The Golden One

Whitmer Thomas stands on stage at the Flora-Bama Lounge, a gulfside bar straddling the Florida-Alabama line, singing darkwave synth-pop songs about his late mother, a thwarted childhood kidnapping, and his absentee father. This hybrid hour belongs as much to indie-pop as it does to stand-up comedy. Co-directed by Thomas and his childhood friend Clay Tatum, the show is set in the exact venue where Thomas’s mother and her twin sister once performed in their rock band, SynTwister. The performance is interspersed with documentary footage of Thomas interviewing his family members back home, building a narrative that is both funny and heavy. Songs like “Hurts to Be Alive” and “Partied to Death” address grief and family addiction with a synth-heavy bounce. Produced by Bo Burnham and Chris Storer, this 2020 HBO special positioned Thomas as a vulnerable performer who finds humor in the lingering wreckage of childhood.