When having a podcast is so de rigeur for LA comedians that even recent émigrés to the city feel near compelled to craft a show, originality becomes a major priority. Luckily for all involved, comedian and now podcast host Kurt Braunohler has taken this to heart, more than just innovating in overall format, he has also taken the opportunity to craft individual shows that switch things up from the podcast norm. Not only an original show, a grand achievement in itself, but The K-Ohle is also grandly entertaining, as you would hope from such an exciting and unusual stand-up.
The K-Ohle is currently split into three shows, with a fourth upcoming, and it is great to see Kurt Braunohler truly spreading his wings in the podcast format and attempting to really create the shows he wants. But for me, Get Lost is his most fascinating innovation. Set around the idea of taking one of his friends to a place they’ve never been, then getting them to explore and figure out where they are and why they might be there, it facilitates a very different kind of conversation to what you find in the majority of podcasts. And it’s not like this is an easy idea to realise, the ability to translate the visual into audio being difficult for even the most trained broadcasters, but whilst Braunohler and his guests are hardly trained documentarians, they bring a different aspect that brings these spectacles to life; which is that they are performers. As such, they are more than able to communicate and translate things in unusual ways, offer perspectives you didn’t think of, before transforming this into interesting conversation. Whilst ‘Get Lost’ does still feel like it has a few episodes to go before its fully fleshed out, the idea is already so interesting and close to being realised that its a journey more than worth taking with Braunohler and his guests.
Currently, the other two formats run closer to the podcast norm, with ‘The Boat Show’ being an improvised nonsense played around the idea of knowing a hell of a lot more about boats than Braunohler and his guest actually do, whilst the other is entitled ‘Pet-O-Philia,’ a show name that writes a cheque the actuality itself can’t really cash.
As a piece of cinversational imprpv, The Boat Shows works rather well, withthe sparring conversation and semi-competitive feel adding alittle extra sparkle to ghe show, combining different strains of lies to create something really amusing and engaging. But at its core it works best because Braunohler is aware of what the show is: a display of daftness.
Pet-o-Philia is even closer to your standard fare really, though with potential for growth if Braunohler does all that he can with it. For now the show is a jovial discussion of animals past, present, stupid and intelligent veering into storytelling and small amounis of quizzes sprinkled in for good measure. Ultimately it’s the least intriguing of the current three shows Braunohler is showcasing, though it is entirely capable of high points, given the talent on offer. What it shows is that Kurt can carry off a normal format pretty well, but this show specifically won’t turn many heads as yet, it’s just a little too cookie cutter, capable of moments of greatness but put across in a more unglamorous shell than you’d want, it’s quality almost lessened by the podcasts internal competition.
It is in its utilisation and multiplicity of format that the podcast shows itself at its best, since it really brings Kurt Braunohler and the show to life, showcasing his vision alongside his great sense of humour and comedy. Much as Get Lost is the jewel in the crown, it is the variety that finds The K-Ohle at its strongest, the shifting format uncovering where the gold is truly lain.
You can find the show through Nerdist.com or iTunes, whilst Kurt himself is @kurtbraunohler on the popular social media site of Twitter. Quick, before they turn the lights out, gogo!