This year’s San Francisco Sketchfest could quite possibly be the best in the festival’s history. With the Reno 911 cast reuniting for the last time, popular sketch shows like Celebrity Autobiography, The Red Wine Boys, Ask A Ninja, and Upright Citizens Brigade ASSSSCAT Improv, amazing comedians like Maria Bamford, Michael Ian Black, Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Mirman, and Greg Behrendt, as well as San Francisco’s own batch of talented comedians like Brendan Lynch, Kevin O’Shea, Mary Van Note, Moshe Kasher, and Brent Weinbach. Let’s not forget Conan O’Brian’s apperance in the wake of his unfortunate yet understandable announcement. There is way too much comedy gold to mention and it’s extremely difficult to decide which show to attend each night. Also, sandwiched between these amazing shows are a handful of musical performers that will be peppered throughout the festival…
Tim and Eric’s Pusswhip Banggang Music Show
JAN 14, 8PM AT MEZZANINE 21+ buy tickets
Thoughts: Tickets are still available last time we checked and from what I’ve heard from last year’s wacked out awesomeasaurus of a show, this should be no exception. Good job!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Tim and Eric – Wipe My Butt from Awesome Record, Great Songs! Volume One (2008)
Gordon Gano (of the Violent Femmes)
Appearing with: The Dave Hill Explosion
JAN 26, 8PM AT COBB’S COMEDY CLUB buy tickets
Thoughts: The Dave Hill Explosion is exactly what it sounds like, an explosion of all things awesome. Dancing, singing, joking, and that’s probably all at the same time, Dave Hill shows off his limitless talent with the help of none other than Violent Femmes genius, Gordan Gano. Assuming Gordan will be providing the music for an epic night of entertainment, this should be an event not to be missed.
Reggie Watts
JAN 14, 8PM & JAN 15-16, 8PM & 10PM AT THE PUNCH LINE buy tickets
Thoughts: If you are not familiar with Reggie and his unrelenting talent, you are seriously missing out. This one man talent factory is an unpredictable and hilarious renaissance man paired with a looping machine and a shifting voice that entertains and wows everywhere he goes. Catch him with San Francisco’s own quirky Mary Van Note, a comedy pearl of the Bay Area.
Aimee Mann
Appearing with: Comedy Death-Ray
JAN 15, 8PM & 10:30PM AT COBB’S COMEDY CLUB
8pm: buy tickets
10:30pm: buy tickets
Game Show Explosion
JAN 16,10:30PM AT COBB’S COMEDY CLUB buy tickets
Thoughts: Aimee has been known to be paired with comedians at the world famous Largo club in LA and will be doing exactly that with some of the best comedians in the business. I don’t know what to expect, but I’ll be there.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Aimee Mann – Wise Up from Magnolia [OST] (1999)
Grant-Lee Phillips The Paul F. Tompkins Show
JAN 15, 8PM & 10:30PM AT THE EUREKA THEATRE buy tickets
Thoughts: Another Largo favorite, Grant will probably bring more of his sharp and witty humor than his better known 90s material. With help from Paul F. Tompkins, this ought to be a hilarious and bizarre night of good music and good laughs.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Bring the Rock
JAN 30, 10:30PM AT COBB’S COMEDY CLUB
With Matt Nathanson buy tickets
Thoughts: Greg Behrendt and his band join the likes of Oscar Nunez (The Office), Eugene Mirman (Invite Them Up), Maria Bamford (Comedians of Comedy), and David Burtka (How I Met Your Mother) for Bring the Rock, a night of storytelling regarding certain songs from the performer’s past. Paired with singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson, the evening should be quite interesting as I’m sure hilarity will ensure knowing Matt’s frequent onstage antics. I have seen Matt a handful of times (as well as his ever growing female fanbase) and he is already a joy to see; so I wonder what will happen when he gets to rocking with Oscar.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Matt Nathanson – Little Victories from Still Waiting for Spring (2001)
Jill Sobule
JAN 27, 8PM AT YOSHI’S SAN FRANCISCO
The Jill and Julia Show
8pm @ Yoshi’s San Francisco $20 buy tickets
Thoughts: Well respected singer-songwriter Jill Sobule teams up with actress, writer and comedienne Julia Sweeney, for the “Jill and Julia Show”, a compilation of songs and stories. With regular showings at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, the act has built up a reputation for brutal honesty and straight up hilarious performances night after night.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Jill Sobule – San Francisco from California Years (2009)
Mates of State Appearing with: The Red Wine Boys
JAN 31, 9PM AT MEZZANINE 21+ buy tickets
Thoughts: I’m not sure what Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel have in mind for their pairing with The Red Wine Boys (Todd Barry and Jon Benjamin), but I’m sure it’ll be a night filled with laughs and lots of funny juice. Perhaps we should give Todd Berry a bongo drum and see what happens.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Mates of State – My Only Offer from Re-Arrange Us (2008)
Michael Penn
Appearing with: The Greg Proops Chat Show
JAN 20, 8PM AT YOSHI’S SAN FRANCISCO buy tickets
Thoughts: Can you tell the people in Sketchfest have some sort of affixation with 90s singer-songwriters? Who’s next? Edwin McCain? Anyway, this folk-pop prince will be rocking out with comedy wizard Greg Proops. Maybe we’ll get to hear No Myth! Or maybe his wife, Aimee will show up and they can do some kind of 90s alt-duet. Meh.
