Kenny DeForest: Don’t You Know Who I Am? [Comedy Special]

Folks, it is with a very heavy heart that I repost this review of Kenny’s amazing comedy special from last August. It was actually one of the first that I had done for the now defunct Tragic Times Blog. His wonderful PR folks reached out to share it with me, and when I remember that he was the hilarious cat that I had heard on podcasts of days past (and would eventually here so much more in the months following the release of the special), I was instantly hooked and knew I needed to not just watch it, but share it with the world. It’s absolutely hilarious.

Unfortunately, just under 4 months later we would lose Kenny to a terrible accident. For me it was like losing a friend that you were just beginning to know and appreciate. But for so many more, it was a devastating heartbreak. And for everyone, it was a loss of a comic who was just beginning to receive the well deserved attention that he had been working towards getting for so long. We will never know what Kenny could have accomplished in his life had that motherfucking car just watched where the fuck it was going…but, we will always have the legacy that he left, and that is something to cherish even if we are just left wanting more. Rest easy Kenny. Thank you so much for the laughs.

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Kenny DeForest has been one of those comics that I have, now shamefully, been hearing about for a few years now but never took the proper amount of time to really seek out enough. So, when Don’t You Know Who I Am? came across my inbox, I had to do a bit of a dive to remember why it was that Kenny had previously been on my radar yet I was ultimately unfamiliar with his comedy. And then it hit me…this was the motherfucker that once defended Alan Jackson on our old friends’ Tom Thakkar and Tommy McNamara’s podcast Stand By Your Band. And I didn’t even need to go back and re-listen to it to remember it as being one of my favorite podcasts episodes of all time. And for those who are unfamiliar, I highly recommend it. He’s also actually on the show’s latest episode as well defending Fuel, which I am looking forward to checking out.

But I shall refrain from making this about the Toms. Today is about Kenny and his absolutely incredible new special. In preparation for the special, I actually checked out his previously released special BAD Dreams that is also available now, should you find yourself looking to double dip on Kenny’s greatness. And while his hairstyle has changed drastically, his wit and comedic prose that weaves in and out of self-deprecation to observations that should seem obvious but often are hidden, has not changed much. He’s obviously grown as a stand up, as time will surely do for the naturally talented. And that is definitely the best description I can think of to explain DeForest’s comedic abilities: naturally talented.

One of my favorite traits that a comic can portray on stage has always been honesty. Honesty can bleed into self-awareness. And when such self-awareness is delivered with a positive attitude, it can make for some of the most magical and hilarious moments between one person and a microphone, as well as an audience who can probably relate all too well to the material being presented to them. And that can meet a lot when you consider that Kenny is a white guy who has been living in Brooklyn for years. I may not be the most knowledgeable as to what that really means, but it is certainly an aspect that should drive a comedic sense of self-awareness for damn sure. 

I whole-heartedly believe that saying that Don’t You Know Who I Am? is a return to form for DeForest would be quite the understatement. As previously mentioned, he does have a natural ability and feels on the cusp of reaching a massive status based on a distinct mass appeal at the very least. All of that to say that while BAD Dreams was phenomenal, Kenny’s latest offering is even better and should be regarded as one of the best comedy specials of 2023.

Don’t You Know Who I Am? is available TODAY on YouTube, as well as an album version from Blond Medicine records that will be available tomorrow, August 19th! Check it out below. Be sure to like, comment, subscribe…all of that shit. And checkout kennydeforest.com to see when he will be in a city near you!