Joe Pera’s Stand-up Special Slow & Steady Is a Rare Island of Decency and Joy

The world’s gone to hell since Joe Pera Talks With You was canceled. Okay, it was already basically in hell, but it’s just kept going ever deeper, and without Joe to slow it down a little bit for 15 minutes a week. Adult Swim may not recognize the value of what Pera brings to the world, but fortunately YouTube accepts all comers, and that’s where you can find Pera’s new stand-up special, Slow & Steady. A new hour of Pera’s gentle, inviting comedy won’t solve any of the world’s problems, but it will take your mind off of them for a short spell, and that’s important, too.

If you were a fan of Pera’s Adult Swim show, his stand-up should feel like pulling on an old sweater or getting a nice hug from a friend you haven’t seen in a while. His personality and delivery are pretty much the same, the definition of an “old soul” warmly talking about comforting subjects with the tone of a mild-mannered grandpa. His crowd work isn’t focused on insults or mean spirited observations, although he’s more than willing to gently rib somebody who says something nonsensical or who tries too hard to be funny. Pera has always been fundamentally decent, not in terms of quality but decorum, and that’s largely true of this special.

There’s one bit when he goes off the typical Pera script for a few seconds, and it’s so out-of-character for him (if you’re only used to his TV show) that it’s genuinely shocking. It’s also hilarious, though, in the way that stories that go entirely off the rails often are. I don’t want to give too much away, but you’ll know it when you see it. You’ll also probably wonder if Bob Rinehart is a real person or not. (That’s for you to google.)

The last portion of the special is the best, and not just because it’s what you would most expect from Pera. He does a live rendition of his “Joe Pera talks you to sleep” routine, complete with Joe sitting in a comfy armchair while Ryan Dann plays a relaxing, intoxicating sound bath on his keyboard. It lulled me into a near-sleep interrupted by periodic chuckles, titters, and other assorted almost-laughs, and it was such a meditative, zen-like experience that I didn’t want it to end. I’ve never felt anything like it in a stand-up special before, but it’s a state Pera has talked me into several times during his career.

As a comedian, Joe Pera has created something wholly unique, something more powerful and more hilarious than pretty much any other comic of the last decade. When you first encounter him you might wonder how sincere he is—if there’s an undercurrent of cynicism you’re supposed to pick up on or a satire that’s so bone-dry it’s almost impossible to detect. Screw that. Pera is exactly as sincere as you want or need him to be, and personally, for me, that’s as sincere as possible. The world’s gone to hell—it is hell—-and it’s the rare island of decency and joy that helps me get through it. Joe Pera is at the top of that list, and I won’t hear any arguments to the contrary.

Slow & Steady is streaming for free on YouTube.