SF Sketchfest Review: Kids In The Hall “Unplugged” at Palace Of Fine Arts, 1/23/24

Photos by Jakub Mosur

I’m not sure what the “unplugged” in Kids In The Hall Unplugged is referring to. Non-electric comedians? Acoustic comedians? The first thing that happened was a sound issue with one of the mics running foul and each member of the cast hopping up and down and tapping and teasing each other to figure out whose it was. They were wireless mics, so there’s that. As will likely become apparent, I am not a comedy reviewer. I’m not even much of a live comedy consumer. Perhaps “unplugged” is vernacularly smuggled in from live music that has assumed its own valence. At any rate, the mic problem, rather than hindering the performance, seemed to loosen everybody up and give them a chance to stretch their ad-lib muscles in these predefined but still vigorous skits.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Doug Loves Movies Podcast at The Gateway Theater, 1/21/24

It’s SF Sketchfest time! I may have a schedule full of shows, but I am still here to give you this review/guide to Doug Loves Movies (DLM), comedian Doug Benson’s podcast that has been making us laugh since 2006. On the show he has celebrity guests (usually comedians or actors) and along with fun banter, tests their knowledge of movies with a variety of trivia games. For this episode (available here or on your favorite podcast streaming platform) his guests were Amy Schneider a writer of Jeopardy! fame; Geoff Tate: comedian and DLM regular: Chad Opitz: another comedian and regular; Anna Roisman: comedian, host, writer, actress; and Ardin Myrin: actress, comedian, and podcaster.  Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Doug Loves Movies Podcast at The Gateway Theater, 1/21/24”

Film Review: “Sometimes I Think About Dying”

Ridley shines in poignant character study 

Released today in the middle of what seems like unending gray Bay Area winter weather, Sometimes I Think About Dying is the perfect film to watch given our collective dreary mood. 

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MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2024 LINE UP IS LIVE

It’s pouring rain here in Oakland, which is perfect for getting your hopes up about Summer! And by that, it’s time for us to start pouring over Summer festival lineups, and this morning, we were blessed with the Mosswood Meltdown artist list! Headlining is probably the biggest band to ever grace the stage at Mosswood Park, The B-52’s!!!! And, somehow, there’s another act with a top 40 hit on the bill- Gibby Haynes will be doing a set of Butthole Surfers songs backed by the Paul Green Rock Academy (!). Oh- if you are looking for acts that haven’t played in forever? We’ve got first-generation PA Punks Pure Hell, New York No Wave legends Bush Tetras (with Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley on drums), twee supergroup (and a part of my own live band bucket list) Go Sailor, and outsider art and synth legend The Space Lady. This whole lineup is bonkers. Hunx & His Punx, Big Freedia, Redd Kross, Egyptian Lover, Die Spitz, Pansy Division, Wifey, Sheastie Boys, Diesel Dudes, Trap Girl, Non Plus Temps, Gumby’s Junk, Baus, Hot Laundry, and more to come! Like every year, John Waters is hosting, and Peaches Christ will be presiding over a Drag Contest! 

Tickets are on sale NOW!! Prices will be going up, so buy fast! 

Film Review: “Argylle”

Argylle is a silly waste of (too much) time and (too much) talent

Before we get too far into this review, have you seen the newest Apple laptops and desktops? If not, don’t worry, because Argylle will show you. Yes, the new Apple Original Film, the spy thriller Argylle, is very much a commercial for Apple products. But that’s the weakest of my criticisms. The best thing about Argylle being released is that we don’t have to sit through its excruciating trailer anymore, which seemed to precede every movie in existence for the past four months. The worst thing about Argylle is that the full-length film is just as excruciating.

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SF Sketchfest Review: Derek and Simon (and Bob): An SF Sketchfest Tribute Celebration at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/27/24

My favorite thing about SF Sketchfest is catching all kinds of funny people at once in the same room. Not only that, but these are the kind of people I don’t often have the chance to see live, so it’s always fun to peruse the schedule every year and see who’s slated to appear with whom, what’s being celebrated, yadda yadda yadda. As is the case with most years, there were quite a few events I was interested in, but in the end, I only made it to one. This past Saturday night, I found myself queuing up around the block at Cobb’s Comedy Club to watch old clips of Derek & Simon: The Show with the stars and creators of the show (Derek Waters, Simon Helberg, and Bob Odenkirk in particular). Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Derek and Simon (and Bob): An SF Sketchfest Tribute Celebration at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/27/24”

SF Sketchfest Review: Jena Friedman: Not Funny with Brittany Carney at The Gateway Theater, 1.26.24

I’ve spent a LOT of the pandemic digging around YouTube, looking for ANYTHING to push the serotonin levels up. That’s when I uncovered Jena Friedman’s YouTube channel. Insomnia + depression + anxiety are all great for political satire, and I really fell head over heels for what she was doing. Little did I know that she was a writer on The Daily Show, but it all kind of made sense after that. In another depressed fit, I ended up preordering her book Not Funny, and despite not feeling depressed when I read it, I still enjoyed it. So, of course, when SF Sketchfest presented me with the opportunity to see her live, I figured it was something I needed to do. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Jena Friedman: Not Funny with Brittany Carney at The Gateway Theater, 1.26.24”

How Did I Get Here? with Jamie Loftus

Jamie Loftus is a writer, actor, comic, cartoonist, podcaster, and probably has about 3500 other jobs that we never covered on this episode because, well, there is only so much time in the day. In this episode we discussed her early playwriting days, stand-up comedy, the difference between eating dog food and condensed cream of mushroom soup, and, since this is Spinning Platters, we even talked about music!

She’s taking her podcast, The Bechdel Cast, on the road! Tickets and tour dates are here, and it all kicks off with a visit to SF Sketchfest on February 1st at 7:30! You can also pick up Loftus’ amazing book, Raw Dog, here. And, of course, you can find all other things Loftus here! Oh, and this is where you can enjoy the CVS Bangerz playlist!

Single Of The Week: “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” by Shannon & The Clams

As much as I *love* a Shannon & The Clams live show, I’ve yet to find myself actively listening to Shannon & The Clams at home.  “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” marks Shannon & The Clams really does take the energy and enthusiasm of the band’s live set and turns it into 3:03 of pure psych pop andrenaline. I dare you not to dance to this one, or at least find yourself excited about sweeping the kitchen to it. 

“The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” is the first single of their upcoming record, also called The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, available in stores and at your local streaming service on May 10th. Preorders are happening now and you can select your preferred tripped out vinyl edition here! 

Single Of The Week: “BYE BYE” by Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon is well over 40 years into her career, and with every turn, she surprises me a little bit more. But “BYE BYE” is the last thing I expected to come out from her, and it’s bloody amazing. She has captured the soul and energy of HYPERPOP and has released a track that falls somewhere between Pussy Riot, Charli XCX, Nine Inch Nails, and her own Free Kitten project. Fresh and vital and noisy and… It’s just everything good about music in general. 

“BYE BYE” is the first single from Gordon’s second solo album, “The Collective,” coming your way on March 8th. Preorders can be done here. She’s also embarking on a very short tour this Spring, and those tickets can be secured here.