Category: SF Sketchfest

Sketchfest Review: Reggie Watts, Garfunkel & Oates at Mezzanine, 2/1/12

Singin' and Dancin' (All Photos by Marie Carney)

Some of the most talented people on earth hail from right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. In fact, we have so many uber-talented musicians, writers, comics, speakers, artists, chefs, and so on, that it’s easy to take them for granted. Reggie Watts is one of those performers. He seems to be performing all the time, and everyone in the bay area seems to swoon over him. Yet, I have yet to see him. It could be due to the fact that every show sells out, no matter what the venue. Which is also how Sketchfest was able to book him four nights in a row, also giving him the ability to indulge in whatever he pleases.

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Sketchfest Review: Walking the Room Live Podcast at The Punchline, 2/2/2012

Greg Behrendt & Dave Anthony - cuddlaz fo' life!

Before this weekend, I considered myself fairly familiar with the comedy of Greg Behrendt. I knew about his history with Sex and the City, his book that turned into a movie (He’s Just Not That into You), the two books he then co-wrote with his wife, and I’ve seen his standup act multiple times. More importantly, I already subscribe to the Walking the Room podcast. I felt pretty confident that I knew what to expect from Greg (and in this case, Dave Anthony as well). As for the night’s live podcast guest stars, Dave Holmes and Patton Oswalt, I knew both of them from previous work (MTV and United States of Tara, respectively), so I settled into an early weekend with a great seat from the bar at the Punchline and as the show began with Dave and Greg in miscellaneous clown costume pieces, I was in on the joke. For those who were not, though… I can only imagine what the night might have been like for some unsuspecting soul who just happened to be in town on business or something and thought he’d catch a show at a nearby comedy club. I’m sure nothing could have prepared such a person for the foul-mouthed hilarity that took place. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Walking the Room Live Podcast at The Punchline, 2/2/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Smug Shift 1/21/2012

The Smug Shift

After a certain hour, the nocturnal muse of midnight, the world gets weird. Sure, reality is eternally enveloped in curiosity and every “hour” on Earth is both day and night. Still, regardless of circumstance, there is a pivotal time drenched in ethereal giddiness that inspires irrational adventures. This is evidently the best time to start a comedy show. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Smug Shift 1/21/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Eddie Izzard: In Conversation with Greg Proops at the Palace Of Fine Arts, 1/25/2012

We’ve all had that experience of longing to see our favorite superstars in an up-close-and-personal format, possibly away from the bombast and glamour that comes with huge live shows or blockbuster movie performances. The real question, however, is whether we really ARE prepared to approach them in such an intimate setting, especially where most of the gusto and persona is shelved, or at least tuned downward, to reveal the human being that exists behind the fame and glory. We might find ourselves rather disarmed, or hopefully plenty intrigued, when our heros — be they musical, comedic, or of the silver screen — come and tell the tales of times less fortunate, the struggles they experienced, or their hopes and dreams that may be in an entirely unexpected avenue.

Also, when you’re Eddie Izzard, and you show up to San Francisco NOT in full transvestite regalia, you’ll probably throw some people off — but the crowd at this sold-out show at the Palace Of Fine Arts seemed to love every minute of this special opportunity to see the Yemen-born, English-raised, world-celebrated comedian in some of his most personal and self-expressive moments.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Eddie Izzard: In Conversation with Greg Proops at the Palace Of Fine Arts, 1/25/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Risk! Live Podcast at The Eureka Theater, 1/27/12

Comedians live some pretty crazy lives… I guess you need a certain amount on insanity to inspire the occupation of the jester. Kevin Allison’s podcast Risk! True Tales, Boldy Told ranks up there with WTF with Mark Maron as one of the few places where you can hear comedians speak frankly about the life decisions that brought them to where they are now. This installment of Risk! allowed us the opportunity to hear from five comics about some of the stranger things that have happened to them.

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

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

Photo By Jakub Mosur

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.

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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

Photo By Jakub Mosur

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)

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