SF Sketchfest 2011, Pt.1

The Tenth Annual SF Sketchfest started last weekend here in San Francisco, CA. I am planning to attend at least a dozen shows over the next few weeks. The complete schedule.

The Eureka Theatre, one of my new homes away from home. 
Photo by Jakub Mosur

I'd heard of this comedy festival before and even went to a show last year, Cinematic Titanic Live at the Castro. Co-founders Cole Stratton & Janet Varney I'm familiar with from their work on Rifftrax Presents (providing humorous commentaries for Footloose, Poltergeist, Dirty Dancing, etc.) which are very funny. There was a Freaks & Geeks reunion panel in 2008 also that I was tempted by, but frankly I didn't really know my way around the MUNI bus/train system, so going to club in North Beach seemed kind of intimidating. And besides a handful of comedians, most of the names appearing on past schedules were unknown quantities to me.


What a difference a year makes. Thanks to iPhone apps like Google Maps and Routesy, it's a breeze to plan trips around the city. And since I subscribe to so many comedy-themed podcasts and am able to listen to them on headphones at work, I've become much better acquainted with the so-called "alternative comedy" scene, especially comics in the L.A. area. I was ready to take a train ride down there and spend a few weeks catching shows at the UCB, Largo, etc., but for now, all my favorites are coming up here to my town for a month. (I will make that L.A. trip someday…)


These are the shows I saw last weekend. I've posted reviews of them over on the A Special Thing forums under my alias Finnias Jones. I may expand/revise them for this here blog, but I want to wait until the Sketchfest site starts posting their photo galleries. Unfortunately only official photographers were allowed to shoot at the shows, which makes sense.


1. Upright Citizens Brigade at Marines Memorial Theatre 
Thursday, January 13 @ at 8:00 PM


2. Characters Only with Matt Besser and more! Cobb's Comedy Club 
Friday, January 14 @ 08:00 PM 


3. Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen and more! at Cobb's Comedy Club 
Friday, January 14 @ 10:30 PM 


4. Celebrity Autobiography at Marines Memorial Theatre
Saturday, January 15 @ 5:00 PM


5. Pop My Culture Podcast interviews Bob Odenkirk at Eureka Theater
Sunday, January 16 @ 1 pm


More shows to come, starting tonight with RiffTrax Presents Night of the Shorts