In the years that the pandemic has persisted, there have been those of us have decried any sort talk in comedy about COVID-19 or any of its devastating effects, no matter how funny, in theory, comedians could make it. Of course, so much of comedy of any kind is derived from personal experience and why wouldn’t comedians talk about the they’re through with the rest of the 7 and change billion people on the planet?

Andy Haynes, already a great all around stand-up comedian that can play nearly anywhere, put together an hour with The Coward of Gramercy that, we believe, even the most COVID-anxious people can enjoy. After all, comedy can be a force of coping with tragedy as much as it is being the final touches on closure over the very same tragedy.

Haynes’ personal journey through the pandemic is the backbone of the hour as Andy draws sharply funny personal observations about quarantining with his now wife, comedian Rosebud Baker, and offers up the sort of humor that makes the listener feel less alone through this perpetually terrifying reality we’ve been in since 2020. In fact, Andy says “my wife” almost as much as one Borat Sagdiyev used to. As a result, there’s a grounding, comforting perspective from which Haynes works his way through his bits.

Intriguingly, this hour is an artful blend of material from the pandemic and some of Haynes’ hits from pre-pandemic (apologies to Andy if we’re tipping your hand here). However, you wouldn’t likely know that from how well arranged and ordered The Coward of Gramercy really is.

Again, in this fractured normalcy that isn’t normal at all, comedy can certainly help when you actually talk about what you’re going through and Haynes’ Coward of Gramercy is a stellar example of it.

You can stream The Coward of Gramercy wherever you stream your favorite comedy albums. Give it a listen here.