CD REVIEW
Nick DiPaolo: Funny How
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
By Ryan P. Carey
Nick DiPaolo’s latest CD, Funny How is an adequately potent offering from a living legend. While it doesn’t necessarily contain his best work; it’s certainly not lacking in punchlines or personality. DiPaolo continues to do angry comedy the right way, and his writing chops are still tight.
Only achieving ‘living legend’ status within a small demographic of comedy uber-nerds has been good for his fans, because he’s certainly not suffering from fame face (which is a funny paradox in itself — does a comic’s material benefit from not achieving super-stardom outside the comedy club circuit?)
DiPaolo’s material is topical, and at times suffer from “wait, how long ago was that in the news?” He would be the perfect guy for Best Week Ever, that is, if VH1 were allowing swearing and good-old-fashioned honest hatred. In that regard, Funny How would make a good time capsule for a pan-cultural study of our nation after the post-apocalypse, as long as futuristic historians don’t mind learning through a filter of heavy misogyny and slight racism.
If you’re a fan of Nick DiPaolo, Funny How will certainly not disappoint. If you are a possible potential fan who is not yet into him — maybe you liked him on a few of the Comedy Central Roasts — don’t make this your first, grab some of his older work. Funny How won’t make you fall in love with him if you aren’t already, but it will keep you in love with him if you are.
Ryan P. Carey, a frequent contributor to the magazine, is the editor of MarginalMinds.com.
