While it may not be exactly unique to say Michael Kosta is excited to get back out on the road after “all that time away,” what he wants to share is.
Bringing his brand new hour to Somerville’s Crystal Ballroom on Friday (March 4), the Daily Show correspondent had a lot of time to write, and in turn, a lot of time to think. Although there is a two year gap that separates him from his Comedy Central special, Detroit. NY. LA., Kosta isn’t looking too much in the rearview. Instead, he’s bringing us up to speed in real time, as a man who is two years older and more than excited to sink his teeth into the stage of a new venue.
“I have a brand new hour that is way different from my last special, so it’s just very exciting to get back out there,” Kosta tells Vanyaland. “I’m a new person, I have new jokes and a new perspective on things, as we all do, since I don’t think anybody is exactly the same person they were two years ago, so the opportunity to try out my new hour in a new venue is perfect.”
Where his last hour was based more in showing a chip on his shoulder when it came to showing people just what veteran comedians go through and the ranks they still have to climb, Kosta is feeling a bit more free to roam into different, lighter, and more personal territory with the new slate.
“[With the special] I was more distraught about what people may have thought comedians did, and maybe that perception comes from Instagram or TikTok,” says Kosta. “Now, I’m a little bit older, I’ve experienced a pandemic, and I do so much political material on The Daily Show, that when I got on stage to perform stand-up naturally, it just isn’t happening politically. I’m talking more about me, my family, and the world around us that isn’t as obvious as politics.”
While the world around us is certainly on edge for various reasons, Kosta is, oddly enough, feeling a relaxation when it comes to his personal life. Although we’ve gone through the most recent election, January 6, and everything that has come along with Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Kosta is feeling like things are a lot less extreme for him, and he’s looking to share that dialing back of the extreme through stories about the goings on aside from The Daily Show, like being a dad.
Another aspect of that relaxation is that Kosta has come to the realization that he’s forty-two years old with nearly 20 years, an album, and a Comedy Central filling his comedy resume, so he’s no longer worried about trying to prove himself as an artist.
“I don’t have this yearning to prove that I’m good at comedy, but in an odd way, it’s helped relax me,” says Kosta. “In a way, it’s like I’m in the majors, where I don’t have to hit a home run every at-bat. I can show people that I’m an excellent player just by going to work every day and doing my job. I’ve also had a kid, and anyone reading this knows that will humble you dramatically, so I’m writing comedy for me, but also as more of a humble dad now.”
Although he loves working with the team atmosphere of his day job, and praises Trevor Noah as a great boss, you won’t find political musings too often in Kosta’s stage offerings. In fact, it’s the balance between his avenue on TV and the more introspective nature of his stand-up that makes his hectic schedule so fun to balance, and being able to parlay his chance to work with such a talented team during the day into then being able to cultivate individual art at night has proven be his lifeblood of sorts when it comes to his craft.
“In terms of a creative battery, on a heavy news day, you can leave the offices of The Daily Show and feel like that battery is at zero,” says Kosta. “You do have to switch gears, and thankfully, they don’t just give you The Daily Show in your first year of comedy. For me, it happened in my fifteenth year, so I had some experience in learning how to keep things going, how to pace myself, and how to look for the funny in a story about voter suppression, but then flipping that switch and finding the funny in a story about how my dad used to make pancakes or something.”
It’s been a hot minute since Kosta last visited Boston, but the vibe of the city still sticks with him, as he can truly appreciate audiences that like to drink as much as they like to learn. A lot has changed for the Michigander in between visits, but for him, it’s all about continuing to sculpt his craft, and hopefully gain some new fans along the way.
“Any time I can get into a big city that has a lot going for it like Boston does, it’s a great opportunity for me,” says Kosta. “I just love performing, and I love trying to make people laugh, so any time I get to be on the stage of a new venue, and hopefully create new fans and supporters of mine, it’s a really fun opportunity.”
MICHAEL KOSTA :: Friday, March 4 :: 7:30 p.m. :: The Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square in Somerville :: Tickets are $27