Readers’ Choice (Best Comedian): Marga Gomez, Casey Ley and Paco Romane [Tie]

Best Comedy Institution: SF Sketchfest

Best Racial Humor You Don’t Feel Guilty Laughing At: Kaseem Bentley

Best SF Comedy Tumblr: Courting Comedy

Best Tranny Comedienne: Natasha Muse

The Best Cheap Night of Comedy: The Business

Best Comedy Open Mic: Funny Mondays With Victor Torres at Deco Lounge

Best Stand-Up on the Way Up: Shanti Charan

Best Onstage Impression: Don Reed

[I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the readers of this blog. The notoriety and momentum of this experiment/experience is as yours as it is mine. Thank you to the San Francisco Bay Area comedy community for being the best comedy scene in the country (as far as I know), thanks to the Internet for keeping everything scattered and revelatory, thanks to Dana Sitar whom I’m sure had a hand in my humble embarrassment for the last few days, thanks to Emily Heller for inspiring CC’s inception (see: Sex Talk With Kaseem), thanks to David Cairns for saving Courting Comedy, and thanks to all those that deserve it (artist, photographers, producers, luminaries, content creators, dreamers, hustlers, and champions). While the anniversary is a month away, I look forward to YEAR THREE with pride and humility. - O.J.]

4/25. The Business: “Three Year Birthday” @ Dark Room Theater. 2263 Mission St. SF. 8PM. $5. Featuring Nato Green and Mike Drucker. Residents: Sean Keane, Caitlin Gill, Chris Garcia, Alex Koll and Chris Thayer. [2-for-1 Special: Here.]

Hey Party People: While you were all busy filing your taxes at the last possible second, The Business, San Francisco’s longest running alternative comedy show and foam party, turned a distinguished THREE YEARS OLD on April 15th.  We’ve survived our terrible two’s (which were not terrible at all).  We’ve made it past the Sophomore Slump (which wasn’t very slumpy at all).  And as you know, three is a very lucky number that is very important to comedy.  So far this year has been the most fun and full collection of shows we’ve ever put on.  THE MAGIC IS WORKING ALREADY!  Please come out this Wednesday night and help celebrate with us and our party pals:

Nato Green will be on hand and ready to party like it’s 2012.  Known as “The Fifth Businessman” (even though we now are six members strong, so technically he’d be “The Seventh Businessman”) Nato is back at The Biz to help prep for his upcoming FULL LENGTH COMEDY ALBUM RECORDING!  Nato speaks truth to power through the international language of love: stand-up comedy.  When not prepping for CD recordings, Nato has also been working on a documentary with and about his fellow pinko commies Laughter Against The Machine. This party just became a political party yall!

Party Dog Mike Drucker visits The Biz again to do a keg stand off our pony keg…of laughs!  A recent transplant from the Northwest, Mike has already made his nerd dominance felt throughout the Bay.  A writer for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, McSweeny’s and Nintendo (that’s right, dorks)  Drucker also recently went head-to-head with Businessman Alex Koll during a Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction battle royale at Portland’s The Bridgetown Comedy Festival. How erotic will things get this Wednesday?  Probably not much at all! 


To add to the party vibe, we will also have The DJ Real Vs. Joe Tobin Experience on-stage as our house band, some party snacks and many more surprises!

All of the regular Businessmen will be in the mix, except for Bucky, who is off pushing his poetry in Portland.  But not to worry, we’ve enlisted several holograms to take his place!  Come for the comedy, stay for the future technology!

As always, the party starts at 8pm, the party price is just $5 and party supplies are nearby at Taqueria Cancun and other hot party spots in the ‘hood.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE!

4/18. The Business: “The Maximilian Affair” @ Dark Room Theater. 2263 Mission St. SF. 8PM. $5. Featuring Frankie Quinoñes and Clara Bijl. Residents: Sean Keane, Caitlin Gill, Chris Garcia, Bucky Sinister and Chris Thayer. 

This week, The Business regulars are stuffing your enchiladas with baguettes as we welcome a bill of guests that would have Napoleon III plieing in his grave hard enough to knock off the sugar skulls. 

Clara Bijl is visiting us from The City of Angels, but was born in The City of Light. PARIS, FRANCE. She was raised in the Alps, attended schools in Germany, Switzerland, and South Carolina; then one day, she moved to The City that Never Sleeps to begin a career in stand-up comedy. Performing all around the Big Apple and the rest of the country, she became a prolific writer of cutting, witty, internationally flavored comedy.

She will truffle your butter.

Frankie Quinones is a rising star to search for and catch. He is a founding member of For The People Comedy, is a collective of artists who share a common goal of producing colorful events fueled by positivity and laughter. Always maintaining a diverse lineup to represent San Francisco culture through high energy shows filled with humor and music. Frankie has also toured with some of the industry’s top headliners including the legendary Paul Rodriguez, and has performed for our troops overseas in Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.

He is also quite dapper. Muy rico suave. 

This show is gonna feel like French kissing a churro. It’s gonna be like peeping on the Dos Equis guy with a French maid. It’s gonna make you wanna escarGO(silentT) see more live comedy!!! EIYIYI!!!! (I’m sorry)

Grab $5, your burrito and your beret and come join our fantastic guests and all the regulars! (except Alex, who we wish well in the wilds of the Northwest. If you are reading this in Tacoma, Washington- go see his shows this weekend at the Comedy Underground!)