Be-Bop Heroin Hour
JAN 29, 8PM buy tickets
JAN 30, 10:30PM AT THE PURPLE ONION buy tickets
Thoughts: If you have ever seen Dave Chappelle’s Block Party film, you’ll probably remember one of the more memorable scenes where Dave makes the comparison of Thelonious Monk’s jazz mastery and the spot-on timing of stand-up comics. So what better combination than jazz music paired with comics? Joining hosts Jamie Flam, Hugh Moore and song siren Chi Chi Lavie on Friday are guest comics Eddie Pepitone, Sean Conroy, Ron Lynch, Jordan Carlos and Matt Champagne; Saturday’s lineup is Bobby Tisdale, Matt Champagne, Jeff Kreisler, Jordan Carlos, Vanessa Ragland and Michelle Miracle. Catch this unique and genius comedic showcase.
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Appearing with: Sitting and Talking with “Weird Al” Yankovic
JAN 23, 2PM AT COBB’S COMEDY CLUB buy tickets
Thoughts: What more can be said? It’s fucking “Weird Al” Yankovic!
For more on SF Sketchfest like schedule and performers as well where to get tickets. Go here.
Lake Tahoe is in the Bay Area right? Sure it is…I don’t know I’ve only lived here for a year. It’s relivent enough to mention though. Wanderlust Festival is this weekend (July 24-26th) up in Lake Tahoe. The line-up includes Andrew Bird, Broken Social Scene, Spoon, Rogue Wave, Mates of State, Girl Talk, Kaki King, Gillian Welch, Jenny Lewis, Michael Franti & Spearhead (eww), Amanda Palmer, Spearhead, Jai Uttal, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, The Mutaytor, The Honey Brothers, and The London Souls. The pictures of people doing Yoga are kind of freaking me out, but it looks fun nonetheless. Anywho, here’s this week’s schedule…
Today has veteran shoegaze act Trespassers William and Robert Gomez with The Theatre Fire at the Hemlock Tavern, sfSoundSeries presents avant-garde masters Milton Babbitt, Alvin Lucier, Olga Neuwirth, Matt Ingalls, and Hans Thomalla at the ODC Theater, and the mighty Judgement Day, TRICLOPS! and The Definite Articles rock out at the Bottom of the Hill.
Monday features Blue Öyster Cult at Slim’s and hip hop acts Awol One, Factor, and Ceschi at the Element Lounge.
Tuesday will be pretty packed with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Girls, and The Champagne Socialists performing the Rickshaw Stop, electro-act Casiotone for the Painfully Alone will be at the Bottom of the Hill, and the ever-so amazing hip hop group Doomtree featuring Sims, Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, Dessa, Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak, Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak will be playing the Elbo Room.
Wednesday has synth-pop sweetie La Roux with io echo at Café du Nord, the Fake Problems show at the Bottom of the Hill is canceled, and experimental pop group Micachu & The Shapes keep it real at the Rickshaw Stop.
Thursday, The Weakerthans play The Great American Music Hall, hip-hop legends De La Soul hit up The Fillmore, and singer-songwriter iaWillm Fitzsimmons soothes The Independent.
Friday has of Montreal and Jon Brion at the Fox Theater in Oakland and reggae acts The Lions, Bedouin Soundclash and Rootbeer featuring Pigeon John hits up Slim’s.
Saturday has the reunited No Doubt, Paramore, and The Sounds at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and local indie pop act maus haus plays with Rainbow Arabia at the Bottom of the Hill.
I’ll be at ComicCon a majority of this week, but those are your recommendations for this week. Have fun!
Olga Neuwirth – Lost Highway
Trespassers William – Sparrow
Ceschi – Frank Purpose
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan
I’ll be blogging (hate that word) on the road this coming week. In fact as you read this, I’ll already be in Boston drinking heavily and celebrating my friend’s birthday. Good times. Anyway, I have quite a few reasons why I’ll be in Boston. Here are my top 5…
1. Opening Day at Fenway with the Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays! Courtesy of my good friend Katie. GO SOX!
