The Squirrels Get Fat

Dante Powell’s debut special frames his sudden relocation from Louisiana to Iowa as a weird, self-imposed exile. He moved to the heartland for a woman who dumped him immediately upon arrival, but instead of packing up, he stayed to observe the local ecosystem. Recorded at The Mill during the Floodwater Comedy Festival in Iowa City, the set uses this culture shock to examine the bizarre realities of Midwestern life through the eyes of a Southern transplant.

The core of his observations centers on the local wildlife, specifically an encounter with an extraordinarily overweight tree squirrel that became his spirit animal. Powell’s perspective is grounded and conversational, drawing on his pre-comedy days as a truck driver to speak about race, the southern embassy of Walmart, and the threat of Representative Steve King.

Other bits discuss surviving the late 2010s, the development of sex robots, and a blueprint for petty living inspired by Burger King. Produced by Dan Schlissel for Stand Up! Records, the performance earned critical praise, securing a spot on Paste Magazine’s list of the year’s best comedy albums by Black performers and peaking at the top of the iTunes and Amazon charts.