Cult Following

Auggie Smith spends much of Cult Following shouting at the hypocrisy of civic rules, escalating from mild annoyance to full-throated, fist-shaking exasperation. His focus is on the selective ethics of modern society, particularly how municipalities structure sin taxes, liquor laws, and the regulations surrounding Portland’s strip clubs. The delivery is highly rhythmic, building from a quiet, conversational tone into a sputtering rage.

Originally recorded in Portland back in 2003, the comedy album received a digital reissue from Stand Up! Records in September 2022. The track list targets the era’s post-9/11 anxieties and the bureaucratic absurdities of Pacific Northwest adult entertainment. Smith was a decade into his touring career when this was taped, and the material captures his transition into the high-decibel persona that would define his later work.