Brittany: I like NewsRadio, but I don’t think I’m as big of fans as either of you are.

Ariel: When I was in college I obtained raw footage from an entire NewsRadio episode to cut my own episode. And it’s really interesting, when they talked about the musicality of the entrances and exits, for a 3 or 4 camera show it was really hard to cut. You’d imagine for a multi-camera show you can just cut back and forth, but it was so carefully orchestrated, that you couldn’t really cut it a new way. I feel like they took the Kramer entrance from Seinfeld and applied that to the whole show.

B: I was disappointed that there weren’t more cast members there, but I think you still got a sense of what it was like to be on the show.

A: I was bummed that Maura Tierney wasn’t there.

Sam: Vicki Lewis too. I loved Vicki.

A: Maura Tierney to me, maybe because I had a crush on her, she was the heart of the show to me. She was stuck in a world of bumbling cartoon characters.

B: They were talking about how Andy Dick’s character, Matthew, was so crazy, and there was so much big physical comedy and she was more or less the straight woman who made it all work.

A: Overall I thought it was fun to see them.

B: It seemed like the writers were really friends with the actors.

A: I think there’s always something missing when you hear people describing things like this, because you can’t just get any group of really talented people together and have them do a bunch of drugs and joke around and get something really good out of it. A lot of things have to click into place, but I don’t think they’re really able to articulate what really made it work because I don’t think they necessarily had control over that. If they did they would have had a lot of other great successes after that. It wasn’t a show that everyone loved at the time, but I really loved it. I saw something in it that I didn’t see in other sitcoms, about the timing, or the blending of different types of absurdist humor with more classical sitcom humor. The way that Community is overtly trying to invert stereotypes of the way comedy happens, NewsRadio was doing it in a more subtle way.

B: And it was interesting that they said when they were shooting it they always thought of it more as a play, because it really felt like that. Much more ensemble based.

A: And like Community they played with the way that different people perceived things.

S: Right, so like Matthew had a dream where all of the characters were out of Matthew’s Godhead.

A: That was what you want from Sketchfest, bringing together a bunch of people who wouldn’t get together otherwise.

B: So, what else are we looking forward to at Sketchfest? There’s a bunch of other San Francisco shows going on during Sketchfest and they have bigger names coming through, The Business shows, the Cynic Cave shows.

A: Dark Room and the Cynic Cave both have things most nights.

B: There is so much going on that when I look at the schedule my brain short circuits. The tickets are usually a little pricey, maybe more than you would pay for an average night out.

A: But it’s like Noise Pop, you just gotta take a chance and see what happens.

B: Absolutely. And if you are a podcast fan, this is the thing to go to.

The Verdict: Sketchfest is great, and you’ve already missed half of it! Go see some funny!

The Drama Talk: Few things are cooler than seeing famous people you’re a fan of in person. It’s even better when they’re in a show, and not just eating at the table next to you, getting creeped out that you keep staring at them. There is always good comedy in the Bay Area, but you get some of the best of the it during Sketchfest. It’s an exciting time to see a show because of all the energy.

The Drinks: The show let out in the middle of the day on a Saturday, and since it was an average (frighteningly rainless) glorious January day, we decided to go for a walk over to Polk Street. We opted for the fireplace seats at Lush Lounge. Ariel got their happy hour margarita, Brittany got the happy hour strawberry fizz, and Sam got the happy hour gimlet, and we scoured the Sketchfest program guide to plan the rest of our itinerary.

Sketchfest runs through February 8th in venues around the Bay Area. Check out the schedule on their website, or stop by a host venue and pick up the hard-copy program guide. The hard-copy is a little easier to peruse, but the website will tell you what’s already sold out.

[image via El Rio]

Comedy Returns to El Rio! Although it technically never left. We just didn’t realize it was there. Now in its 6th year, this monthly comedy showcase (called Comedy Returns to El Rio) is held every 3rd Thursday and features an eclectic, multicultural mix of comedians. MC’ed by Kung Pao Comedy’s Lisa Geduldig, we saw an impressive line-up of Joe Klocek, Jabari Davis, Yuri Kagan, Lisa Geduldig AND Marga Gomez. Every month is a new line-up of some of the Bay Area’s best comedians trying out some new material. Comedy, drama talk & drinks at El Rio, what’s not to like?

Katie: For a super cheap comedy night at a dive bar I was very impressed. Lisa, the MC, has a very endearing personality, she had funny things to say, she’s likeable, and she kept the night moving. All the comedians were quick and dirty, the whole show was about an hour and a half. Usually when I go to these smaller comedy shows I like one person and don’t really like anyone else. This time I really liked everyone, except for one person…but I won’t name names.

Brittany: I thought it was hilarious. Another comedy show that I like a lot is The Business at The Dark Room, and this felt similar – people trying out new material in a small intimate space. But many of the comedians who perform at The Business are all still pretty young and aren’t necessarily doing comedy for a living. It was neat that these comedians had been in the business for awhile and could read an audience. They were really on top of it. These were professional comedians, which I wasn’t expecting since it’s a $7 comedy show.

The Verdict: Out of the many small local comedy shows this one is worth checking out. It was as good of a comedy show as you would see at the Punchline or Cobbs but waaaay cheaper.

The Drama Talk: Comedy shows very much depend on the talent that the producer books. The lineup of the show we saw was awesome, hopefully she does that for every show… we have a good feeling she does.

The Drinks: The great thing about shows at bars is it’s easy to get a drink before, during and after the show. We recommend getting to El Rio before 8pm to have a drink and snag a good seat. Then grab your second drink right before the show starts (even if you haven’t quite finished your first). There isn’t an intermission and the bar is in the next room, so getting a second drink during the show is kind of tricky. No one will judge you for double fisting, at least we won’t.

