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: The Dork Forest at the Punchline, 1/23/16

Dork_Forest

Reviewing Podcasts is weird, especially when it’s one you’ve been listening to off and on for six years and have never seen live. There’s just a certain amount of fandom that keeps you from doing an impartial review, so I’m mostly going to tell you want happened. Obviously I loved it. The host of The Dork Forest, Jackie Kashian, is my favorite person in comedy and her enthusiasm to hear and learn about other people’s dorkdoms is often catching. In person it is even stronger and funnier because there is so much more going on with the expressions and gestures of the guests. It’s that special something that always makes it worth it to pay to see a free podcast live. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: The Dork Forest at the Punchline, 1/23/16”

SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy Film Nerds Podcast on 1/25/2014

comedy film nerds

While preparing to go to the live Comedy Films Nerds show at Punchline today I came to the strange realization that I’ve been listening to the podcast for three years. Almost every episode. So you can say that I feel like I know the podcast hosts Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini and I was a bit apprehensive about how it would feel watching instead of listening to the action. Podcasts feel so personal, making you feel like the comedians are talking straight to you. But could it still feel like that in a theater full of people? I was about to find out. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Comedy Film Nerds Podcast on 1/25/2014”

In Tribute To Steve Brodsky (RIP): Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 16 – #twitterstalking

Sometimes being a band manager is tough.

Spinning Platters is re-running our 2010 podcast with the late Steve Brodsky. He passed away last night after a hearty battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  He was the manager for many great bands, such as Wallpaper., Midi Matilda, Orgone, and AB & The Sea. He was also a really great guy and a very early supporter of Spinning Platters. The Bay Area music scene lost a very important, kind, and funny man. This podcast was loads of fun to record, and we will miss him dearly.

And if you haven’t registered to be a bone marrow donor, please do so. It only takes a few minutes to potentially save a life!

Continue reading “In Tribute To Steve Brodsky (RIP): Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 16 — #twitterstalking”

SF Sketchfest Review: You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 2/2/13

You+Made+It+Weird+with+Pete+Holmes+34343

Pete Holmes’ podcast You Made it Weird is funny, deep and as the title suggests, weird. The greatest thing about it though is how the podcast can be so funny and so personal at the same time. Since all my favorite parts of the podcast are the little personal moments, I was a little apprehensive that the deep moments might be dropped for more humor with the live audience there. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 2/2/13”

Sketchfest Review: Walking the Room Live Podcast at The Punchline, 2/2/2012

Greg Behrendt & Dave Anthony - cuddlaz fo' life!

Before this weekend, I considered myself fairly familiar with the comedy of Greg Behrendt. I knew about his history with Sex and the City, his book that turned into a movie (He’s Just Not That into You), the two books he then co-wrote with his wife, and I’ve seen his standup act multiple times. More importantly, I already subscribe to the Walking the Room podcast. I felt pretty confident that I knew what to expect from Greg (and in this case, Dave Anthony as well). As for the night’s live podcast guest stars, Dave Holmes and Patton Oswalt, I knew both of them from previous work (MTV and United States of Tara, respectively), so I settled into an early weekend with a great seat from the bar at the Punchline and as the show began with Dave and Greg in miscellaneous clown costume pieces, I was in on the joke. For those who were not, though… I can only imagine what the night might have been like for some unsuspecting soul who just happened to be in town on business or something and thought he’d catch a show at a nearby comedy club. I’m sure nothing could have prepared such a person for the foul-mouthed hilarity that took place. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Walking the Room Live Podcast at The Punchline, 2/2/2012”

Sketchfest Review: Risk! Live Podcast at The Eureka Theater, 1/27/12

Comedians live some pretty crazy lives… I guess you need a certain amount on insanity to inspire the occupation of the jester. Kevin Allison’s podcast Risk! True Tales, Boldy Told ranks up there with WTF with Mark Maron as one of the few places where you can hear comedians speak frankly about the life decisions that brought them to where they are now. This installment of Risk! allowed us the opportunity to hear from five comics about some of the stranger things that have happened to them.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Risk! Live Podcast at The Eureka Theater, 1/27/12”

Spinning Platters Interview: David Owen, Janet Varney, and Cole Stratton: Founders of SF Sketchfest

Cole Stratton, Janet Varney, David Owen. Not Pictured: Burritos (Photo By: Jakub Moser)

In 2002, three Bay Area comics organized a festival featuring some of their favorite local sketch groups. They dubbed it Sketchfest, and it was a success. The next year, comedy legend Fred Willard joined the event, and every year subsequent year, the event became bigger and bigger. This year’s festival has grown to 2 1/2 weeks long, and features the biggest line up yet, featuring the likes of Eddie Izzard, Amy Poehler, Wil Wheaton, Barry Bostwick, and scores of other people so famous that even your grandparents know who they are. (You may need to ask your grandparents who Barry Bostwick is)

SpinningPlatters had the opportunity to chat with founders David Owen, Janet Varney, and Cole Stratton about the evolution of the festival, the struggles of putting it on every year, where to grab a burrito, and a whole ton of hypothetical situations that were good fun to ask. Be sure to go to SFSketchfest.com to check out the line-up and purchase tickets.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: David Owen, Janet Varney, and Cole Stratton: Founders of SF Sketchfest”

Spinning Platters Podcast – SXSW Wednesday Review

He killed it.

The Spinning Platters crew was way too tired to do a podcast on Wednesday night/Thursday morning but we did one anyway because we’re troopers. This one gets a little snippy as we disagree about the pronunciation of a few things, and we argue over the use of the phrase “killed it.” You can subscribe by clicking the button to the left or you can listen below.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast — SXSW Wednesday Review”

Spinning Platters Podcast – SXSW Tuesday Review

Yes, we've already been to Waffle House. Didn't take long.

The Spinning Platters editorial board has landed in Austin, so of course we recorded a podcast. Join Gordon, Dakin, Marie, Caroline and our producer D.P. for nightly updates from the greatest music nerd event in existence, the South By Southwest Music Conference. You can subscribe by clicking the giant subscribe button, or listen below. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast — SXSW Tuesday Review”