Moshe Kasher – Spinning Platters

A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2024

Whoa! This is my 12th Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest! And after 14 long years (including two really, really long years not too long ago) of writing these, I can declare that SF Sketchfest has finally done it! They’ve booked the holy trinity of surreal sketch comedy! Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), Kids In The Hall, and The State are all appearing! These three are the unifying forces that brought together both the stoners and the kids afraid of weed. AND I AM HERE FOR IT! Honestly, this year’s SF Sketchfest, which I believe is the 21st edition of the event, is probably the most bonkers year yet. I have barely started to figure out what gigs I’m seeing… I need to write this almost for myself as much as for you, my loyal reader.

A complete schedule and links to tickets can be found here!

Thursday, January 18th Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2024”

A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2023

JESUS CHRIST! I first wrote this article in 2020. When I was just getting ready to push it live, BAM! Cases started spiking hard, and the 2021 SF Sketchfest was moved to 2022. In late 2021, I revised this AGAIN; luckily, most of the events stayed the same. And right as I was about to post this for 2022… I got an email from SF Sketchfest’s publicist saying the whole thing was moved again… To 2023!

I’m overjoyed that they managed to keep much of the same line-up and in approximately the same order! It saved me a lot of time and effort. They’ve even added a few new events to the mix that I’m pretty excited about, even though it meant I had to actually write more. Even better- they are live-streaming select events, which is great for folks that don’t like going places! So, without further ado, I present to you the 2021, I mean 2023, Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest! Which is the 20th SF Sketchfest, I might add! Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2023”

SF Sketchfest 2023: Line Up Additions!

Oh, man! Remember how excited we were about Sketchfest 2021? And then Sketchfest 2022? And remember how upset we all were when BOTH of them were sidelined due to that plague that still ravages our world? And then Jean Grae and I tried to develop a machine that would suck all the virus out of the air? Well, the good news is (provided BQ 1.1 doesn’t screw everything up), everything is a go for Sketchfest 2023, and they decided to add a few more shows to the lineup that go on sale Wednesday, 11/15 at 10 am PST: Continue reading “SF Sketchfest 2023: Line Up Additions!”

A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2020

First of all… WHOA! It’s weird to write “2020” on something. Even crazier is to think that this is the 19th SF Sketchfest! That means babies born in the year of the first Sketchfest are now able to go on their mission for The Latter-Day Saints. (Or vote. Definitely, please — everyone born in 2001 MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER TO VOTE AND DO IT!) I’ve been writing the Nerd’s Guide for eleven years now. Which means for the twentieth year of Sketchfest, you can read the eleven th anniversary of my Nerd’s Guide. I plan to go all out for that one. This year’s guide — I’m not gonna lie — I’m totally phoning it in. Which is fine, it’s like ten minutes of reading. Don’t worry, the good people of SF Sketchfest did NOT phone in the bookings this year.

Tickets and a full schedule for everything can be found here.

Thursday, January 9th Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2020”

Sketchfest Review: Iron Comic with Moshe Kasher & Nato Green at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/26/19

(Not pictured: Moshe Kasher and featured comics.)

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”

A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2019

It’s that time of year again! Time to scour through pages and pages of SF Sketchfest listings, trying to decide what shows to buy tickets for, and never actually going to anything because it’s all too intimidating. Well, fear not! Instead of thinking for yourself, just go to everything I tell you to. Because I have fantastic taste, and you’ll love all of these.

Don’t trust me? Well, you can always go straight here to pick out shows and buy tickets.

Thursday, January 10th Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide To SF Sketchfest 2019”

SF Sketchfest Review: Hound Tall Podcast with Moshe Kasher at Swedish American Hall, 1/21/17

Moshe Kasher’s podcast Hound Tall takes several comedians and one expert on a subject and makes either a glorious or terrible mess of things. When the podcast is great, it is so great. And when it misses, it really misses. Last year I watched the electronic music episode and it was so much more than I thought it would be. This year the topic was “Planning a Non-Violent Revolution in the Age of Trump”. The topic was exactly what I needed, and maybe what everyone needs after spending a day being inspired by the Women’s Marches around the country. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Hound Tall Podcast with Moshe Kasher at Swedish American Hall, 1/21/17”

Spinning Platters Interview: Comedian Paco Romane

Paco Romane is one of the greatest Bay Area comedians. In addition to doing stand-up all around the Bay all the time, he hosts the Sup Doc Podcast with George Chen. He’s also performing at the Outside Lands Music Festival this weekend, where he has curated a set of his favorite comics to open the Barbary tent, and will also be doing a “Hipster Chef Roast” at the Gastromagic stage on Friday. If you can’t make it out to Outside Lands on Friday, Romane is doing a warm up show at Plate & Camera Productions on Thursday Night!

We had the joy of chatting with Romane. Sorry that we didn’t invite you, but you can read a word-by-word account of this conversation below!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Comedian Paco Romane”

SF Sketchfest Review: Hound Tall with Moshe Kasher at Stage Werx, 1/23/16

hound tall

Hound Tall is one of my favorite podcasts, even if it can be hit or miss, I listen excitedly to every episode. The idea is an expert is there to discuss a topic and Moshe Kasher interviews them while three comedian guests do everything they can to get attention and create laughs. At its best it is an entertaining show where you learn a little and get a lot of laughs. At its worst it is a bunch of comedians completely derailing an otherwise intelligent conversation with dick jokes. When I found out the topic for this episode was the rise of electronic music and Rave culture I was pretty worried. Seemed like there might be a lot of opportunity for dick jokes there. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Hound Tall with Moshe Kasher at Stage Werx, 1/23/16”

SF Sketchfest Review: Porchlight, a Storytelling Series at Swedish American Hall, 1/22/16

Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick, your Porch Light hosts

I decided to attend Porch Light Storytelling Series on a whim, as often happens with me and Sketchfest. If I see more than one comedian I really like, in this case Moshe Kasher and Jackie Kashian, I’m pretty happy to try it out. I was also curious about Beth Lisick who wrote a couple of her short story collections I’ve read. The format also seemed like it would be generally likeable – two hosts and six people telling true life stories, what’s not to like about that? Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Porchlight, a Storytelling Series at Swedish American Hall, 1/22/16”