Winding down my time at this year’s SF Sketchfest, I wanted to make sure to catch one more stand up variety show. Everything’s Great!, hosted by Demi Adejuyigbe, Nick Kocher, and Addie Weyrich, has been on my list as a must-see in Los Angeles. Past guests on their line-up have included Sasheer Zamata, Joel Kim Booster, Kyle Kinane and Rachel Bloom, amongst other big talents. Plus the hosts themselves are ridiculously entertaining; each of them has their own extensive and cool list of projects in comedy. Catching their SF Sketchfest show was exactly how I wanted to wrap up this year’s festival.
Adejuyigbe, Kocher and Weyrich were bursting with ecstatic energy as they took the stage, setting the tone for the entire show. Boisterous laughs echoed through Cafe du Nord as Weyrich suddenly started shouting “DEMI FUCKS” over and over. The trio continued spoofing by listing the supposed apps that sponsored them, including plates, bowls, and silverware as noted by the consistently giggling Weyrich. The camaraderie the hosts shared made it feel like we were part of their inside jokes, getting to share a night with friends.
Elena C. Hayden joined us with our first stand-up set of the evening, starting with a discussion about her dreams to get what can only be described as a reverse bikini wax. (Hayden told us she wanted it to look like a bald eagle.) I cackled as she told us about receiving her first unsolicited dick pic and how the men who send them “just really like photography.” Hayden’s humor is fast and sharp and fearless; she commands the room with a delicate balance of snark and genuineness. She ended her set with a story from her drunkest night, dishing out gritty details about dip spit and 7/11 that had the audience howling with shock and laughter.
Weyrich returned to the stage next, jumping into tales of her dating app adventures and how her love life is more or less “wildlife animal rehabilitation,” comparing herself to the people who save little ducks from oil spills. I lost my shit as she reenacted saving and cleaning a little duck and teaching it how to love, before releasing it back into the world. Weyrich’s entire set was phenomenal and hilarious and personally hit very close to home, but by far the best part was her original song, “I Don’t Want To Listen To Your Podcast,” which, girl, SAME. I gigglesnort every time it pops into my head again; here’s hoping Weyrich shares this track on Spotify in the near future.
As Weyrich wrapped her set, she brought on Brooklyn-based Graham Kay, who immediately had the crowd in hysterics with his deadpan delivery. Originally from Canada, Kay joked that he crossed the border for freedom and looked for immigrants in the crowd to connect with. His stories about his family were a scream; listening to him elaborate on his dad’s reaction to the words “I love you” cracked everyone up. Kay’s dark and sarcastic style of comedy hit all the right notes for the audience, myself included.
Adejuyigbe, Kocher, and Weyrich took the stage again for some audience questions before welcoming Gracie Canaan, a hysterical and relatable comic from the East Coast. Kicking off with jokes about her anxiety, Canaan seamlessly moved into her adventures in catcalling and therapy, to her literal point of view on oral sex. Hearing her describe her partners as having “beady little eyes” had me in tears. The cherry on top of Canaan’s set was hearing her argument that faking orgasms does not make you a bad feminist. “We have businesses to start!” she yelled out as the audience roared and applauded. I hope I can catch Canaan perform on the West Coast again soon, as her effortless feminist comedy is right up my alley.
Kocher came back out to explain the history of his family name before sharing tales of his life with acne. His reaction to being told Brad Pitt also suffers from acne cracked everyone up; guffaws echoed through Cafe du Nord as he continued his darkly hilarious tales of getting a prescription for Accutane. He playfully told the tale of his fun Uncle Sean before launching into a bit about tiny dogs losing their minds when they see bigger dogs. The audience crowed with laughter watching him as he acted out being a similarly sized tiny human and bigger human. Kocher has perfected the art of observational humor and storytelling; seeing him perform for a second time this Sketchfest, I’m blown away by his skills.
Up next was Los Angeles-based comedian Tamer Kattan, whose smarts and dark sense of humor came together for a killer set. He started with an explanation of his arm tattoos, quipping, “My dad didn’t hug,” before diving into a series of jokes about toxic masculinity and testosterone levels. Born to a Muslim father and Jewish mother in Egypt, he told us about his family immigrating to the United States when he was a child. From landing in the US right before Halloween, to confusing people because he looks “simultaneously dangerous and helpful,” Kattan’s stories were eye-opening and hilarious.
Before wrapping up the show, Adejuyigbe performed an original musical based on the Ikea monkey. Though I hadn’t heard of the Ikea monkey before, I was cackling endlessly at the Powerpoint presentation that accompanied the show with song lyrics. Joining Adejuyigbe on stage was a Curious George stuffed animal in a miniature fur coat, cementing the scene for us. Between his conversations with the monkey in each song (my favorite song, “Could We Be Friends?”, had me in tears from laughing so hard) and his powerful and energetic presence throughout his act, Adejuyigbe brought down the house.
With the incredible comedic talent I captured that night, I can’t think of any other way I’d want to finish SF Sketchfest this year. I will definitely be catching more Everything’s Great! shows down in LA as soon as possible.
