Editor’s Note: Sometimes, you just need a good facelift to freshen things up, so that’s what we’ve done here. It’s the same old ReVue Stage, with a little bit of a twist where we put together a short list of the best comedy releases from the past month, and deliver them all in a tight, one-stop package. So come on over and check out some of the best specials and albums that comedy had to offer this past month, and maybe you’ll find your new favorite thing to vibe out to along the way.
For February being the shortest month of the year (possibly due to those calling the shots on naming the months already knowing it was going to be a historically horseshit month), there was an awful lot of chaos that met us as we skidded into the oncoming lane that was the second month of the year. Now, as the ice begins to melt and we start to feel something again beyond our fingertips and will to live, let’s take a look back at some of the strongest comedy to break through the ice and give us a little somethin’ somethin’ to smile about for a little while.
It may be entirely too early to tell, but chances are we’ll look back at these late winter offerings and realize just how much they stand out in the grand scheme of the stand-up special game in 2025.
Ian Karmel, Comfort Beyond God’s Foresight
The genuine joy for the craft that Ian Karmel exudes on stage can finally be seen on record, at least for longer than 15 minutes, as the Oregon native unleashed his first full hour special earlier in the month. Equipped with his trusty child-like charm and ability to pull back the layers of any situation to find the humorous core of it, Karmel shows off exactly why he is getting all the love he’s continued to receive this year, after a successful 2024. This is Ian Karmel’s world, and we’re really just livin’ in it.
Kelsey Cook, Mark Your Territory
With her latest hour, Kelsey Cook returns with the swagger of someone just about ready to take over the scene, and for good reason. Bringing us in on her new life in Minnesota, her experiences navigating her mother’s battle with dementia, and everything else the world has thrown at her since we last heard from her, Cook sticks the landing in grand fashion as she connects with her audience in a way that balances sarcasm and sincerity, while giving a firm middle finger to the notion of the sophomore slump.
Dana Gould, Perfectly Normal
Still wielding that quintessential New England humor dripping with bitterness and nearly chaotic dramatics, Dana Gould delivers his latest hour in a fashion that feels entirely familiar, with his top-tier verbal illustration at the forefront yet again, while still feeling fresh as he combs through thoughts on getting older and adapting to the insanity going in the world around him. Maintaining the ability to be our collective inner monologue in a myriad of ways, Gould is at the top of his game, and only seems to be getting better with age.