COURTING COMEDY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: (7/6-12/2015)
“Inter8shul Rel8shunz” by Chad Daniels.
I’ve been mulling a lot on “thinkpiece culture”, specifically as it’s rallied against by comedians. While I understand the defensiveness and desire to discourse with detractors (who have made it abundantly clear they believe they’re on a higher ground morally, to the point they won’t engage in said discourse), I also feel like “the joke is valid because it works” is a bit limited as a response to critique. There are better ways, in and out of the form, to address any political correctness scrutiny, case in point Chad Daniels. In this selection the comic, headlining this week at punchlinesf, tells a playfully offensive joke about the Kardashians, dating a black woman, and the heirarchy to taboo words. Then he, white guy, elaborates. He acknowledges. He mines the piece to make it abundantly clear that he’s not going cheap, that his perspective/intentions/experience is genuine, and your reaction, positive or negative, won’t come from sloppy craftsmanship.
“Strip Club Holiday Party” by Caitlin Gill.
I’m a ride or die Caitlin Gill fan. I’ve been that way for years and that feeling only intensifies with age. She’s one of be the best comedians I’ve ever seen, able to be funny in different ways, and always confronting expectations with brilliance. In this track she talks about the blue-collar respect she found for sex workers. It’s great. She will be headlining at cobbscomedyclub this Saturday for the awesome “Really Funny Comedians (Who Happen to be Women)”, that boasts a terrific line-up of comics who don’t have tracks on Spotify so you’ll have to trust in my recommendation of everyone involved.
“Strip Clubs” by Brent Weinbach.
If you’re reading this, you’re 100% a Brent Weinbach fan. There’s no way you can read an obscure comedy blog, arbitrarily hemmed into a geographical location, specifically the Bay Area, without appreciating the absurdly inspired, Cal-educated, literally Kaufmanesque virtuoso. If you’re not a fan of Brent, I’ll give you a pass if you haven’t seen him live. Live he harnesses the aforementioned talent and draws you in, makes it inviting. He plays the stage with boyish earnest as he bends the audience’s perception and expectations, like a precious child full of benevolent tricks. Onstage, it’s hard to not see a sensitive, if not coy, man that’s just trying to share some inside jokes or reveal some observed, yet universal weirdness. You can join the Brent Weinbach friendshipness this Saturday at Doc’s Lab for two shows (8 & 10pm).
“Pornographic Movies” by Mitch Fatel.
Rooster T. Feathers ( roostertfeathers ) books some of the best talent around, especially this with Mitch Fatel. I’ll never tire of Mitch’s sordid saccharine, his gooey, dripping tonality mixed with sickly, lecherous turns of phrase. It’s like seeing a puppy try to have sex with its mom. Yeah. It’s fucked up. I try to deal with it by laughing and be thankful that I’m just at a comedy show with only my imagination (and sensibilities) compromised.
“Real Talk” by Stroy Moyd.
Going deep into the shallow “relevant for this week” offerings, I stumbled upon this snippet of Stroy Moyd from a Bay Area rap compilation. Stroy, who’s performing this Friday at cyniccave for LaffGang presents: That Hot Fire, has always been mired in a street-level marketing/branding, so it makes PERFECT sense why he’s included in this seemingly random offering. I just wish he had more stuff on wax as he’s one of my favorite comedians to listen to in tone, timbre and temperament.
