illuminati hotties and SOAR have different capitalization strategies, but collectively with Club Night, they blew the doors off the Starline Social Club.
Category: Show Reviews
Theater Review: Role Players Ensemble Presents Award-Winning Off Broadway Hit Honky
Honky is a play that explores race relations in modern day America. What could be a timely piece, however, falls victim to one-dimensional characters who appear to be caricatures of the very topic that the author is trying to advocate. Because of this, the play, although highly entertaining, does not quite send the proper message about what it means to be a person of color in America. It is very much from the perspective of playwright Greg Kalleres, and, unfortunately, there are a lot of playwrights out there who are discussing the topic of race with much more clarity. That being said, director Katja Rivera does an incredible job bringing the play to life. Rivera has an incredible eye for detail; there’s intention behind every move. Under a less skilled director, the material could’ve been a mess, but Rivera’s vision brings the clarity that the play’s words often lack. Continue reading “Theater Review: Role Players Ensemble Presents Award-Winning Off Broadway Hit Honky“
Show Review: Link Link Circus at The Chapel
Link Link Circus self describes as the world’s smallest circus. I cannot vet that, but it may well be the smartest and most charming. There’s a delicious layer of meta and irony in that while circuses — which feature animals trained on the basis of their behavioral tendencies — never really talk about animal behavior science, and this circus, which features almost no animals, is all about this. Isabella Rossellini starts her performance with the popular notion that we should not attribute human characteristics to animals, and the idea that animals and humans are entirely different, and then gently, joyfully, dismantles this notion with delight. Continue reading “Show Review: Link Link Circus at The Chapel”
Sketchfest Review: Bring The Rock with Greg Behrendt & Electrik Snöfläke at Swedish American Hall,
Bring The Rock is the thing I look forward to the most at every Sketchfest. It’s the perfect synthesis of the three things I enjoy the most: rock n roll, stand-up comedy, and autobiographical storytelling. I love this show so much that I have, in fact, written my story for the off-chance that I ever actually get invited to do this show. (Greg, I am a fan. I am trained in public speaking, and although I’m not a great singer or guitarist, I am passionate about both.) Last year, Bring The Rock didn’t end up happening at Sketchfest, and I was very, very sad. I was very happy to see it return this year. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Bring The Rock with Greg Behrendt & Electrik Snöfläke at Swedish American Hall,”
Sketchfest Review: Iron Comic with Moshe Kasher & Nato Green at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/26/19
Every year, I make a point to catch Greg Behrendt at least once while he’s in town for Sketchfest. This year, I thought the show Iron Comic sounded like fun. The premise is based on Iron Chef: five stand-up comics have about 8 minutes wherein each puts together a two-minute “set” based on topics chosen on the fly from audience suggestions, and after three rounds, judges narrow down the five to a final two who go head-to-head. Finally, a winner is chosen by audience applause. This all took place this past Saturday night at Cobb’s Comedy Club, and I think it’s safe to say a good time was had by all. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Iron Comic with Moshe Kasher & Nato Green at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/26/19”
Sketchfest Review: SF Sketchfest Threesome: Clare O’Kane, Alex Koll, Amy Miller at Punchline, 1/24/19
SF Sketchfest showcases a range of comedy performances, including lesser known local acts, such as in “SF Sketchfest Threesome,” where three headliners are giving half an hour each to perform their standup routines. They also a few different stand up showcases that spotlight some lesser known talent. The “SF Sketchfest Threesome” is one of those events. This one takes three headliners, and gives them all an equal amount if time (30 Minutes), and the order is seemingly random. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: SF Sketchfest Threesome: Clare O’Kane, Alex Koll, Amy Miller at Punchline, 1/24/19”
Sketchfest Review: Wheels Off with Rhett Miller at Swedish American Hall, 1/20/19
There are a bunch of shows that seem to happen every year or almost every year at SF Sketchfest. Many of these things are nightclub acts that happen regularly in other markets, or are live podcast recordings. Almost all of them exist somewhere outside of Sketchfest. One of the few shows that don’t fit this mold is “Wheels Off with Rhett Miller.” Rhett Miller is the lead singer of The Old 97’s, and generally does about 200 shows a year if you combine his full band gigs and solo shows. However, with all of that criss-crossing the country, SF is the only place where we get this very unique show.
(Editor’s Note: At the time of publication we didn’t know that Miller was going to start doing Wheels Off as a podcast. Now you can enjoy this from the comfort of your own headphones)
Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Wheels Off with Rhett Miller at Swedish American Hall, 1/20/19”
Sketchfest Review: Movie Crush with Chuck Bryant and Busy Philipps at Gateway Theatre, 1/19/19
Ahhh, Sketchfest. Where else can you show up 5-10 minutes before show time, dressed down in jeans, a t-shirt, and your favorite sneakers, and still host a live version of your hilarious podcast? This past weekend, that’s exactly what Chuck Bryant did, hosting an episode of Movie Crush with special guest Busy Philipps at the Gateway Theatre on Saturday afternoon. Philipps was, Bryant explained, his #1, 2, and 3 pick of his “dream top 3” guests he submitted to Sketchfest founder Janet Varney when he was invited back to do another episode this year. Like Bryant, I wanted to hear all about Philipps’ movie “crush,” so I showed up early and waited with bated breath. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Movie Crush with Chuck Bryant and Busy Philipps at Gateway Theatre, 1/19/19”
Sketchfest Review: Celebrity Autobiography, 1/20/19
Founded in 1998 by comedian Eugene Pak, Celebrity Autobiography presents celebrities reading passages from other celebrity (you guessed it) autobiographies. The show played on Bravo in 2005, and has run regularly in New York since 2008; in 2009 it won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. Celebrity Autobiography has been playing in San Francisco thanks to SF Sketchfest for 11 years now, and, this year, I decided to take it upon myself to review it, so as to encourage newbies to check out what I consider to be Sketchfest’s hands down, funniest show. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Celebrity Autobiography, 1/20/19”
Sketchfest Review: We’re No Doctors with Steve Agee and Busy Philipps, 1/17/19
For those who have been following my Sketchfest reviews for a while, every year I like to play a little “podcast roulette.” I’ll pick a podcast that I’ve never heard, nor heard of before, and go see it live. Sometimes I’ll pick them entirely at random. Other times, like tonight, I’ll base my arrival on the guests. This podcast is called “We’re No Doctors,” which I could only assume was a podcast where famous people talk about their medical history with two people obsessed with medicine but have no medical experience. And with the great Jane Wiedlin as the guest (the guitar player for The Go-Go’s, a band famous for their pharmaceutical adventures), I figured there would be some good stories. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: We’re No Doctors with Steve Agee and Busy Philipps, 1/17/19”