Kyle Kinane: Death of the Party

by Dylan P. Gadino

It’s lazy to describe comedian Kyle Kinane as “bleak and misanthropic,” which, according to Kyle, himself, is how the London Evening Standard once summarized his live act.

Sure, on the surface, the Chicago native doesn’t exactly present himself as happy with himself or the people around him— few truly engaging comedians do. And yes, he says things like, “Anybody here ever make that mistake right when you wake up in the morning and you believe in yourself? I’ve been having the tendency to do that lately” and “[I] come home at five in the morning shit housed and eat half a dozen quesadillas while [I] sit on the toilet and read books about werewolves.”

But beneath the repeating chorus of seemingly negative assertions and admissions found on Death of the Party (A Special Thing Records), there runs a stream of hope for humankind– a narrow (but very healthy and very real) stream that may circumvent those not willing to try to find it but washes – again and again – those who embrace it, those that find comfort in simple social truths. And goddamn, is it ever refreshing.

But even without the layered reasons to love this album, it’s simply impossible not to embrace this likable underachiever, who proves to be a strong joke writer and an incredibly natural storyteller—one of which – about the time he was forced to drop a deuce at a rough “chola” bar in Chicago – anchors the entire album quite nicely (Listen to the track below).

Beyond that, Kinane is deft at being simply goofy; he breaks down the subtle racism at Trader Joe’s, recounts a time where he and his girlfriend saw one bunny face-fuck another and, using his gift of insomnia, examines how one would cook meat over the mouth of an erupting volcano.

A truly original, funny and wholly satisfying album, Death of the Party is a welcomed introduction for a rising comic into the landscape of the national stand-up comedy scene.

Check out a track below and download the entire album from Amazon by clicking the image below.