3/14. The Business @ The Dark Room. 2263 Mission St. SF. 8PM. $5. Featuring Josh Gondelman, Emily Fleming, Kaseem Bentley, Sean Keane, Alex Koll, Chris Garcia, Chris Thayer, Caitlin Gill, and Bucky Sinister

The Business is happy to welcome the hilarious Josh Gondelman to the show this week. Josh hails from Boston, but currently lives in New York City. For such a sweet and lovable former preschool teacher, he knows a surprising amount about gangsta rap. He won first prize in the initial Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta, and has performed at festivals such as SF Sketchfest, Laugh Your Asheville Off, and the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. His debut CD is called “Everything’s The Best,” and was produced by Rooftop Comedy. You can follow his consistently stellar Twitter work at twitter.com/joshgondelman.

As if that weren’t enough East Coast flavor, we’ve also got comedian Emily Fleming visiting from New York. And we’re also happy to welcome back Kaseem Bentley, local favorite and insult comic extraordinaire. The San Jose Mercury News called him a “comic to watch,” and Chris Garcia once called him “the last King of Scotland.” You’ll call him “hella funny” or possibly “Rick Ross’s half-brother.”

We’ve also got a full cast of regular Businesspeople: Chris Garcia, Caitlin Gill, Sean Keane, Alex Koll, Bucky Sinister & Chris Thayer. As always, admission is just five dollars, because we’re the best bargain in town. 

2/1. The Business @ The Dark Room. 2263 Mission St. SF. 8PM. $5. Featuring Sheng Wang, Sean Keane, Bucky Sinister, Caitlin Gill, and Chris Garcia.

Surprise! Sheng Wang is on The Business this week. Fresh off a weekend of dominant performances at Sketchfest, Sheng Wang returns to The Business this week. You may have seen him at the Punch Line, at Kevin Allison’s RISK! storytelling show, or in line at Arinell’s Pizza. Mr. Wang is a native of Houston, Texas, but came of comedy age in the Bay. His Comedy Central half-hour special premiered last year, and he’s also appeared on Live At Gotham and toured with the Comedians of Comedy. He’s a frequent guest to the Business, where he has also exhibited his photography. Is there anything this dude can’t do?

We’ve also got Chris Garcia, Caitlin Gill, Sean Keane, and Bucky Sinister rounding out the lineup. Admission is still five dollars, and you can bring in your own burrito if you like - I’m pretty sure Sheng will be bringing in his.

1/11. The Business @ The Dark Room. 2263 Mission St. SF. 8PM. $5. Featuring Sean Keane, Bucky Sinister, Clare O’Kane, Caitlin Gill, Chris Thayer, and George Chen.

The Business welcomes two first-time guests to the show, and welcomes two new Businessmen to our regular lineup. Or should we say - BusinessWOMEN. Well, a Businessman and a Businesswoman - Caitlin Gill and Chris Thayer! And our two guests are Clare O’Kane and George Chen.

Clare O’Kane is a rising comedian and actress making her way on the scene. She often performs with the infamous Sylvan Collective, and has acted at the Edinburgh Festival. She starred in the film “Bloodrape” as “Evelyn,” and IMDB credits her as a Researcher for “An Audience With Elton John,” a TV special produced when she was eight years old.

George Chen is a Bay Area bred writer and musician. His credits for talking at you include Porchlight Storytelling Series and the Living Room Salon at SF MOMA. He organized a comedy show on a bus and in a comic book store. He’s writing this while watching a Species marathon.

Chris and Caitlin have performed on The Business many times in the past, and we’re excited to have them on board from now on. Chris has performed at SF Sketchfest and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and produced his own show NERVES! Caitlin founded the Ladies Room comedy showcase, remains the longtime dirty haiku champion of Tourette’s Without Regrets, and has performed at poetry slams and inside boxing rings.

They’ve been guests, but come Wednesday, we’ll see how they hold up to the pressure of being a regular. Heavy is the hand that holds the microphone, though light is the finger that administers the Facebook invite. And heavy is the tummy that orders the super burrito from Cancun, available just across the street. 8 PM. Five bucks. No Chris and Alex, but we’ll have memories that will last a lifetime.

(via The Business)

[AWESOME LINE-UP! TOTALLY BIASED CAPS LOCK]

David Gborie (and Andrew Moore) by Sam Ardrey

12/7. The Business: “Miles QUE?” @ Dark Room Theater. 2263 Mission St. SF. $5. 8PM. Feat Miles K, Chris Garcia, Alex Koll and Bucky Sinister

Who’s gonna be at the Dark Room Wednesday?
Miles K!
Miles QUE?!?

Who’s a witty comic comin’ up in the Bay?
Miles K!
Miles QUE?!?

Who’s website is http://cleverthingstosay.com/
Miles K!
Miles QUE?!?

Miles K. Stenehjem, that’s que!

To quote East Bay artist Kaitlin McSweeny:

“Miles K. Stenehjem is an elegant satirist with a wit born of sensitive desperation and fearless experience, in my opinion a sort of Oscar Wilde of this time, if Oscar Wilde could lay down some pretty sweet freestyle rhymes and deliver stand-up performances that make even today’s recession-depressed audiences gasp and guffaw.”

Miles has also recently opened for Andy Kindler, has a show of his own called “Everything Jamboree” and now joins us on our humble show.

Sean is taking a well deserved victory lap around Los Angeles this week, but Chris, Bucky and the newly returned Alex will be on hand to stoke your hot comedy giggly-fire.

As always we ask but only a simple $5 cover charge, begin but only at a simple 8pm, and offer but only a simple proximity to good food and cheep drinks.

We’re all a big sack of chemicals that wants to die

- Bucky Sinister @ Dark Room Theater.

[Photo by Sam Andrey]