Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for RELevent
Cover image credit:

Source

RELevent

Lil Rel Howery

Comedy Central · 2015 · 42 min

A highly physical, story-driven homecoming set in Chicago.

Watch on Comedy Central(opens in a new tab)

or watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Lil Rel Howery builds his comedy around the rhythm of a natural storyteller who sounds like he is holding court at a family barbecue. He does not rely on setup-punchline structures; instead, he crafts long, animated anecdotes about everyday indignities, punctuated by expressive physical act-outs and vocal shifts. The centerpiece of this approach is a bit where he recounts getting thoroughly bullied and roasted by a group of sharp-tongued teenagers on a Chicago public bus, highlighting how quickly a grown adult can be humbled on their commute.

Filmed at the Vic Theatre in his hometown of Chicago, this 2015 special marked Howery’s first hour-long stand-up release. At the time of filming, he was beginning his run as Bobby Carmichael on NBC’s sitcom The Carmichael Show and performing on the sketch series Friends of the People. The special, executive produced by Kevin Hart, captures Howery just before his breakout role as the TSA agent in Jordan Peele’s Get Out catapulted him to film stardom.

Much of the set is anchored in Chicago specifics, family dynamics, and the chaos of early parenthood. He covers the stress of raising young kids, the financial adjustments of living in a ghetto apartment, and the post-divorce reality of dating again. He also targets the absurdly dramatic, fictitious stories told by his father, and the terror of surviving a bizarrely terrible cab ride.

Vulture named the hour one of the ten best stand-up specials of 2015, praising Howery’s ability to turn neighborhood memories into highly physical character work.

The set list

8 bits

  1. Discovering his father was not a medical doctor

    Believing his father was a physician for years until learning to read and discovering a certified nursing assistant diploma.

  2. Getting roasted by high school teenagers on public transit

    Recounting encounters with salty teenagers clowning him while riding a Chicago bus.

  3. Cousin holding in emotions

    Act-out of a cousin who puffs out his chest because he keeps his feelings pent up inside.

  4. Pastor uncle falling asleep

    Impersonating a preacher uncle who dozes off in the middle of conversations.

  5. Losing eyeglasses in childhood

    Recounting a parent scolding him about wasting insurance money on his blind-ass glasses.

  6. Mocking Bluetooth headset users

    Joking about people wearing Bluetooth earpieces who lack teeth rather than Bluetooth phones.

  7. Troublesome rides with cab drivers

    Using exaggerated foreign accents to describe misadventures and entanglements with taxi drivers.

  8. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Kids having no filter / raising children closer

    Reflecting on the differing challenges of raising sons versus daughters and children speaking candidly without social filters.

How it plays

Tone
Engaging, observational, and familial, occasionally veering into biting or sharp commentary.
On stage
Charismatic, natural performer known for physical comedy, facial mannerisms (such as quivering or shaking lips), and animated impressions of family members and everyday acquaintances.
Pace
Signature high-energy delivery that at times fluctuates with slower narrative storytelling.
About
Family and upbringing, Parenting a son and daughter, Divorce, Chicago life and hoodrats, Public transit encounters, Racism within the Black community

What the critics said

Praised for Rel's engaging stage presence, physical comedy, and affectionate family characterizations, though reviewers noted pacing lulls and flat accents in his cab driver anecdotes.

In the room: Riotous and supportive hometown Chicago crowd welcoming Howery back with enthusiastic warmth.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, imdb.com, bancodeprofissionais.com, comedycake.com, letterboxd.com, blacktruth.net, exclaim.ca, vulture.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed in his hometown of Chicago after relocating to New York and preparing to move to Los Angeles, navigating life as a divorced father raising two children.

Details

Released
Taped
The Vic Theatre, Chicago
Runtime
42 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Rich Schlansker, Royale Watkins
Honors
Named one of 'The 10 Best Stand-Up Specials of 2015' by Vulture
Topics
Before
Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (2013)
After
Live in Crenshaw (2019)

More from Lil Rel Howery

If you liked this