Comedy – Page 15 – Spinning Platters

SF Sketchfest Review: The Fogelnest Files on 2/7/14

fogelnest files

Last night, Jake Fogelnest hosted his podcast, The Fogelnest Files, live for Sketchfest with guest Chris Gethard and they talked, as possibly only they can, about Manhattan Public Access Cable Shows. And it might go down as the best night of my Sketchfest. The Fogelnest Files is a podcast where they play some YouTube videos and discuss them. It might not sound like something really special, or even the best idea for a podcast, but it was a real honor to have two such passionate people talk sincerely about a bizarre art form that they so dearly love. It’s not often enough that I get to see that level of enthusiasm with that much clarity to the way it was presented. Of course, it was also a weirdly nostalgic evening for me, and left me with the strange longing and excitement of a teenager. But I’m going to save that personal stuff for the end and just start off by attempting to explain what a wonderful show this was. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Fogelnest Files on 2/7/14”

SF Sketchfest Review: Inside Inside Amy Schumer on 2/6/14

The name of the panel is Inside Inside Amy Schumer. There were so many deliciously raunchy options that they could’ve gone with. Like, Deep Inside Amy Schumer. But, no. They had to take a beautifully dirty title, and make it, dare I say, CLEAN! I was worried that this meant that we would be getting a watered down version of Amy Schumer tonight’s event. I was worried that maybe this meant that Amy Schumer wasn’t so raunchy on the inside. I’m starting to think that I worry too much.

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SF Sketchfest Review: The Slipnutz Variety Show on 2/1/2014

Ironically, it's hard to get a quality picture of the World Famous Slipnutz — Ironically, it’s hard to get a quality picture of the World Famous Slipnutz

It took a lifetime of fandom, four years of journalism and three previous 2014 articles to see a show that could only be described as “preposterous.” After consuming every brand of insanity, irony, and imagination, never have I seen such incommunicable ridiculousness. The Slipnutz Variety Show, presented by Andy Blitz, Jon Glaser and Brian Stack, three Conan-vetted writers/performers, was the quintessential Sketchfest experience: hilarious, subversive and unpredictable (above a fine, peanuty powder). Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Slipnutz Variety Show on 2/1/2014”

Show Review: Wainy Days Live on 2/1/14

I will fully admit to the fact that I had never seen Wainy Days prior to this evening at Marines’ Memorial Theater. The reason I went to this performance was because the cast bridged my favorite TV show when I was 12, The State, and my favorite TV show now, at the age of 35, Parks & Recreation. It’s silly that I’ve never seen it, as I think David Wain is one of the greatest comic minds of our generation. So, I knew I was in for a surprise or two.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Megan Mullally in Concert with her band Nancy and Beth on 1/31/2014

Stephanie Hunt and Megan Mullally are Nancy and Beth.

One of the best things about SF Sketchfest is that it brings fantastic comedic talent we might not otherwise have a lot of opportunity to see right here to the Bay Area. For example, Megan Mullally. The woman is equal parts brilliantly funny and beautiful. I’ve been a fan of hers since Will & Grace, though admittedly haven’t followed her career as closely as perhaps I should have. That’s why I’d never heard of her musical act (a duo with funny girl Stephanie Hunt, who I know from How to Live with Your Parents…, Californication, and Friday Night Lights), Nancy and Beth.Anyway, thanks to Sketchfest’s awesome musical offerings, I was able to catch their set last Friday night at SF’s JCC with the utterly wonderful and hilarious opener The Lampshades, and one night was all it took to make a fan out of me! Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Megan Mullally in Concert with her band Nancy and Beth on 1/31/2014”

SF Sketchfest Review: Stardumb! on 2/1/2014

Bill Dwyer and Erica Rhodes, hosts of Stardumb!

Stardumb! is a fake game show hosted by Bill Dwyer where actors and comedians are asked to answer varying levels of personal questions for points. When I read the description on the SF Sketchfest site I knew I had to see what this was all about. That and two of my celebrity crushes were scheduled to be there. How could I resist that? I’m so glad I didn’t. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Stardumb! on 2/1/2014”

SF Sketchfest Review: Sara Benincasa & Kate Berlant at The Eureka Theater, 2/1/14

A lot of people have a hard time with the notion of “feminist comedy.” A lot of people assume that it’s nothing more than a lot of jokes about men, and, well, not very funny. This double header at The Eureka Theater proves that entire notion to be wrong. This show featured two of the finest feminist comedians working the circuit today, and this set presented the genre in a way that would open the mind of the most prejudiced comedy fan. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Sara Benincasa & Kate Berlant at The Eureka Theater, 2/1/14”

SF Sketchfest Review: The Girls on 2/01/2014

You’d be forgiven for assuming that The Girls is a vanity project. Fronted by Julianna Guill (Underemployed, Glory Daze), Cyrina Fiallo (The Sopranos, Good Luck Charlie) and Alison Brie (Mad Men, Community) and backed by members of the Jones Street station (Danny Erker, Walt Wells and the drummer who’s name I’m afraid I didn’t catch. It may be Paul Apelgren but I can’t say that with full certainty), the project has all the trappings of a hastily thrown together cover band for three actresses who can maybe sing a little.

You’d be forgiven, but you’d be wrong.

The Girls are phenomenal.

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SF Sketchfest Review: The Greatest Event in Festival History on 2/01/2014

It would be impossible to fill out a standard account of the events of The Greatest Event in Festival History, a panel for the shockingly popular Adult Swim series where Adam Scott (Party Down, Parks and Recreation) painstakingly recreates the opening sequences of 80’s tv shows. The panel featured star/creator/co-director Scott, co-director Lance Bangs (acclaimed music video director for acts such as Green Day, Belle and Sebastian and The Shins) and co-star/professional Ted Knight impersonator Jon Glaser (Parks and Recreation, Late Night with Conan O’Brien) and was moderated by Kumail Nanjiani (Franklin & Bash, The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail).

However, what happened during the 90 minutes that these stars were on stage defies all sense of narrative cause and effect. So, in order to give you an idea of what occurred that day, I present to you a list of real actual things that for real happened during The Greatest Event in Festival History.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction on 1/31/2014

competitive-erotic-fan-fiction2

Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction with Bryan Cook is the funniest, dirtiest, podcast I’ve ever seen live. Five comedians are asked to write a fan fiction piece on anything they want before the show and present it while five other comedians get suggestions from the audience and have to write a fan fiction piece on the spot. Each group has a winner crowned by the audience and everyone leaves, amused, maybe slightly disturbed, and possibly sore from laughing. At least that’s how I felt last night. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction on 1/31/2014”