Bay Area comedians rejoice as in-person shows return
Anthony Krayenhagen performs in San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO - After nearly 18 months of entertaining ourselves with iPads, Televisions, Netflix and Tik-Tok, one of the oldest forms of entertainment has made a comeback in a city famous for its thought-provoking comedians like Robin Williams, Paul Mooney, Dana Carvey, Ali Wong and W. Kamau Bell, just to name a few.
The Best of San Francisco Stand-up Comedy Show returned to the Hobart Theater in downtown San Francisco this month. Comedian and creator, Vahé Hove, wasn’t sure when he’d be able to bring the show back or how to adapt a stand-up comedy show to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The weekly event had been on hiatus since March 2020. With the uncertainty of the virus, lengthy lockdowns and decreased foot traffic on Market Street, Hove was forced to make a tough decision.
"Things were unclear at that time. We received a lot of feedback from the other comics on social media about canceling our sold out shows in light of the virus. We made the tough decision to shut down the live shows," says Hove.
Greg Asdourian performs in San Francisco.
Zoom comedy became a new avenue for many stand-up performers around the country during the pandemic. Comedians were no longer able to gather in San Francisco’s many comedy venues, so they had to use technology to their advantage and adapt to the times.
Without geographical boundaries in his way, Hove was able to attract big names from around the country. Comedians like Pablo Francisco, Greg Fitzsimmons and Doug Stanhope pitched in and performed over Zoom to entertain fans over the course of the past 18 months. "We started doing Zoom shows and we were blown away by the demand for live entertainment."
Unless your last name is Bezos or Musk, 2020 was anywhere from uncomfortable to miserable. Over 500,000 Americans succumbed to a devastating disease; a booming global economy was stopped in its tracks and a vicious election cycle left many Americans in a foul mood. Hove believes comedy is the antidote to the negativity that boiled over last year.
"Comedy is a great way for people to process what’s going on in the world and in their community," says Hove.
Bigger comedy clubs like Cobb’s and Punchline were able to weather the storm of shutdowns and financial losses. Smaller comedy shows in San Francisco such as Best of SF, Cheaper than Therapy and Piano Fight have had to make adjustments to their business model in order to keep up with the delayed impacts of the COVID-19 shutdowns.
The comics certainly agree on one thing. Performing for live audiences in person is still the preferred method. Bay Area comic Christopher John spoke to KTVU about performing live again in San Francisco, "I can do comedy without looking at my own face on a laptop screen. It feels good to hear their laughs in person again, it’s motivating."
The Best of San Francisco Stand-up Comedy Show works with the Variety Children’s Charity of Northern California. All proceeds from concession sales goes to supporting children with special needs. The show takes place Friday nights at 8 p.m. in the Hobart Building on Market Street. Tickets and information are available on their website.