SF Sketchfest Review: Chaos: Natasha Leggero + Chelsea Peretti + Sabrina Jalees at Marines’ Memorial Theater, 1/25/26

Photo by Tommy Lau

Saturday was a weird day for me. Weird, because my day job had me working at an art festival in the city, and it was a really busy workday with only enough downtime to drink water and use the bathroom occasionally. I was oblivious to any news that came down the pipeline. As soon as we were done, I chugged a Red Bull and ran as fast as I could to the theater so I didn’t miss the show. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Chaos: Natasha Leggero + Chelsea Peretti + Sabrina Jalees at Marines’ Memorial Theater, 1/25/26”

Show Review: Cattle Decapitation, Aborted, Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze at The Belasco, 12-20-2025

“Every Body a Host, Every Body Infected”

If there is one Death Metal band that seems to consistently captivate me and grab my attention, it is Cattle Decapitation. Having grown up in a rural area with a progressive background, I couldn’t help but develop a strong sense of respect for environmental ecology. I went to clear cut protests in high school, I’ve been a supporter of indigenous tribal water rights and the movement to remove the Klamath Dam (which thankfully came through a few years ago and has already seen a healthy increase in Klamath Salmon numbers now that their run has been restored), and I’ve been staggeringly aware of man’s effects on our home. So when I wandered by the local record store one day and saw the promotional art for Cattle’s death grind album Humanure, let’s just say I knew I was going to be on board with their mission statement: Earth First, Humans Last.

Continue reading “Show Review: Cattle Decapitation, Aborted, Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze at The Belasco, 12-20-2025”

Show Review: Boris, Lack of Interest at The Belasco, 11-22-2025

Boris obliterates a sold out Belasco

I first saw Boris performing Pink in San Francisco before the pandemic forever changed life as we know it. To say that it was incredible is an understatement, as I became not only a fan, but utterly obsessed with the band, having covered them numerous times for this publication as evidence. Of course, when this tour was announced, I had to jump at the chance to cover them again.

Continue reading “Show Review: Boris, Lack of Interest at The Belasco, 11-22-2025”

Single Of The Week: “Funny Music” by Gelli Haha

An odd thing about getting older- I used to be heavily averse to electronic music. However, in the last few months, I have kept hearing electronic music with a solid amount of humanity, and I LOVE IT. This Gelli Haha track snuck out last year, and I totally missed it. This song is really making my week, and energizing me in all the right ways. I also get the feeling that this one is gonna be a really fun live show. 

“Funny Music” is off Gelli Haha’s latest record, Switcheroo, which is available to bring joy to your eardrums AND your booty  NOW. The band is also hitting the road for their first ever headlining tour, and tickets JUST WENT ON SALE TODAY! 

Film Review: “H is for Hawk”

Foy is strong in this undemanding tale of nature and grief

Helen (Claire Foy) and Mabel (hawk) look for a good place to hunt in ‘H is for Hawk.’

Like many stories about how an animal changes a grieving character’s life, even as recently as last year’s The Friend, H is for Hawk pointedly hits the expected emotional beats. Unlike these stories, however, H is for Hawk lacks the playful human and animal opposition-turned-camaraderie dynamic that pushes similar narratives forward. A solid but slightly exoteric drama with beautiful photography and strong performances, H is for Hawk still struggles to lift off from its slow pacing.  Continue reading “Film Review: “H is for Hawk””

How Did Sydney Kane Get Here?

How Did I Get Here? is back for its first episode of 2026. And my chat was with the amazing musical comedian Sydney Kane ahead of her bringing her one-woman show, Wife Material, on a West Coast tour! We talked about, well, a bunch of the usual tangential silliness, all while learning about how she found her voice and her way into comedy.

Sydney Kane is bringing Wife Material to SF for SF Sketchfest at Eclectic Box on Sunday, January 25th (Tix Here) and to LA at Hudson Backstage Theater on February 16th (Tix Here). Follow her on Instagram for more everything. And, if you really want to learn about all things Bay Area Burrito, here is such a bonkers and well-researched guide that I will still argue is wrong at times. 

Side Note: We discuss how amazing Jenny Slate is, and I realized she is ALSO playing SF Sketchfest. Catch her with Max Silvestri and Gabe Liederman at the Sydney Goldstein Theater on February 1st (Tix Here)! 

Single of the Week: “Ultivatum Cultivation” by plantoid

So, I have no idea what’s going on with that song title. I googled “Ultivatum” and can only find, um, this song. That being said, the pretentious, overtly prog-rock song title is hiding what can only be said is a glorious psych-pop song. Somewhere, swimming in the LSD-infused lake alongside The Flaming Lips and Spacemoth (the latter I’m 90% sure has never touched a drug in her life) is plantoid, and their latest single, “Ultivatum Cultivation,” is giving me the energy to make it through a mad, busy mid-January. 

“Ultivatum Cultivation” comes from plantoid’s upcoming LP, Flare, due out January 30th. Preorders are ongoing! 

MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2026 LINEUP IS BONKERS!!!!!

My partner and I named our kid after Corin Tucker. Once the doctors and nurses cleared the room, on the day they were born, we decided we needed to sing them a song. After being awake for like 36 hours, there was only one song we could remember the words to. That song? “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” That hospital? Kaiser in Oakland. It was magic. Today, Mosswood Meltdown released a lineup that brings this all full circle. Because The Return Of Jackie & Judy is a Ramones cover band comprising of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, plus Toko Yasuda of St Vincent on bass, and Fred Armisen of Trenchmouth on drums, playing directly across the street from the very hospital I first sang a Ramones song to my Corin. 

Oh yeah, and there’s like Iggy Pop, Bikini Kill, Otoboke Beaver, The Dead Milkmen, Scowl, and SO MANY MORE AMAZING BANDS. And of course, it’s being hosted by the legendary John Waters. Tickets on sale NOW! 

A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2026

Hi. Have you read the news today? 

I’m sorry. 

You know what 2026 is desperate for? Some bloody joy while we can still get it. I’ve had a really tough time doing the nerd’s guide this year because the onslaught of life under Trump 2.0 has been brutal. Which is also a good reason to get out and enjoy some laughs in a space where you can really be yourself as yourself, while it’s still kinda legal. So be your own kinda nerd. We’ve got three weeks of fun coming your way. Here’s a small sampling of events. The full schedule is here! Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2026”

Festival Preview: BottleRock Napa Valley 2026

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again! BottleRock Napa Valley has announced the lineup for this year’s festival, taking place May 22-24, 2026 at Napa Expo.

Prior to today’s announcement, BRNV took to the socials to drop some hints about the artists coming our way this year. I sure didn’t guess any correctly, but I’m looking forward to catching quite a few, as usual. It’ll be fun to see the return of Foo Fighters as headliners once more, and I’m really going to enjoy both Teddy Swims and Sombr as well. Other headliners include Backstreet Boys, Lorde, LCD Soundsystem, Lil Wayne, and Zedd. Continue reading “Festival Preview: BottleRock Napa Valley 2026”