch” showcase. Supported by opener Sasheer Zamata, the set covers his experiences with therapy, his history as a college basketball player, and the absurdity of putting kids in time-out. He also walks through the logistical stress of buying cocaine compared to buying marijuana, alongside a specific plea for why yoga studios need separate, male-only classes.