The Hungry Wolf Hunts Best

Mike Bridenstine builds stories with the loose, deliberate pacing of someone who figured out his timing in tavern backrooms rather than television auditions. He talks through getting stuck inside LeVar Burton’s house, buying Russian malt liquor, and watching an actual bullfight, letting awkward details sit instead of rushing to a punchline.

Recorded live in February 2017 at The Mill in Iowa City, the set was a homecoming for Bridenstine, an Iowa native who spent years cutting his teeth in the Chicago underground scene before relocating to Los Angeles. Released by aspecialthing Records, the 56-minute audio album was captured over a single night without patch edits or studio touch-ups.

Bridenstine had spent well over a decade on stage by 2017, with appearances on Adam Devine’s House Party and The Eric Andre Show, but this was his first official hour. He spends much of the back half on extended set pieces, including a seven-minute breakdown of an arena bullfight and a look back at Chicago room dynamics.