I LOVE writing the Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest. It’s probably my favorite piece to write and research, and I always find something interesting and cool. (Special Thanks to Gordon Elgart for writing up Sup Bro & Albert Brooks) This year is no exception, and I’m pretty excited to share it with you. More shows than usual are selling out early, so please act quickly! The full schedule is here.
I will also note that a big chunk of the SF Sketchfest family is based in Los Angeles and is somehow STILL putting this thing on while their home is experiencing great tragedy. For those looking to donate, I am a big fan of Mutual Aid LA and their work, and I trust them to put your donations to good use. And folks in the Bay Area can bring items to Hella Positive to get them to our neighbors.
Thursday, January 16th
Donde Esta Mi Comedy at Lost Church
I’ve lost hours on Ashley Monique’s Instagram Reels page. She’s a brilliant stand-up comic and really hits the specific vibe of being a Latina woman in the Bay Area. I don’t have anything witty to say here… She’s just good.
FOR: Comedy Nerds
Friday, January 17th
The hardest part of SF Sketchfest is deciding what to do because, at any given moment, about five once-in-a-lifetime performances are happening across town. The genius of Stamptown is that you get a 90-minute tasting menu of, um, 13 different acts. Demi Adejuyigbe, Marshall Arkley, Kylie Brakeman, BriTANick, Business Casual, Miles Calderon, Clown and a Drummer, Eliza Dillon, Erin Farrington, Camden Garcia, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Martin Urbano, Dylan Woodley & David Zucker will all speed through performances while “ringleader” Zach Zucker organizing the chaos.
FOR: Indecisive Nerds, ADHD Nerds
Dinner Date with Rachel Bloom, Dan Gregor, Jamie Denbo, and John Ross Bowie at Great Star Theater
I believe the clip below is simply a home movie from Rachel Bloom and Dan Gregor, just from their day-to-day lives. As dull as it is, it’s much better when they play things up for the crowd.
FOR: Musical Theater Nerds, Improv Nerds, Rachel Bloom Fans aka Nerds
Saturday, January 18th
Airplane! Live Read at Palace Of Fine Arts
No movie has had a more profound effect on me and how I process things than Airplane! It is a profound work of genius. At its heart, it’s a love story about managing PTSD disguised as a disaster comedy, and every time I watch it, it fills me with more joy and another dimension to this film is unveiled. At this event Robert Hays will reprise his role as Ted Stryker a mere 45 years later on stage at the Palace Of Fine Arts.
FOR: Film Nerds, Satire Nerds
Sunday, January 19th
An attempt to clone Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart only makes it terrible? I’m 100% in here.
FOR Music Nerds, obviously.
Tuesday, January 21st
Albert Brooks in conversation with Kevin Pollak: An SF Sketchfest Tribute
Albert Brooks says he hasn’t been to San Francisco in nearly 50 years! That means he hasn’t been here to talk about Real Life, Lost in America, Defending Your Life … heck, even Finding Nemo! This isn’t right! Finally, he’s going to sit down with Kevin Pollak to have a conversation about, I assume, all of these and more! Just be careful picking out a CD while driving to the show, and whatever you do, don’t ask him about his nest egg!
FOR: Movie Nerds, Legendary Nerds
Wednesday, January 22nd
The Richmond District of San Francisco will always remind me of a time when I drank far too much and lived a life of pure chaos. Mirthquake!, which is normally Monday Nights at Abbey Tavern, is stand-up comedy chaos that my body can’t handle anymore. Somehow, Sketchfest managed to bring this thing to a LiveNation venue on a Wednesday night, and I’m hoping someone gets into trouble because of that.
FOR: Local Comedy Nerds
Friday, January 24th
Tinder Live! 10th Anniversary with Lane Moore at Cobb’s Comedy Club
I ADORE Lane Moore. I got to interview her two years ago, and I reflect on this conversation frequently. This show is genius- it’s a live swiping of Lane Moore’s Tinder feed. It’s genius, and it will make people very uncomfortable.
FOR: Human Behavior Nerds, Romance Nerds, Tech Nerds (It’s a whole show that centers around an app!)
