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Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · Stand Up! Channel

Jokes

Corey Adam

Stand Up! Records · Album · 2018

A Twin Cities crowd-work favorite tries writing some actual jokes.

Listen on Stand Up! Records(opens in a new tab)

Corey Adam spent years as a prominent fixture of the Twin Cities comedy scene, but he was mostly known for crowd work. His previous releases consisted entirely of off-the-cuff audience banter. Recorded at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy in Bloomington, Minnesota, this release serves as his transition to pre-written material.

Without the safety net of immediate crowd interaction, Adam relies on a blunt, self-deprecating style that leans into the absurdities of his personal life. Highlights include his breakdown of the awkward logistics of ending an open relationship, getting heckled by hospital staff in the ER, and a disastrous encounter with late-night television workout trends. It is a solid transition that trades chaotic room management for structured, slightly cynical stories.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Parachuting

    Adam opens his set discussing parachuting and checking equipment.

  2. Memorial arm tattoo

    Comedic chagrin regarding how an arm tattoo dedicated in memoriam interferes with private, intimate moments.

  3. Wisdom teeth and medical care

    Explores his lack of wealth, getting booed in the emergency room, and the absurdities of the medical system.

  4. The Taquito Bandit

    A narrative detailing how to stretch two gas station hot dogs into four or five meals, complete with a story within a story.

  5. Wendy's Drive Thru

    An absurdist routine centered entirely around a simple question Adam asks a drive-thru employee.

How it plays

Tone
Absurd, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and adult
On stage
Self-deprecating and sarcastic with an adult and absurdist sensibility
About
lack of wealth and low-paying jobs, medical absurdity and emergency room visits, awkward intimate and sexual situations, open relationships, late-night workout crazes

What the critics said

Richard Lanoie of The Serious Comedy Site reviewed it as a very good stand-up album tailored for listeners with an adult sense of humor and a taste for the absurd, highlighting tracks like 'The Taquito Bandit' and 'Wendy's Drive Thru'.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: vimeo.com, theseriouscomedysite.com, en.wikipedia.org, blogtalkradio.com.

Backstory

Follow-up to his unconventional debut album 'No Joke', which solely featured crowd interactions, improv, and asides; 'Jokes' marks his pivot to presenting polished stage routines.

Details

Released
Where
Stand Up! Records (album)
Honors
#1 comedy album on iTunes
Topics
Before
No Joke (2015)
After
No Joke 2 (2019)

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