School Shoes

Jason Collings spends his debut album sounding deeply tired of the modern world, especially the people inside his own house. His comedy is built on the blunt, conversational friction of a father trying to understand his millennial sons while dealing with everyday annoyances like man buns and the absurdities of airline safety demonstrations. He does not act like he has any answers; he just wants to complain about them in a way that makes you glad they are his problems and not yours.

Recorded at The Comedy Store in La Jolla, California, and released in late 2017, School Shoes came at a point when Collings was transitioning from a trusted opener for Jo Koy and Russell Peters into a headliner in his own right. The set shows off the observational style he honed over years as a Los Angeles club regular, zeroing in on relatable topics like the ridiculous reasons someone becomes a little league coach.