I Liked His Old Stuff Better

Kyle Kinane has a distinct talent for turning absolute degeneracy into life-affirming optimism. While other comics might use burning their clothes in a public laundry machine as an excuse for self-pity, he views the accident as a literal miracle of alchemy. He sits on a stool with a beer and spins stories of minor tragedies, like falling down in the shower or throwing loose change in the garbage, into celebrations of just surviving.

The hour was filmed at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia. At the time of this 2015 release, Kinane was firmly established as the gravelly voice of Comedy Central and a cult favorite following his 2012 hour, Whiskey Icarus. The self-deprecating title was a preemptive strike against internet complainers who always claim a comedian’s earlier work was superior.

Rather than lean into his youthful punk-rock days, the comic tackles the mundane realities of getting older. He explains how browsing pet adoption websites has replaced pornography as a more attainable fantasy, details the weird dad habit of reading road signs aloud while driving alone, and recounts a high school party ruined by a remarkably polite Chicago police officer. Critics praised the set for avoiding the tired traps of aging-comic bitterness, noting his ability to make profound observations out of something as simple as blessing a sneezing cat.