Whoa! This is my 12th Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest! And after 14 long years (including two really, really long years not too long ago) of writing these, I can declare that SF Sketchfest has finally done it! They’ve booked the holy trinity of surreal sketch comedy! Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), Kids In The Hall, and The State are all appearing! These three are the unifying forces that brought together both the stoners and the kids afraid of weed. AND I AM HERE FOR IT! Honestly, this year’s SF Sketchfest, which I believe is the 21st edition of the event, is probably the most bonkers year yet. I have barely started to figure out what gigs I’m seeing… I need to write this almost for myself as much as for you, my loyal reader.
A complete schedule and links to tickets can be found here!
Thursday, January 18th
Eric Idle but Jeff B Davis at The Castro
I’m assuming the name of this show is some sort of Python reference that I’m not getting. That being said, Eric Idle is probably the king of all sketch comedy for all time, and he very rarely makes his way over to the USA. Jeff B Davis is much younger and significantly more American, but don’t hold that against him. Much like the major motion picture Rock Star, Davis was in a Monty Python Tribute Band, so this is probably a dream come true for him.
For: Perpetually 12 years old nerd
Friday, November 19th
Jeopargay! With Spike Einbinder and Honey Pluton
I don’t always get starstruck, and I’ve rarely even watched Jeopardy. BUT- I live in Oakland, and I will randomly see Amy Schneider around and say, well, absolutely nothing, and just let her mind her business. But yeah, I think it’s kinda cool that she’s going to share the stage with a slew of queer comedians playing their own version of Jeopardy. And it’s also a little unfair to make common humans go up against the Yngwie Malmsteen of TV Quiz Shows.
For: Quiz Show Nerds
The Red Room Orchestra play The Lost Boys Soundtrack, Featuring Tim Capello
A mere 45 minutes away from the murder capital of the world (they call it Santa Carla, but we all know it’s Santa Cruz. BEWARE!), we will all be safe in the arms of the (somehow still, after all these years), the heavily muscled and pony-tailed saxophone legend Tim Capello. He and a loyal group of fellow entertainers, including Peaches Christ, Chaki The Funk Wizard, Dave Hill, will keep us safe from vampires, surfers, and hippies, all while serenading us with song.
For: Goth Nerds, Sax Nerds, Local Cinema Nerds, My one friend who’s kind of obsessed with Tim Capello, whom I wrote this with the unique intention of simply making her laugh.
Saturday, November 20th
The State was the greatest sketch comedy show in TV history. No piece of media has had a more profound effect on who I am and how I think. The State was NEVER mean. Rarely did they rely on stereotypes for jokes, and when they did, it was always punching up and never punching down. (See: The Jew, The Italian, and The Red-Head Gay) And at this show, they will be doing read-throughs of sketches that didn’t make the air back in the 90’s.
I couldn’t be more excited. Also, I just noticed that Todd Haloubek will be there, and he was missing from their show at The Warfield last fall. CHICKEN SANDWICH, CARL!
For: It’s Me. I’m the nerd, it’s me.
Ken Marino and David Wain have a classic rock cover band. How do two members of The State have a band, and Kerri Kenney-Silver of Cake Like, one of the greatest bands ever, ISN’T involved? At least Weird Al will be there.
For: Pop Culture Nerds, 90’s MTV Nerds
Tinder Live with Lane Moore and David Cross
Honestly, the main reason I’m recommending this show is that I read Lane’s How To Be Alone Even If You Don’t Want To during the worst flight of my life, and it may have made me cry a few times, and now I’m a Lane Moore superfan. (I also interviewed her last year for this very festival) But, also, this premise is great. Moore and a friend simply roast Tinder profiles. Hopefully, yours will make it on screen.
For: Hopeless Romantic Nerds, Human Behavior Nerds
Sunday, January 21st
Mo Willems & The Storytime All-Stars Live
I had a kid in 2019. I was really excited about this for several reasons, but I was really, REALLY excited about bringing them out to the kid’s shows that SF Sketchfest does. And it doesn’t hurt that my kid LOVES Mo Willems. And Weird Al. So, yeah, I think this thing is gonna be magic.
