Comedy You Can Dance To

Late-nineties political anxiety and early internet paranoia collide in this 1998 audio release. Operating as a self-styled “fumerist” (a feminist humorist), Kate Clinton delivers a set deeply rooted in the daily headlines of the era. Tracks like “Not Dot Calm” and “Mad Vow Disease” capture a specific cultural moment. She takes aim at the widening gender gap and the absurdities of modern family dynamics just as the web was beginning to rewire daily life.

The album was recorded live at The Improv in Irvine, California. It arrived during a prolific stretch for the comedian, who published her first book, Don’t Get Me Started, that same year. At just under an hour, the recording serves as a clean snapshot of her conversational, politics-heavy approach to stand-up before the turn of the millennium.