Saturday, January 25th
Sup, Bro? at Cobb’s Comedy Club
Josh Gondelman writes a weekly newsletter on Substack where he provides pep talks to both his readers and disparate people who are less likely to read the newsletter (Chappell Roan, The Boston Celtics and Jerry Seinfeld came up fairly recently). That’s such a nice thing to get to read every week! And it’s not just pleasant, it’s also very funny! So if he’s got a co-host (sorry, I don’t read your Substack, Alison Leiby) and a lineup of known killers (Aparna Nancherla, Dave Mizzoni, Dulce Sloan, and Paul F Tompkins), well, what else are you going to do with your evening?
FOR: Standup comedy nerds, Nerds who wish they were in a writer’s room, Substack Nerds
Sunday, January 26th
Edinburgh Spotlight: The London Cycling Man at Eclectic Box
First of all, drag queens get all the hype while there are brilliant drag kings out there. There are also some amusing, annoying guy types to play with. But the underrated buy type to mock is the “bicycle guy.” Happily, SF Sketchfest imported from across the pond for one afternoon the brilliant Kathy Maniura and their one king show, “The London Cycling Man.”
FOR: Drag Nerds, Bike Nerds, Anglophiles
Tuesday, January 28th
The Music Of Kids In The Hall at Great American Music Hall
When I first saw this on the list, it took me a minute to recall the music from Kids In The Hall. Until I remember that one of my high school girlfriends and I used to sing “I’m Gay” to each other all the time. And then there’s “Daves I Know.” And that brilliant theme. And, yeah, this is gonna be fun.
FOR: Canada Nerds, Sketch Comedy Nerds
Thursday, January 30th
Cassie Workman: Aberdeen at Gateway Theater
A one-woman show where someone does a fictional interview with an animated Kurt Cobain should not be good. Yet, somehow, Cassie Workman has done this to great critical acclaim. From what I’ve gathered, she’s captured the heart and soul of Cobain and honors his legacy in a profoundly nerd-like manner. I can’t wait for this one.
FOR: Gen-X Nerds, Music Nerds, Pacific Northwest History Nerds
Friday, January 31st
Tight & Nerdy: “Weird Al” Burlesque with Allie Goertz at Club Fugazi
There are a lot of times that the SF Sketchfest bookers seem to be actively trying to appeal to me at 13 years old. BUT- Burlesque dancers dancing to the music of “Weird Al” Yankovic?!?!? WHAT!?!?!?!?!? AND IT’S BEING HOSTED BY A WOMAN THAT HAS PUT OUT A RECORD OF DRAMATICALLY REARRANGED NINE INCH NAILS SONGS?!?!?! Little 13-year-old Dakin is, quite literally, about to explode. Heck, little 45-year-old Dakin can hardly contain himself over this one.
FOR: Pubescent Gen X Nerds
Saturday, February 1st
Middle-Aged Dad Jam Band at Great American Music Hall
The core of this band is two members of The State- Ken Marino on vocals and David Wain on drums. I was suspicious of this project at first- it seemed a little self-indulgent. But once they started gigging out, they proved that they had some serious chops. Marino can sing, but Wain can PLAY. He’s such a monster drummer. The setlists tend to focus on soft rock from the 70s and 80s, but they are clearly interested in challenging themselves musically while still being great entertainers.
FOR: Yacht Rock Nerds, Billy Joel Fans, Me
Sunday, February 2nd
I’ve been dreaming of a reunion of The State for ages. In 2023, I finally got it. In 2024, we got a live read on unreleased sketches. MY BRAIN EXPLODED. This year? Holy shit. It’s an entire bloody musical from the archives. I CAN’T WAIT. This was the first thing I bought a ticket for, and I will be in the front row, waiting to transcend to the heavens. Especially if this is all an extension of one of the finest moments in State history:
FOR: Porcupine Nerds
The Nadia Quinn Show at The Lost Church
It’s time for Nadia Quinn to finally pop on your radar. She’s carrying the torch of “musical theater-influenced comedy-folk music” that we’ve been dearly lacking in the decade since the last Garfunkel & Oates record. She’s bringing her variety show to The Lost Church, and she’s got Thomas Lennon & Ken Marino of The State in what is likely the smallest venue you will ever see them do ANYTHING in.
FOR: Musical Theater Nerds