For: Kid Lit Nerds, Actual Kids
I know the classic version of crime nerd is the nerd that likes to investigate crimes. But a special kind of nerd likes to commit crimes, and Laci Mosley has a podcast JUST FOR THOSE PEOPLE! Digging deep into the nerdiest of criminal enterprises- scams and fraud, and bringing popular funny people along for the ride!
For: Criminal Nerds and Nerds That Like To Protect Themselves from Criminal Nerds
Tuesday, January 23rd
I guess Kids In The Hall never did a proper MTV Unplugged. It’s probably because they are a sketch group and not a band. Or maybe it’s because guitar whiz Allyson Baker is just about the same age as me, and she would’ve been in middle school when these Canadian sketch legends were the center of the universe. Either way, this should be a fun little career retrospective event with Canada’s favorite children not named Drake.
For: Canada Nerds, Gen-X Nerds
Wednesday, January 24th
Kids In The Hall: Scene They Wouldn’t Let Us Do
HOLY MAPLE SYRUP!!! A whole show of the stuff Kids In The Hall were forced to cut?!?!?!? AND IF YOU SLEPT ON TICKETS, THEY ARE LIVESTREAMING THIS THING ON VEEPS!!!! I mean, c’mon? This is gonna be magic.
For: Much more vulgar Canada Nerds than the ones going to see the Unplugged show.
Thursday, January 25th
Clare O’Kane Album Recording with opening set by Eugene Mirman
Clare O’Kane is a long-time friend of Spinning Platters. She’s such a lovely human, but she is literally the funniest person in the world. She never takes a punchline in the direction you expect it to, and I’m always just a little nervous about where she’s going to take us on the verbal journey we are riding with her on. Tonight she’s recording a record, so you’ll be able to reflect on this evening for the rest of your life (after it’s edited, mastered, marketed, pressed, and distributed, of course)!
For: Stand Up Comedy Nerds, because everyone should study Clare if you wanna be a comedian
Pylon Reenactment Society / Kelly Stoltz
This isn’t a comedy show. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to seeing Pylon, the centerpiece of the Athens, GA scene in the 80’s that also gave us REM and The B-52’s. I remember seeing Corin Tucker play at this very same venue, and she covered Pylon’s “Cool” that night and gave me one bit of advice- to listen to Pylon. I hold that advice dear and extend it to you.
For: Music Nerds and anyone else who likes good things in general.
Friday, January 25th
Jon Glaser’s Soothing Meditations For The Solitary Dog
An evening of wine and painting dog portraits with the man who played the villain on Parks and Recreation? Followed by an evening of stand-up comedy centered around the anxiety a dog faces when left alone?!?! YES YES YES YES YES!!!!
For: Dog Nerds, Art Nerds, Wine Nerds
They Call Us… The Chonga Girls
Mimi Davila and Laura di Lorenzo at The Chonga Girls have been quietly making some of the best Latina sketch comedy I’ve ever seen for 16 years on YouTube. This is insane to say since these are some very, very loud sketches. Also brilliant.
For: Empollenes
Saturday, January 27th
The other day, my kid was wailing because I mispronounced a word in a book and refused to start over completely. I also neglected to help them put their hood up “the right way.” And accidentally called them a lion when they were pretending to be a baby sea serpent. Anyway, this podcast is good.
For: Folks that used to really be nerds but then had kids and are too tired to enjoy anything anymore
Self Help Me with Jenny Yang: A Competitive Self Care Comedy Show
In the last week, I’ve become addicted to reading fluff piece analyses of folks who collect Stanley Quencher cups. None of them say anything different, aside from that it’s really hip to hydrate these days. But- I’ve read so many of those articles that I’m 100% certain I could win a game show about self-care.
