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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · 800 Pound Gorilla Media

Conscious Bro

Brent Pella

YouTube · 2024

A high-energy, multimedia stand-up set targeting modern spiritual wellness.

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Modern wellness culture and spiritual awakenings get an aggressive reality check in Brent Pella’s debut hour. Stepping away from the traditional stand-up setup, Pella pairs his physical, high-energy delivery with multimedia visual effects to approximate a psychedelic trip on stage. Filmed at the Alice in Wonderland-themed Mic Drop comedy club in San Diego, the self-directed project arrived in March 2024 via 800 Pound Gorilla Media. Pella, a Wild ‘N Out cast member and Groundlings alumnus, built his online following parodying music festival culture and conspiracy theorists. Here, he targets new-age wellness trends and personal paranoia, recounting his first ayahuasca ceremony, a childhood incident involving an entire bottle of Flintstones vitamins, and why he refuses to look left first thing in the morning.

The set list

5 bits

  1. The stupidity pandemic in America

    Asserts that stupidity is contagious and polarizing, joking that the only outcomes of being too dumb are dying or becoming president.

  2. Washington Redskins team name change

    Criticizes changing the team name to the Washington Commanders, joking that they replaced the oppressed with the colonizers who did the pillaging.

  3. Aging and morning injuries

    Contrasts eating an entire bottle of Flintstones vitamins as a child with adulthood, where looking to the left upon waking up pulls a neck muscle.

  4. Advocating for healthy poops

    Urges the audience to stay hydrated and eat right so they can have massive, healthy bowel movements.

  5. Ayahuasca ceremonies

    Recounts participating in his first ayahuasca ceremonies shortly before filming the special to explore his spiritual side.

How it plays

Tone
Satirical, psychedelic, absurd, and self-deprecating.
On stage
A hybrid of 'mainstream bro-ness' and inner spirituality; an energetic bro with existential curiosity.
Pace
High-energy, fast-paced, and dynamic.
About
spirituality and consciousness, modern culture and political polarization, aging and health, ayahuasca and psychedelics

What the critics said

Appraised as a uniquely visual, unconventional, and engaging debut comedy special that successfully merges stand-up with multimedia storytelling and psychedelic themes.

In the room: Receptive, energetic crowd open to political satire and participatory banter.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: 800poundgorillamedia.com, weownthelaughs.com, store.800poundgorillamedia.com, bleav.com.

Backstory

Raised by a single mother who was a Deadhead, blending an upbringing immersed in music festivals and spirituality with his background as a high school and college athlete/bro, alongside recent experiences in ayahuasca ceremonies.

Details

Released
Taped
Mic Drop Comedy Club, San Diego
Where
YouTube
Director
Brent Pella
Topics

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