Are you feeling down after scrolling through your newsfeed? Are you looking for a gift that will satiate even the most jaded among us? Or do you just need a good laugh on a Monday? We think we’ve have just the thing: a double album from comic/bartender KENDRA CUNNINGHAM and comic/actress KATINA CORRAO aptly called LESS BITTER, MORE GLITTER! The album is currently out on 800 Pound Gorilla Records and really packs a comedy punch with it’s humorous celebration of the laugh-worthy world around us. The combination of Kendra’s deadpan style and Katina’s enthusiastically witty charm (verging on the neurotic) make their comedic coverage of the simple things in life all the more engrossing. In other words, if your average comedy album is the Art Basel duct tape banana, then Less Bitter, More Glitter is the performance artist that eats that banana, and calls it “Hungry Artist.”
The double album was recorded at live at Valley Forge Casino Resort which explains that wonderful enthusiasm of the crowd. After a quick intro, the listener is propelled into Kendra Cunningham’s joke microcosm. The first track dives into Cunningham’s personal style, employing a Sha Na Na reference (the doo-wop group from Woodstock), and only rockets forward from there. Cunningham goes on to cover relatable topics like overly content neighbors, bartending woes, temp job behavior, drinking anxiety, cranky mornings, yoga Groupons disparity, head proportion, playing dating private eye, hot and heavy subway action, and a wealth of other comedy gems. With all the hilarious content, it was hard to narrow down with one big takeaway, but I met the call! My favorite track on the album was Blueberry muffin day. Cunningham really captures that “joy from food” we all relish. I won’t spoil the joke for you, but let’s just say veering from your normal muffin choice can making a day go from just normal to momentous. The coffee house beckons, folks!
After some sardonic subway couple humor, the album transitions into Katina Corrao’s set where she’s off to a flying start with some audience warmup material. It’s quite evident she’s has experience for days in the profession, as she reveals the positive and negatives of the side gig. From there, we get deeper insight into Corrao’s employment history, as well as her passion for malls. Corrao goes all in with her coverage of Dress Barn and Macy’s, and really leaves us yearning for that Sears material. As for Corrao’s resume, her set focuses on her ventures in the acting profession, from audition rejection to bad commercials to typecasting for that “face of Fibromyalgia.” Corrao doesn’t just entertain the audience with her Hollywood jobs. No, no. She ventures in the “Real Jobs” territory, as well, and there’s a payoff to boot. Just make sure you don’t leave her as the brownie watchdog at your next corporate meeting.
Just when you have a good idea of who Corrao is, she gets into the real money maker topics of her set, the self-deprecating treatment of her sweet neuroses. A dash of intimidation, a sprinkle of germaphobia, and a dollop of an anxiety only fuel the comedic fire of the set. Current and future parents/grandparents out there, listen up! Katina’s apple allergy story (the result of having an overprotective, Clorox and toilet protector dispensing grandmother) should be a staple of the child rearing curriculum from here on out. You heard it here!
Go do yourself a favor and pick up Less Bitter, More Glitter because we all need a pick-me-up this time of the year, as well as an enviable chocolate muffin, and an apartment cleaned with baby wipes. Happy holidays!
Mentions: Acquire Less Bitter, More Glitter HERE. Learn more about Kendra HERE. More deets on Katina THERE. Album Art by Julia Johns. Feature image by Mindy Tucker.