Not Special

Dan Soder’s appeal lies in his ability to sound like the most self-aware guy at the bar, delivering stand-up without the manufactured theater of high-concept comedy. His debut hour takes a swing at the absurdities of modern vice, explaining the exact point where quitting smoking cigarettes while continuing to smoke pot turns you into a different kind of hypocrite. He targets the rise of pretentious potheads and the theater of sommeliers, using his deep voice and conversational ease to make simple premises feel lived-in. Filmed at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, the 2016 special caught Soder at a major transition point in his career, just as he was co-hosting The Bonfire on SiriusXM and appearing as Mafee on Showtime’s Billions. The hour established his style as an unpretentious storyteller who can flip between childhood memories, like being an only child raised by a single mother, and modern annoyances. Rather than trying to shock the audience, he leans into the comedy of low expectations, whether he is mocking his own lack of tank top confidence or explaining why he actually misses real-life jerks in the age of internet trolling.