Kill Box

Robert Kelly spends much of his fourth hour reacting to the realization that he cannot parent his son the way his stepfather parented him. The veteran Boston comic, known for his abrasive but vulnerable style, contrasts the violence and Jesus of his own Catholic upbringing with the gentle, modern parenting of today. His frustration peaks during a bit about wanting to shake his eight-year-old like an Etch A Sketch, coupled with absurd, useless lessons like teaching the boy to lick lemons or check the coin returns of dead payphones. Filmed at Coastal Creative in St. Petersburg, Florida, the 53-minute set was directed by Louis C.K. at a time when Kelly was touring clubs and running his podcast. The taping itself was plagued by behind-the-scenes drama, including Kelly popping his knee early in the set and a medical emergency in the front row that halted the show entirely, forcing Kelly to reboot the taping while nursing a stress headache.