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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Holy Drivel

Derek Sheen

Stand Up! Records · 2017 · 45 min

Cynical stand-up about personal panic and heavy metal.

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

Derek Sheen’s brain does not handle sentimental moments well. Holding a friend’s infant daughter, a sudden wave of genuine emotion hits him, triggering a cognitive panic response so severe his vocabulary takes the emergency exit to avoid showing vulnerability. What comes out of his mouth instead is a mangled nickname, which is a clear illustration of the self-deprecating anxiety that anchors his comedy.

Recorded at the Comedy Underground in Seattle, Holy Drivel was originally self-released in 2012 but found wider distribution with a vinyl and digital reissue by Stand Up! Records in 2017. Metal producer Matt Bayles handled the recording, capturing Sheen’s fast-paced delivery that feels like a caffeinated George Carlin. At this point in his career, Sheen was a regular touring opener for Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn, carving out a niche with a cynical style.

Sheen spends the set toggling between cultural friction and personal embarrassment. He contrasts his home turf of Seattle against Portland’s self-conscious whimsy, looks at the biscuit-based economy of the American South, and celebrates the yard sales of gay men. Throughout, he turns his gaze inward to discuss his own mental health, finding comedy in the ways we overcompensate to hide our feelings. The set wraps up with a chaotic, multi-part story involving Disneyland and heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio.

The set list

5 bits

  1. The Wake Up Call / Cock-blocked by his own body

    Details the moment an overweight man realizes he is too fat to make sexual intercourse work logistically.

  2. How to Make Better People

    Offers advice to parents on not making shitty people, suggesting fixing the problem with a pillow or driving a station wagon into a lake.

  3. Biscuit Recipe and Southern Life

    Observes southern life and literally recites a full recipe for making biscuits and gravy.

  4. Portland vs. Seattle

    Compares and contrasts the quirks, inhabitants, and cultural differences between the two Pacific Northwest cities.

  5. Gay Yard Sales

    Asserts the inflexible fact that gay men hold the best yard sales.

How it plays

Tone
Unabashedly honest, playful, absurd, self-deprecating, and dark.
On stage
Described as a 'human hug' and a 'cuddly mess of insecurities'; wildly opinionated yet approachable, blending deep self-deprecation with delivery that escalates into barely controlled mania, obscure references, and an excited high register with the faint hint of a lisp.
Pace
Starts slowly before finding strong footing 15 to 20 minutes in; characterized by a high-energy attack that does not run out of steam, nuanced diction, and Carlin-esque rhythmical precision.
About
Weight and body image, Fears of sex, death, flying, and children, Seattle vs. Portland regional quirks, Southern culture and biscuits, Gay culture and yard sales, Parenting

What the critics said

Praised by reviewers for its unabashedly honest storytelling, high-energy pace, and masterful blend of playful absurdity and dark self-deprecation.

In the room: Recorded to a packed house over three nights; the performer initially lingered on jokes to test crowd reactions before settling into a confident rhythm and winning the room.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: underthegunreview.net, iwm.freeawesometv.com, tubitv.com, brownpapertickets.com, allmusic.com, thestranger.com, en.wikipedia.org, cityartsmagazine.com.

Backstory

Recorded over three nights at Comedy Underground in Seattle, the venue Sheen had been attending since he was 13 years old; engineered and recorded by metal producer Matt Bayles.

Details

Released
Taped
Comedy Underground, Seattle
Runtime
45 min
Where
Stand Up! Records
Director
Kevin Clarke, Travis Vogt
Topics
Before
Tiny Idiot (2016)
After
Disasterbation (2017)

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