We ventured down to the Punchline in San Francisco this past Monday night for what was billed as a Just For Laughs Showcase. From talking to some of the comics on the show, I came to find out that it was actually an audition show for the Montreal Comedy Festival. Being the fan boys that we are, Natalie and I went in to check out the local talent do their thing. The line-up consisted of 16 up & comers vying for a spot to go to Montreal for the big festival. From what it seemed, each comic had about 5 minutes to do some of their act, with some judges in back taking notes.

Comic #1 was the very funny and likeable Kristopher Tinkle. Kristopher makes his way to the stage and owns it for the next few minutes. I've seen Kris perform about 3 or 4 times and he's murdered every time. He rifles through his set with hilarious movements and hand gestures. From talking about being drunk, watching the home shopping channel, to having been a fat kid growing up with a speech impediment, Kris is on fire the whole time. With the sets being short, we weren't treated to the full & fantastic set that Kris could have provided. I strongly suggest checking out his website, www.ktinkle.com. There's some great video on there that'll get people dying of laughter.

Comic #2 was a guy I've never seen named Jeff Short. He reminded me of Judge Reinhold circa Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Jeff starts out his set talking about pot, which makes me think I'm in for an awful pot induced set. Fortunately I was wrong. Jeff was hysterical in his talking about pot, as well as when he starts talking about beer, namely Pabst Blue Ribbon. He segues into talking about his drunken personality, Bill, and how Bill does stuff that Jeff won't do when he's drunk. I'm so glad Jeff proved me wrong in not being the normal hack comic talking about pot.

Comic #3 was another guy I've never heard of named Art Roseman. Art starts off by talking about how people think he's gay because of his looks, which would have had me fooled if he weren't gay. He was a very funny guy who went on to talk about porno, traveling across the country by bus, an stinky people. The thing I liked about Art was that he is a black man who didn't have to rely on the typical black vs white shtick. He's a very funny guy who I look forward to watching again.

Comic #5 was an unknown to me named Mark Nadeau. I don't know what it was about Nadeau, but he seemed to be having a hard time on stage. He came off as a little spazzy, and to be honest, I don't remember too much about his set. I did note a lot of cringe potential in Nadeau from some of the stuff he was talking about. While I won't say I liked his set, I didn't dislike it either. I really thought he had a lot of potential and that Mark looked like he would have done much better had he been in a different environment.

Comic #6 was a physical abomination named John Hoogasian. I really liked this guys style. He reminded me of a cross between Mitch Hedberg and Steven Wright on caffeine. He was seriously an odd looking dude, but that didn't take away from the fact that the guy was really funny. He'd throw in a little "segue" or "transition" between some of his lines which I found kinda quirky. Someone I'd definitely see again soon.

Comic #7 was someone I've seen before and didn't like, Kelly Pryce. First off she's a woman, so she's got that strike against her. Secondly, she had to start talking about her husband, then her baby. Typical woman set here. Nothing groundbreaking. I really hope I never have to sit through her set ever again.

Comic #8 was a Chris Tucker look-alike named Jasper Redd. Jasper's voice was so high pitched that I couldn't believe it was real. He started off with a little black vs white comedy which was good because it was funny and not hateful. I liked his set a lot, and the thing that stood out most about him was that he was wearing a Member's Only jacket, which cracked me up.

Comic #9 was another unknown named Daniel Dugar. I really liked Daniel's set and that he was not an angry black guy. His set consisted of racial stuff which we've all heard before, but for some reason, I liked the way he delivered his stuff.

Comic #10 was Louis Katz, a familiar face on the Bay Area comic scene. I've seen Louis before and I loved his stuff. Louis is a very, very funny man. When I first saw him he seemed to be an agry little jewish man who went on to talk about public restrooms, premature ejaculation, and how his glasses not only make him look intimidating, but they also help him see. Louis is a great and very cordial guy off stage and I hope to see his longer sets and get to know him better.

Comic #11 was a personal favorite of mine, Tony DiJamco. I've seen Tony a handful of times and he's been great every time. I really enjoy his act, as he goes on to talk about not being scared insulting midgets, how he looks great for his age, and how when he took Greyhound, he was the cutest girl on the bus. Tony has got to be one of the skinniest people I've ever seen in my life. He's a really funny guy who my sister and I always enjoy seeing.

Comic #13 was another guy I've written about before, Joe Klocek. Joe is the host of the Punchline's monthly game show, Get It? I really like joe as he is a quick & witty guy with a lot of energy. He was also a runner-up in the San Francisco Comedy Festival last year and is regular all over the Bay Area.

Comic #13 was a lady named Carla Clayy. I've seen her before and I must say that I liked her stuff. She has that angry black woman gimmick without being too over the top. I saw her totally tear this guy apart one time and it was great. The thing I liked most was that she didn't do any men vs. women material, which was pretty shocking for a woman.

Comic #14 was another familiar guy, Dennis Gaxiola. Dennis reminds me of Carlos Mencia, except that Dennis is actually funny. He does racial stuff, covering almost every race in a way that's funny but not blatantly hurtful. I really enjoyed his set and hope to see him again.

Our headlining comic was local favorite Jim Short. All I have to say is UGH! I saw him open for Attell & Black in October and I thought he was horrid. He talks about a lot of local stuff, his native Australia, and the paperclip thing in Microsoft Word. I've never sat through a 10-15 minute set and not changed my facial expression until then. I really hope I never have to sit through another Jim Short set, as he looked like Steven William Regal with an Australian accent and no humor.

All in all it was a good show. I had the pleasure of talking with some of the comics and they were all great guys. I wish all those guys nothing but good things, and I look forward to interviewing some of them for future CH columns.

-Vyse