Kyle Kinane’s Shocks and Struts Is a Rough-Hewn Gem

Comedy special intros can often feel superfluous. Either they’re ham-fisted attempts at humor before the set even starts, or the sort of overeager hype more suited to an MMA fighter than a guy about to tell jokes, or overly stylized and pretentious in a way that’s meant to show us what an artist this comedian is. The beginning of Kyle Kinane’s new hour, Shocks and Struts, is one of those rare stand-up intro segments that works, drawing us into his world before he even starts performing. Honus Honus’ woozy ditty “Empty Bottle” plays over shots of Kinane’s van driving through vast, sweeping desert landscapes. This is a guy who’s no stranger to the open road and carving out his own path—“the king of absolutely nothing,” as Honus Honus sings in a voice not far off Tiny Tim’s.

Kinane is quick to tell the Salt Lake City crowd just how happy he is to be back in front of people after bleak Zoom stand-up sets, and that sense of genuine gratitude is palpable. Much of the set’s first half is tied to covid, though Kinane keeps the oft-discussed subject from being exhausting with his own bracing honesty and because frankly, that dude can make anything funny. 

It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating that Kinane’s best asset as a comedian is his evocative, poetic use of the English language. He truly paints pictures with his words; an extended bit about just how grody pillows can be almost becomes an ode of sorts. His exquisitely crafted descriptions—one about a truck driver named Garrett particularly stands out—feel so apt as to be nearly familiar, save for the fact that they’re so off-the-wall creative in that signature Kinane way.