Album Review: Keith Pedro, The Vaccine

With Keith Pedro’s latest quarantine themed EP, The Vaccine, he’s been able to capture the collective consciousness. He brings his usual high energy and craftsmanship to the stage. The fact that Pedro could turn this EP around during a pandemic, when performing live comedy is so sparse, is him flexing his comedy chops.

Pedro summarizes every quarantine highlight, from jokes about Tiger King, mask etiquette, and family quarantine woes. He beautifully skewers his own experience through these dark times and carves out moments for us to laugh. The EP is rough, but those unpolished elements build out its edge. The fumbles and dips are forgivable, and more than made up for with the razor sharp jokes and immense charm Pedro brings to his performance.

The only part of the album that falters is the audience's reactions. The rowdy crowd filled with heavy chattering and drunken shouting lessens the overall experience. There’s a tense moment in the middle of the recording that Pedro handles with expertise, but the disrespect the audience shows is disheartening. You’re breaking quarantine to see a comedy show, and you’re going to forgo show etiquette?

Smart, funny, and timely, Pedro’s The Vaccine delivers an EP to enjoy as we all cry during our second wave lockdown.

The Vaccine was released October 30, 2020 on Comedy Records.
Listen to it here.