Medium Energy

Todd Barry delivers some of the best-constructed, most understated sarcasm in modern stand-up, proving that you do not need to bounce off the walls to command a room. His deadpan style is so quiet it is almost confrontational, inviting the audience to lean in and meet him at his own deliberately flat level.

Recorded at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City over two nights in August 2001, Medium Energy was initially a self-released CD sold at Barry’s live shows. After fellow comedian David Cross championed it as one of his favorite albums, Sub Pop picked it up for wider distribution in 2004, leading to this 2005 reissue by Comedy Central Records. At this point in his career, Barry was an established East Village favorite, frequently booking small, alternative rooms while fighting club owners who mistook his trademark low-key delivery for lack of effort.

The album features 55 quick-hit tracks, with many bits clocking in under a minute. Highlights include his famous riff on the DIY punk band Fugazi—specifically, how the drummer probably wanted to charge six dollars instead of five so he could afford to live without a roommate—and a parody of MTV’s Diary. Barry also sets his sights on corporate bookstores, awkward answering machine messages, and an audience member with a neck tattoo.

Upon wider release, the album cemented Barry’s reputation as a comic’s comic, eventually earning a spot on the AV Club’s list of the best comedy albums of the decade.