August 2024 saw comedy highs and lows, from the tenderness of Adam Sandler’s Love You and slyly clever silliness of Carmen Christopher’s Live from the Windy City to the unfunny nonsense spouted by Joe Rogan in Burn the Boats. September is bursting with comedic promise, and below you can find the comedy specials and albums we’re most looking forward to this month (in chronological order):
Phil Wang: Wang in There, Baby!
Where to stream: Netflix
Release date: September 3
When I interviewed Phil Wang back in 2021 about his debut comedy special, Philly Philly Wang Wang, he was also in the midst of promoting his memoir Sidesplitter: How To Be From Two Worlds At Once, which delved into his life as a Malaysian-Brit. The comedian, actor, and writer puts his cultural duality at the center of his new Netflix hour Wang in There, Baby!, which is out now. Expect lots of candles, jokes about reheated rice, and ruminations on Chinese medicine from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse-taped special.
Ginny Hogan: Regression
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and more
Release date: September 3
Comedian Ginny Hogan used to be a data scientist, but she up and left her job in tech and life in San Francisco to move back in with her parents in New York (and, eventually, pursue a stand-up career). It’s unsurprising, then, that she titled her debut comedy special Regression. Paste spoke with Hogan last year just as she was about to tape her hour, which was directed by comic Hanna Dickinson. We’re looking forward to checking out her musings on addiction, turning 30, and Los Angeles.
Burn This Pandemic
Where to stream: Wherever you listen to comedy
Release date: September 6
I don’t care if you have pandemic comedy fatigue—it’s still relevant! The compilation album Burn This Pandemic isn’t just chock-full of hilarious comedians (Chris Gethard, Ever Mainard, Jamie Loftus, and Brandie Posey, to name a few), it’s also for a good cause. All proceeds from the record benefit SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, an organization that works to help unhoused people in Los Angeles.
Ahir Shah: Ends
Where to stream: Netflix
Release date: September 10
Ahir Shah’s hour Ends won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2023, and now he’s bringing it to Netflix. Taped in London’s Royal Court Theatre in March of this year, the special shows off Shah’s motormouth tendencies and brilliant storytelling skills. Whether he’s talking about accidentally being the monarch of all pimps or Goodness Gracious Me’s impact on his career trajectory, Shah is captivating.
Kylie Brakeman: Linda Hollywood’s Big Night
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and more
Release date: September 10
Ever wanted to see Princess Carolyn from BoJack Horseman do stand-up? That’s the energy character comedian Kylie Brakeman brings to the stage as Linda Hollywood, the tough-talking big-time talent agent who’s unafraid to scream into a cell phone. Brakeman used to write for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but don’t hold that against her. She brings a relentless gusto to the stage as she gives us her Hollywood Masterclass on how to be famous.
John Early: Now More Than Ever
Where to stream: Wherever you listen to comedy
Release date: September 13
There’s a reason John Early’s Emmy-nominated comedy special Now More Than Ever made it to number two on our list of 2023’s best comedy specials: it is just as superlatively funny as Early is hyperbolic in his performance. Part stand-up, part concert, part Spinal Tap-esque music documentary, Now More Than Ever hits all the right marks. This month, Early is releasing the special in album form via Thirty Tigers/Lookin For My Denim Records so that no matter where you are, you can enjoy his bombastic, hilarious comedy. Plus, there are four bonus songs and an appearance from his alter-ego Vicky with a V.
James Adomian: Path of Most Resistance
Where to stream: 800 Pound Gorilla Media website
Release date: September 19
James Adomian is known for his impersonations, including Bernie Sanders in Trump vs. Bernie and George W. Bush in (wait for it) The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Mind of Mencia, Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz (yes, that existed), MADtv, and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Phew. Adomian is just as hilarious when he’s being himself, though, and Path of Most Resistance gives us the chance to enjoy his talent in a different context. And don’t worry—he still does some impressions, including Bernie and a Wookiee.
Anna Valenzuela: Murderpuss
Where to stream: Wherever you listen to comedy
Release date: September 20
Anna Valenzuela chose a very special way to celebrate the 21st anniversary of her sobriety: she taped her debut comedy album the following day. The Los Angeles-based comic also had a hysterectomy just months before the recording, and the organ in question plays a big part in the album (in case the title didn’t tip you off). Murderpuss sees Valenzuela joking about breast exams, DUIs, the joys of being 41, and much more.
Shain Brenden: Either Way, Pretty Funny
Where to stream: Wherever you listen to comedy
Release date: September 27
Portland-based comedian and military veteran Shain Brenden releases his debut album via Blonde Medicine this month. In Either Way, Pretty Funny, Brenden obsesses over NBA rookies and endearingly gripes about his family. And if you’ve ever wanted to hear someone do a slam poetry about working in McDonalds, well, he’s got you covered.
Clare Martin is a cemetery enthusiast and Paste’s assistant comedy editor. Go harass her on Twitter @theclaremartin.