Comedy Returns to El Rio! is every 3rd Thursday of the month. Next show is January 15th at 8-9:30pm. Tix: $7-$20. Available through BrownPaperTickets or at the door. Advance Tickets-rear room/7:30pm door/8 show.

[pic by Katie Cruz]

Rumor had it something funny was going on under Lost Weekend Video. Last year they opened The Cinecave in their basement, and now they’re hosting a variety of awesomeness, including some of SF’s funniest. Last Saturday we decided to check out their Cynic Cave Comedy Show featuring Bucky Sinister, Shanti Charan, Red Scott, Kelly Anneken and Miles K hosted by George Chen and Kevin O’Shea. Here’s our drama talk:

Brittany: The host (Kevin O’Shea) was awesome! I loved that he started with “This is the most fun you are going to have in a basement in 2013” because I think that is true. I haven’t had that much fun in a basement in a while.

Katie: I definitely didn’t feel lied to, which is always nice. Shockingly good for $10.

B: I thought it was funny. I was super nervous that it was going to be a bit of a mess, ‘cause it seemed unorganized when we first got there, but once we got downstairs it all made sense. It’s a really good space; laid back, cozy, basement-y atmosphere.

K: Really intimate.

B: So, who was your favorite comedian?

K: Um – oh god, I’m not sure – the comedians were so diverse, I liked them all for different reasons.

B: I also appreciated that there were two women comedians, and usually I don’t think woman are very funny, which I guess is bad on my part, but whatever THEY (Shanti Charan and Kelly Anneken) were both surprisingly hilarious.

K: I really liked the last guy, Miles K – he was ridiculously funny. I’m not gonna lie, anytime a comedian talks about how they hate being single and the horrors of OK Cupid and online dating I wanna raise my hand and say “No need to roll the dice online and meet random girls that most likely look nothing like their profile pic, I’m a random single woman right here in front of you – way less work”. But that’s a lot to say out loud…to someone I don’t know, in the middle of a show, so…

B: You should have.

K: Maybe next time. I can’t believe that Cinecave has been around for a year and we haven’t heard about it.

B: And that there were seats left! There are so many things in the Mission now where you spend a lot of money and don’t necessarily have a great time, when there is something that is affordable AND you can have a great time it should be packed…Maybe we shouldn’t tell anyone.

K: You’re right. Let’s stop this review – no one needs to know.

[Bucky Sinister by Katie Cruz]

The Verdict
Go see it! This will be the best $10 you’ve spent to hang out in a basement!

NEXT Shows
Saturday 4/20 @ 8pm
Saturday 4/27 @ 8pm

Cinecave Calendar

The Drama Talk
The basement is cozy, if you want to be cozy too get there early to snag one of the cushy theatre style seats. Otherwise you’ll get stuck on a metal folding chair. No matter what, this is the most fun you’ll have in basement in SF.

The Place to Drink
After kicking off the evening at Cinecave we wanted a straight forward dive bar. We chose Mission Bar for the comfy booths, laid back atmosphere and cheap drinks.

The Drink
This is comedy in a video store basement and drinks at a dive bar, order simply. We had a rum and coke and a vodka ginger ale.

Chris is leaving us to move to some other place in California that supposedly has a better film scene, or whatever. His final show up here before moving is July 23rd at The Punchline. I’ve seen him live a couple times, check him out if you haven’t.

It’s only $7 at the door and if you’re not ready to laugh the cover includes enough free PBR to make anyone funny.

Edit: It wasn’t my intention to trash these comics or Uptown Almanac, if that’s what came across. I was making some probably poor-taste jokes about careers in stand up comedy in general (too much listening to Mark Maron). I sincerely apologize if this was taken that way. We have supported these comics and this event before and think they are great. I will be there. Needless to say, I will not be performing comedy.

Dave Chappelle was here in the Bay Area last week. He did two nights at Yoshi’s in Oakland. Did anyone get to see him? My mom did, and she was there until about 4:30 in the morning. Here’s her report:

All night long with Dave Chappelle @ Yoshi’s in Oakland.

I’m a big fan of both stand up comedy and late night/after hours, when our defenses slip away and delirium seeps in. The rules change, and things take on different meanings. Beginning in the earliest hours of Tuesday morning, Dave Chappelle performed an all night, 4 1/2 hour set of stand up routine, improv (once asking the audience for movies that’ve touched us in some meaningful way. He had funny, irreverent jokes for every movie mentioned, ending with a soundtrack for Precious, as if it were sung by a Country artist), piano playing (a little Moonlight Sonata), and a profound look at a keenly intelligent man at work. I laughed until I cried a few times.

There were way too many not funny hecklers to contend with, and sometimes I thought he spent too much time responding to them and engaging with them.

He said his biggest regret was not selling out to Comedy Central, and also said he’s not comfortable with people who say they tell the truth all the time. Dave smoked about 500 cigarettes, drank 2 cups of coffee, didn’t have a sip of water, and talked all night long!

He also has some big guns from working out and says he’s on steroids.

Thanks Dave, that was a great time!

Barbara Graber.

Jeff from SFstandup hips us to a new Wednesday night option:

Just thought you’d like to know, there’s a new stand-up comedy night right in the heart of the Mission at the Delirium on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30. The two guys running it, Joey Divine and Joe Gorman, have only done it 3 times so far, so it’s still ramping up. But on April 30th, they’re having structure gonflable their most ambitious show, “Kevin’s vs. Joe’s” featuring upper-level local comics who have performed at the Punchline and all over the Bay Area.

Link to further deets at SFstandup, including video.

Link to coverage at SFstandup’s San Francisco Comedy Blog.

(click poster to embiggen)