2. Friend’s crazy Birthday pub crawl. Maybe a drunk post tonight…who knows what could happen?
3. Mates of State / Black Kids / SUNBEARS! show at the newly renovated House of Blues. Good to finally see my boys in SUNBEARS! perform.
4. Zombie parade on EASTER DAY! Will I bring a camera? Yes. Will there be a shitload of Zombie Jesus’? I’m guessing yes on that one.
5. Boston Pillow Fight Today! I don’t know where it’s going to be (yet) but I’ll definitely be there.
Mates of State – My Only Offer
Moving on…
To celebrate the new releases of Michael Zapruder ‘Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope‘ and 1090 Club ‘Natural Selection‘, SideCho Records are giving away an exclusive package to one lucky person! You will receive a copy of ‘Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope’, ‘Natural Selection’, Michael Zapruder Tshirt, Posters from Michael and 1090 Club, and more. All you have to do is sign up for the SideCho Records Newsletter by emailing contests@sidecho.com.
Hey! You know that band theSTART? Probably not, but you might want to get to know the band’s side project, Normandie. A very dark 80s-ish mix of Blondie and Portishead. You like the sound of that? Well then download this low quality demo and tell me what you think.
Normandie – Little Sister (demo)
Some interesting new releases this past Tuesday. First off is the wonderful Great Lake Swimmers with Lost Channels. I seriously love this album and can already tell you that I will be listening to this album over and over on the plane. It’s very solid release, go buy it. Peter Bjorn and John return with Living Thing. Not as many catchy tunes as I would have expected, but it’s not bad. The Whitest Boy Alive’sRules is growing on me a bit. Oh and the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It’s Blitz, came out. I love this album so much. I’m so glad these guys went in this direction, it suits them well.
The Whitest Boy Alive – Island
No this isn’t the cover of the new My Chemical Romance album. I wouldn’t do that to you after my little April Fools gag. This is the cover of Cage’s new free E.P. I Never Knew You. He says it will be available soon, but I’m not sure when that exactly is. But here’s the dark El-P produced title track from the upcoming and much anticipated E.P.
Putting a label on the debut album by Jacksonville Florida’s SUNBEARS! is a toughie. They’re sort of a synth-psychedelic-indie-noisepop band from space. Plus they break an awful lot of rules in their debut album Dream Happy Dreams, a short, vibrant, colorful little album that sounds like a waterfall of summer love. Recorded in Redding CA, Atlanta GA, and their hometown of Jacksonville, the album has a unique and striking sound, and they obviously know how to craft solid pop music with a foot-tapping beat.
The album opens with Le Penné Pageant, a strolling waltz with slow-building gypsy brass smothered in twisted synth and closes with a relaxed airily synthesized Sunshine at 9 P.M. Everything in between is a whirlwind of influences and originality, cleverly warped into one body and garnished with some very impressive and astute lyrics. Songs like I’m Alive! and Little Baby Pines are catchy and subversive enough to win over any fan of perfectly creafted pop music.
In addition, SUNBEARS! will be supporting Mates of State and Black Kids on the eastern leg of their tour. You can also catch them at the Harvest of Hope Fest at the St. Johns County Fair Grounds in St. Augustine, Florida on Saturday along with Tilly & the Wall, Against Me!, Deerhunter, and dozens more.
You can purchase that album digitally here or pick up a physical copy on their upcoming tour.
Apr 2 2009 Richmond, VA – The National
Apr 3 2009 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
Apr 4 2009 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Apr 5 2009 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
I kind of laugh to myself when people ask me, “Hey what are you doing this Columbus Day weekend?” When I say I have to work, they usually give me that look like I just dented my car. “Oooo, bummer dude.” It’s no big deal when it comes down to it. Weekends lose their meaning when you have a schedule like mine. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’m not even sure how to ‘observe’ Columbus Day. Well there’s always Indigenous Peoples Day. Hooray oppression!
Sufjan Stevens – Holland
Mates of State – My Only Offer
Department of Eagles – No One Does It Like You
Hayden – Where and When
Maritime – Guns of Navarone
Women – Black Rice
The Decemberists – Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
No this isn’t the cover of the new My Chemical Romance album. I wouldn’t do that to you after my little April Fools gag. This is the cover of Cage’s new free E.P. I Never Knew You. He says it will be available soon, but I’m not sure when that exactly is. But here’s the dark El-P produced title track from the upcoming and much anticipated E.P.
Putting a label on the debut album by Jacksonville Florida’s 
