Comedy – Page 20 – Spinning Platters

Sketchfest Review: The Meltdown with Kumail Nanjiani, Jonah Ray and many more at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/2012

jonahandkumailonstageagain — This one was taken in the actual world famous comic book store.

On Wednesdays, in Los Angeles, you can go to Meltdown Comics and see comedy in the back of a comic book store. On Saturday night in San Francisco, hosts Kumail Nanjiani and Jonah Ray brought the comics but left the store behind. What this meant is that we were treated to a long and varied night of stand-up from a number of Meltdown regulars without a single back issue in sight. A small group of Spinning Platters writers were there, and Marie Carney and I are going to take on the task of telling you as much as possible about each comedian while saying as little as possible, and of course not burning material. That’s right: capsule reviews! Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: The Meltdown with Kumail Nanjiani, Jonah Ray and many more at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/28/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Comedy NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences, 1/26/11

Your Tour Guides, Kasper Hauser (By Jakub Mosur)

When I saw the roster of performers playing at California Academy of Sciences I knew I had to check it out. Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Greg Proops, Rick Overton and Will Franken were all scheduled to be there plus many more. I had no idea how they were going to pack in all of those performances, but with the entire California Academy of Sciences at their disposal it was easy to fit everyone in, but not so easy to see all the performers you wanted to. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Comedy NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences, 1/26/11”

Sketchfest Review: Drew Carey’s Improv-a-Ganza at Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 1/27/2012

I confess, I didn’t know that Drew Carey’s Improv-a-Ganza was a television show. I never had a chance to even watch it. What I did know, however, was Whose Line is it Anyway?, the long-running hysterical show imported from the UK and beloved by improv fans like me. With so many fantastically funny people roaming our fair city during Sketchfest, sometimes choosing the shows you’ll attend can be hard. Not for me, at least not last night: I couldn’t wait to get myself to the Marines’ Memorial Theatre for the second weekend in a row for an Improv-a-Ganza with Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Chip Esten and Jeff B. Davis.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Drew Carey’s Improv-a-Ganza at Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 1/27/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Hill/Jones, Don’t We Boys, and Knuckles & Tits @ Dark Room Theater, 1/21/2012

Dark Room Theater, a charming, janky barge, landlocked in the heart of the Mission. People are packed to the hypothetical rafters, forced to face their obvious claustrophobia to catch a glimmer of comedy. Young professionals, holding burritos, are held in anticipation (and melancholy due to confiscated beer). Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Hill/Jones, Don’t We Boys, and Knuckles & Tits @ Dark Room Theater, 1/21/2012”

Sketchfest Review: An Evening With Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, and Kerri Kenney-Silver at Cobb’s, 1/27/12

There are three televisions series that I have every episode of committed to memory. Those are My So-Called Life, Police Squad, and The State. Of course, I made sure to follow the careers closely of all those involved. Yes, that meant weeding through a ton of Spy Hard’s, Stardust‘s, and VH-1’s I Love The Best Time Ever’s out of devotion, waiting for that genius to come about again. So, of course, it was a special treat to me when I found out that three of prime creative forces behind The State were going to have a discussion of their history in television. I was pretty stoked. (Excuse the slang)

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: An Evening With Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, and Kerri Kenney-Silver at Cobb’s, 1/27/12”

Sketchfest Review: Charles, Stupid Time Machine & Justin Scrimshaw @ Dark Room Theater, 1/21/2012

People teemed into the Dark Room Theater, a black box in one of the City’s most colorful neighborhoods (i.e. a paradoxical place of real and fictitious danger). The lobby was littered with nonsensical paraphernalia (manikins, fake chickens, etc.). A one-eyed French Bulldog, Maggie, basked in the attention from adoring strangers. Sketchfest in the Mission, the largest focus of the festival’s freshest talent, was set to begin.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Charles, Stupid Time Machine & Justin Scrimshaw @ Dark Room Theater, 1/21/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Moshe Kasher/Jessi Klein, 1/20/2012

“The Price is Right Theme” played over the PA and the lights dimmed. It was 10:15 p.m. and the second half of the Sketchfest Dozen double feature was about to begin, this time featuring Moshe Kasher and Jessi Klein.

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Sketchfest Review: Ron Funches/Nick Thune, 1/20/2012

The SF Sketchfest Dozen is a noble and novel concept. Twelve vetted new headliners from across the country perform over three weeks at the Punch Line, one of the most revered comedy clubs in the country. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Ron Funches/Nick Thune, 1/20/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Superego Podcast at Eureka Theater, 1/21/12

During Sketchfest, it’s interesting how one could make show decisions. There are the headliners, and there are the special guests. No matter what, you will find something new. I stumbled across Superego because of the advertised guests. Paul F Thomkins is a genius, and I really enjoyed Erinn Hayes in Parenthood. So, I stumbled out of bed at 11:30 in order to go see comedy on a Saturday early afternoon. Which really isn’t a time that comedy should happen.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Superego Podcast at Eureka Theater, 1/21/12”

Sketchfest Review: Pretty Good Friends at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/20/12

Eugene Mirman’s show Pretty Good Friends turned out to be a great start to my SF Sketchfest experience, in spite of the grim start to the evening. At 10:20 it was pouring rain and the line to get in to Cobb’s Comedy Club was around the block. I was umbrella-less, water dripping off my nose and actually thankful that I had forgotten my camera. But then the nice people behind me offered to let me huddle under their umbrella and I ended up meeting some fellow comedy nerds. And to think I was dreading going to a comedy show by myself. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Pretty Good Friends at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/20/12”