Watch Kyle Kinane Perform Standup in a Soundproof Room

Seven Minutes in Purgatory is a new standup show put together by Matt Byrne and Ian Abramson in which standups perform in a soundproof room, while the audience watches in a separate room. “The idea is to see what happens when comedians have nothing to respond to,” Byrne says. It’s a pretty fun concept, with great results. Above, check out a recent show from UCB Sunset in LA in which Kyle Kinane learns what it’s like to do standup without knowing how the audience is reacting at all. “I think I like it better this way,” he says at one point, “because then you can’t tell what jokes suck, so your self-esteem can stay even.” And isn’t that what’s important?

Watch Kyle Kinane Perform Standup in a Soundproof Room