SMD

Pete Davidson was only 22 and already two seasons into his Saturday Night Live run when he taped his debut stand-up special. Performing at NYU’s Skirball Center in his hometown of New York City, Davidson leans into his reputation as a perpetually dazed, surprisingly candid kid who has already lived several weird lives. He lacks the polish of a seasoned theater headliner, but he has the relaxed, shrug-heavy confidence of someone telling stories to classmates in a college dorm hallway.

The set is built around his chaotic transition into early adulthood and his heavy weed habit. He discusses his short-lived attempt at college, his stints in “prehab,” and the weird realities of living with his mom on Staten Island. Rather than attempting grand statements on the state of the world, he focuses on specific, absurd embarrassments, such as accidentally texting a dick pic to his mother or trying to process his childhood obsession with Leonardo DiCaprio. The hour also touches on his experience performing at the Justin Bieber Roast, a gig that helped propel him into the cultural mainstream.