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Dirt Nap

Kyle Kinane

800 Pound Gorilla · 2024 · 72 min

A veteran road comic makes peace with suburban Oregon.

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Kyle Kinane has spent his career perfecting the persona of a gravel-voiced road dog who is happiest in a dark dive bar, which makes his relocation to suburban Oregon the perfect foil for his midlife transition. He uses his displacement to craft intricately structured narratives about how his new, white-picket-fence neighbors perceive him when he is crying in his car or handing out full-size candy bars on Halloween.

Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and recorded at the Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis, the set is anchored by an extended, fifteen-minute breakdown of the bizarre mythology of the Fast & Furious film franchise. Kinane also gets mileage out of the hypocrisy of conservatives visiting Yellowstone National Park, the questionable ethics of military recruiting, and the logistics of masturbating in front of ghosts. Released in 2024 through 800 Pound Gorilla Media just a year after his previous special, the hour finds Kinane sticking to his strengths as an old-school craftsman who prioritizes narrative over viral clips.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Conservatives at Yellowstone National Park vs. progressive brunch patrons in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

    Explores the ironies of government hatred in national parks and pronoun usage for God while eating a vegan quesadilla, arguing that everyone is pretending something that isn't is and should lighten up.

  2. Military support versus Constitutional rights

    Highlights the paradox of 'patriots' saying one cannot criticize the troops while championing the First Amendment that protects the right to do so.

  3. Fast and the Furious franchise breakdown

    A 15-minute plot recap and critique of Furious 7 questioning the characters' ability to sustain sexual arousal amid nonstop high-octane explosions and intensity.

  4. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Moving to the suburbs and adopting a stray cat named Dirt Nap closer

    A sprawling 47-minute narrative covering his suburban upbringing, impressions of his mother and father, neighborly interactions, and taking in a feral stray cat who later passed away, climaxing in convergent callbacks.

How it plays

Tone
Cautiously optimistic, cynical yet self-aware hope, self-deprecating, and grounded yet whimsical.
On stage
Self-deprecating, humble, grizzled dive-bar vibe with rich, articulate, and whimsical diction; summarized on stage as 'he looks like a jagoff but he talks about his feelings.'
Pace
Effortlessly paced storytelling that builds momentum through sprawling vignettes, taking deliberate pauses and digressions without losing narrative drive.
About
Tolerance and non-divisiveness, Returning to roots and suburban life, Moving from Los Angeles to the Oregon suburbs during the pandemic, Family dynamics and parents, Pet ownership and caring for a stray cat

What the critics said

Universally praised by critics, highlighting Kinane's eloquence, imaginative diction, seamless structure, and virtuosic command of long-form joke craft.

In the room: Raucous laughter, engaged room atmosphere, boozy appreciation, and applause during moments of self-revelation.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: 800poundgorillamedia.com, deadline.com, vulture.com, pastemagazine.com, globalplayer.com, en.wikipedia.org, pro.imdb.com.

Backstory

Kinane and his girlfriend moved from Los Angeles to the suburbs outside Portland, Oregon during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking in a stray street cat named Dirt Nap who later passed away.

Details

Released
Taped
2023, Acme Comedy Club, Minneapolis
Runtime
72 min
Where
800 Pound Gorilla
Director
Bobcat Goldthwait
Topics
Before
Shocks & Struts (2023)

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