For: Self Care Nerds, Trend Spotters
Sunday, January 28th
The Greatest Generation: Share Your Embarassment Tour
Finally. I get to spotlight the “original” nerd culture. STAR TREK! I’m not a Trekkie, but I was raised by Trekkies. I do, however, have a favorite William Shatner record. And a favorite Star Trek movie, which happens to be Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which ALSO happens to be the movie that is being discussed this night. It’s also a bit of a divisive one, so I think we are in for a treat.
For: Trekkies. Duh.
Tuesday, January 30th
The Red Room Orchestra play The Harold & Maude Soundtrack
The original soundtrack to Harold & Maude was only released in Japan. And it was missing a ton of songs from the movie AND had a bunch of Cat Stevens hits that weren’t in the movie. It really was a Cat Stevens compilation. Then, in the mid 2007’s, an actual soundtrack came out that was massive and great. And then another single disc version of it came out that was just the *right* Cat Stevens songs. And then, in 2022, years after everyone threw out their CD player, a CD version of Harold & Maude came out for the first time. If you are looking for me at this show, I’ll be trying to find ANYONE willing to discuss the release history of this classic soundtrack and get really excited to find out which version we get at this show.
I fully expect to get wedgied this night.
For: Film Nerds, Music Nerds, Compilation Nerds, Release Strategy Nerds, Record Label Nerds, and, well, that very specific kinda nerd that is me.
Wednesday, January 31st
Comedy Rodeo with Hayden Kristal
This might just be a solid stand-up night. But Hayden Kristal is definitely obsessed with horses, so a boy can dream that this night will be a full night of horse jokes.
For: Horse Nerds
Thursday, February 1st
The Bechdel Cast presents The Barbie Tour
Have we gotten enough analyses of the 2023 hit film Barbie? No, we haven’t. Also, it’s the only movie I’ve seen in theaters this decade. (See all references to having a kid) And Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus are both actual geniuses. So this will be an excellent evening. And Spinning Platters LOVES The Bechdel Cast.
For: Toy Nerds, Feminism Nerds, Movie Nerds
Friday, February 2nd
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy play REM’s Reckoning
Yup. The same band is doing Murmur the night before, which is REM’s debut record. But the real nerds know the sophomore record is the way to go. Besides, “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” is one of the few songs that we’ve gotten live from members of REM since REM’s breakup. This band is pretty much a perfect indie rock supergroup, and this will be great.
For: Indie Rock Nerds that used to be called College Radio Nerds in the 80’s.
Saturday, February 3rd
Moshe Kasher’s Subculture Vulture: An Evening In Six Scenes
There is definitely a bit of tension between the worlds of nerd culture and counterculture. And, somehow, Moshe Kasher is able to make that balance. It might be because he’s an Oakland native who grew up during the rise of both Silicon Valley AND Burning Man. Tonight, he is hosting discussions on Burning Man, Raves, The Deaf Community, Judaism, Sobriety, and Stand-Up Comedy, and they all like to go deep and smart. I think anyone in attendance will come out of it a more well-rounded person.
For: Every Kind Of Nerd, Nerds that want to broaden their horizons into other nerd cultures
Sunday, February 4th
GLOP meets GLOG: Gorgeous Ladies of Puppetry meet Gorgeous Ladies of Groundlings
PUPPETRY!!!! WOMEN MAKING PUPPETS AND DOING IMPROV WITH PUPPETS! Puppets are nerd kryptonite. So is improv. Improv puppets performed by women? It’s gonna be magic. AND I can bring my kid? BEAUTIFUL!
For: Puppetry Nerds
The weirdest thing about COVID is how it suddenly made everyone obsess over 00s emo. So, of course, it’s time to mock the most mockable music genre in history with an improvised night of fake emo music.
For: Folks that think they are nerds but actually get really drunk every month at Emo Nite and cry out “Whoa-oh” whenever they hear the phrase “Are You Listening?”
