Category: SF Sketchfest

TALKIES is BACK IN THE BAY AREA (BRIEFLY)

Y’know, as often as I try to keep on top of hip, new things, I’m 43 years old (going on 44 next month!), and I DEFINITELY reminisce about the Bay Area of my youth (Read: 30’s). And Talkies at the old Cinecave (The best comedy venue in history, RIP) was something that I always loved. Well, ever since George Chen moved to LA, the show moved, too. We’d only get to enjoy the blend of film, PowerPoint, stand-up, sketch, and storytelling that is TALKIES during his annual Sketchfest visit. Well… FEAR NOT! TALKIES is ON TOUR and it’s coming home during the off-Sketchfest season!  

TALKIES is hosted by Nick Stargu, Aviva Siegel, George Chen, and Land Smith-Abbinate. Special Guests for these shows will be Drennon Davis and Jack Brown, along with Ashley Monique in SF and Jessica Sele in Sacramento and Santa Cruz. (BTW: I bloody love those last two comics AND don’t drive, so, yeah, I’m a little sad about them being on different shows.)

Next week, they are bringing the show to Punch Line in SF on October 3rd, Comedy Spot in Sacramento on October 4th, and Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz on October 5th! 

SF Sketchfest Review: Going Up with Sara Schaefer at Gateway Theater, 1/29/23

The brilliant writer and comedian, filled the theatre Sunday night: a one woman Pyramid Scheme scrambling Tony Robbin’s pitchman energy. Sara started a podcast during COVID. She had saved up a lot of clues from her Twitter trolls, mostly peer comics and fans that they had sicked on her, and information about the so-called the way to make it in comedy. The industry model. Multi Level multi-discipline classes in avoiding misogyny in the comedy business.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Going Up with Sara Schaefer at Gateway Theater, 1/29/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: Janeane Garafalo at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/23

No, that’s not an unhoused person. It’s Janeane Garafolo! A clan of the cave bear silhouette, Janeane shuffled out from the side stage with self-proclaimed “unsolicited dreads” and control top tights & shorts. Two separate nude concealing undergarments, mind you. She claims that when she got hit by a car, Spanks™ saved her from going to the hospital. Which she just won’t do anyway. She claims to be a “Pedo~file:” she walks everywhere, hates working on her core, and refuses checkups and physicals.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Janeane Garafalo at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: The Crossword Show at the Gateway Theatre, 2/3/23

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you may already know that those of us who contribute to Spinning Platters are known around here as “music nerds.” While I absolutely identify as such, there’s another term that describes me even better: word nerd. I delight not just in clever wordplay but languages in general, etymology… you name it. So when I heard about Zach Sherwin‘s Crossword Show, which promised a night full of crossword puzzles, trivia, comedy, and fun, I knew I couldn’t miss it!

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Crossword Show at the Gateway Theatre, 2/3/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: Red Room Orchestra does “Repo Man” at Great American Music Hall, 2.3.23

I should confess… I’ve never seen the movie Repo Man. I worked at a corporate music store in the late ’90s, and I recall stocking a CD called Repo Man and putting it in the punk compilations. Because, looking at the track listing, I just assumed that the “movie” was a fake movie for what was an AMAZING compilation of LA Punk. I honestly just assumed it was an early ’80’s version / LA version of the classic Kill Rock Stars compilation in the early ’90s / Pacific Northwest. I probably owned that CD for over a decade before I learned it was a real movie. 

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Red Room Orchestra does “Repo Man” at Great American Music Hall, 2.3.23″

SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy For Bass Players, but Everyone is Welcome with Fred Armisen at Great American Music Hall, 1/29/23

Photo By Jakub Mosur

Fred Armisen knows music really well. His knowledge is vast and deep. He understands music theory, understands music’s relationship to pop culture, and knows how people “listen” to music. I can think of few other people outside of Tom Lehrer that could pull off shows such as “Stand Up for Drummers,” “Comedy for Musicians,” “Comedy for Guitarists,” and now, “Comedy for Bass Players,” which he brought to the Great American Music Hall for three packed nights. 

Similar to 2020’s “Comedy for Guitarists,” he brought out a different guest each night. Night 1 was Les Claypool of Primus fame. Night 2 was Kathy Valentine from The Go-Gos. I’m sure those shows were great, as I learned to play bass by emulating both of those folks. Well, I *tried* to emulate. Those two are monsters on the 4-string boomstick. (Why wasn’t Mike Watt invited to this?) But on the third night, we were graced by Bay Area rock royalty: Green Day’s Mike Dirnt.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy For Bass Players, but Everyone is Welcome with Fred Armisen at Great American Music Hall, 1/29/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: River Butcher at Brava Theater Center, 1/24/23

My first SF Sketchfest show in 3 years! And it’s a double header of shows from my personal SF Sketchfest past at the wonderful Brava Theater Center! The festival has been rescheduled twice, and I am so happy to finally be doing it! The first one is this wonderful stand-up performance from River Butcher and opener Hayden Kristal. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: River Butcher at Brava Theater Center, 1/24/23”

SF Sketchfest Interview: Marc Capelle of Red Room Orchestra

Red Room Orchestra has become a bit of an SF Sketchfest staple. They first graced our presence with a tribute to the music from Twin Peaks, and have, in the years since, brought to life the songs and scores from Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Big Lebowski, and Boogie Nights. This year they are returning with Twin Peaks in homage to its late composer Angelo Badalamenti and late vocalist Julee Cruise, playing Great American Music Hall on Thursday, February 2nd. The next night they are doing the music from Repo Man, and those tickets can be purchased here. 

We had the opportunity to talk to Red Room Orchestra’s founder and band leader Marc Capelle about his career, the inception of Red Room Orchestra, and a lot about how they function. 

Spinning Platters: What was the musical experience that made you decide that this was your career? Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Interview: Marc Capelle of Red Room Orchestra”

SF Sketchfest Review: The Benson Movie Interruption: The Lost Boys at the Great Star Theater, 1/27/23

Oh, SF Sketchfest, how I’ve missed you. Fortunately, now that we’re living in what I can only call a ‘semi-post-COVID’ world, our favorite local comedy festival has returned. For me, there was only one way to properly celebrate the restoration of a few weeks’ worth of laughs like only Sketchfest can give us: by getting myself to the Great Star Theater late-ish last night to hear Doug Benson and special guests poke fun at the 80s cult classic The Lost Boys. Warning to anyone who sadly has not yet seen this movie: spoilers ahead!

Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Benson Movie Interruption: The Lost Boys at the Great Star Theater, 1/27/23”

SF Sketchfest Review: Femmes The Rules at Brava Cabaret, 1/21/23

One of the games I like to play is “SF Sketchfest Roulette.” This is when I pick a random show with nobody I’ve heard of on the bill and hope for the best! The lucky winner this night was Femmes The Rules. A show that was advertised as a show where female-identifying comics interrupt male-identifying comics while they do a bit. GENIUS PREMISE! I’m on board. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Femmes The Rules at Brava Cabaret, 1/21/23”