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The Squirrels Get Fat

Dante Powell

Stand Up! Records · 2020 · 49 min

A Southern transplant reacts to the strange realities of Iowa.

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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.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Connecting with an overweight tree squirrel in Iowa after getting dumped.

    Riffs that despite being dumped immediately upon moving to Iowa for a girl, he connected deeper with a 'fat-ass squirrel' than his ex.

  2. Visiting Walmart when homesick.

    Labels Walmart the 'southern embassy' where he goes to be around people that remind him of Louisiana.

  3. Father's voicemail concerning Iowa Rep. Steve King.

    Uses observational storytelling to discuss his family's 'racism alerts' and worry that Rep. Steve King was personally coming for him.

  4. Experiencing seasons for the first time.

    Contrasts the Midwestern four seasons with Louisiana, which only has humidity and hurricanes that circle back to humidity.

  5. Practicing corporate pettiness.

    Proposes modeling his life on fast food corporations like Burger King to enhance his personal pettiness.

How it plays

Tone
Warm, sharp, observational, intimate, and absurd.
On stage
Warm, goofy, relatable, and absurd, with a delivery that feels like sharing jokes in a small group at a party.
Pace
Rapid-fire delivery with steady, consistent energy throughout.
About
Culture clash between the South and the Midwest, Moving to Iowa and being an outsider, Weather and seasons, Family reactions and racism, Pettiness and corporate behavior, Everyday absurdities

What the critics said

Praised for bringing a delightfully new, sharp, and warm perspective to the overlooked oddities of Midwestern life with intimate and relatable storytelling.

In the room: Intimate and conversational, creating the feeling of hanging out in a small group at a party.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, watchwhatwhere.com, en.wikipedia.org, littlevillagemag.com, pastemagazine.com, listen.iheart.com.

Backstory

Originally from Bernice, Louisiana, Powell moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 2012 for a relationship that ended upon his arrival, prompting him to navigate life as a Black Southerner acclimating to the Midwest.

Details

Released
Runtime
49 min
Where
Stand Up! Records
Director
Ian Rans
Honors
No. 1 on the iTunes comedy chartNo. 1 on the Amazon comedy chartIncluded in Paste Magazine's list of 28 Recent Stand-up Albums by Black Comedians You Need to Listen to (2020)
Topics

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