Have you ever heard the phrase, “You’ve got to laugh to keep from crying?” It sure does seem to be more true nowadays than ever, doesn’t it? What with the everyone-is-always-outraged-about-something world we live in, it’s nice to find distractions from scrolling through our mostly hate-filled social media timelines. My favorite distraction? Comedy. Particularly of the live-and-in-person variety. Luckily for us here in Sacramento, we’re sitting on a comedy goldmine. Week in and week out, there are great comedy shows in and around this city, so do yourself a favor and go laugh your face off at one of these upcoming comedy spectacles. As always, we here at Submerge encourage you to: Read. Learn. Do rad things.

Comedian, columnist, actor and author Will Durst, who has been described by the New York Times as “possibly the best political comic working today,” is bringing his Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness show through town on Saturday, July 21 to the The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts (2700 Capitol Ave.), aka the new B Street Theatre. Doors at 6:30 p.m. and all ages are welcome. More info and tickets ($30) can be found at Bstreettheatre.org.

The Sacramento Comedy Spot (1050 20th St. #130) is known for hosting hilarious and off-the-wall improv shows and The Daddy House on Friday, July 27 at 10:30 p.m. should be no different. It’s a show in the style of a 1950s family sitcom (think Leave It to Beaver) about a family of—you guessed it—all dads. The dads (played by Nick Magavern, Ryan King and Court Hansen) will “get into a series of wacky mishaps and teach touching life lessons in this semi-improvised, semi-written extravaganza!” Tickets for The Daddy House are just $5, but it’s free if you buy a ticket for the 9 p.m. “YOU! The Musical” show ($12). More info at Saccomedyspot.com/calendar.

Stand-up comedian Jess Hilarious first found fame by posting hilarious short skits on her Instagram (where she has amassed 3.8 million followers!), and now she has appeared on VH1, BET and is selling out shows around the country. She will also be the female lead in an upcoming comedy pilot on Fox called Rel, with Lil Rel Howery, Jordan L. Jones, Sinbad and others. You can catch Jess at Tommy T’s (12401 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova) where she’ll perform five sets between July 27 – 29. Hit up Tommytsrancho.com for more info and tickets.

On Saturday, July 28, the newly opened STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway) will host their First Annual Gallagher Tribute Show in honor of the great comedian’s birthday (which is July 24), and STAB!’s very own John Ross gave us the lowdown on this sure-to-be-weird-and-awesome show: “The event will consist of 10–15 comics doing their own original comedy while dressed as Gallagher and smashing shit during their acts,” he told Submerge (Gallagher is, of course, known for smashing watermelons and plenty of other stuff on stage as part of his act). “We will also be encouraging the audience to show up in their best Gallagher costume, as we will be having a Gallagher costume contest.” The show is all ages, starts at 7 p.m. and is $10 for adults and just $5 for kids. Learn more at Stabcomedytheater.com or Facebook.com/stabcomedytheater.

Creed Bratton is one of those guys where if you don’t recognize his name in writing, when you see his face, you’re like, “Ohhh, I know him!” Bratton played a fictional version of himself on nine seasons of the NBC hit comedy The Office, and on Sunday, July 29 you can catch An Evening of Music and Comedy with Creed Bratton at Holy Diver (1517 21st St.). Tickets are $20 in advance at Holydiversac.com, and the show is all ages, with doors at 7 p.m. Opening will be Control, Sam Jones and Amber DeLaRosa. A well-rounded night of live entertainment!

If you’re a fan of Cartoon Network’s late night programming block, Adult Swim, chances are you’re already a huge Eric Andre fan. He’s the creator, host, and co-writer of The Eric Andre Show, a parody of a low-budget public access show that features ridiculous interviews, sketches, pranks and more. Andre is making his way to Punch Line (2100 Arden Way) where he’ll perform five shows between Aug 2 – 4. These shows are pretty much guaranteed to sell out, so hit up Punchlinesac.com ASAP to secure your tickets. The shows are all 18-plus, and tickets start at $25.

Find more comedy shows, concerts and other regional events in our calendar section!

**This piece first appeared in print on page 6 of issue #270 (July 18 – Aug. 1, 2018)**

DJ Sandhu is a unique comedian who’s hard to nail down. His material can go from incredibly liberal to unexpectedly conservative stances on dating and relationships. In the last few years he’s grown out a long black beard that’s the stuff of legend. Born of Indian parents, and blessed with bushy eyebrows, he’s had more than his fair share of troubles at airports as a result. He’s told me stories of being taken off of flights in Paris because he looked like a terrorist, and flat out being denied entry into Canada while a guy with five guns was waved right in. Despite these humiliating (and expensive) travel changes, he does his best to find the humor in these situations. In one of his bits, he admits that he isn’t sure he’d want to get on a flight that didn’t give extra security screening to someone who looked like him.

He’s placed well at The World Series of Comedy for two straight years and even taught a class on comedy finance for 100 comedians at this year’s event in Las Vegas. Quick to give advice to new comedians and frequently giving visiting comics a place to crash when they come through Sacramento, he has a reputation as one of the nicest performers in town.

I spoke with DJ at The Sacramento Comedy Spot a couple of hours before we were both scheduled to perform on The Friday Show. He’s always up to something unusual, like painting his beard purple in honor of the Kings or performing in a System of a Down tribute band, but he’s reached new levels of eccentricity by getting a pet pig. And he’s adorable.

Tell me about your pig.
His name is Sir Nigel Buckingham.

How did this come about?
Anthony Krayenhagen and Chris Teicheira [Modesto comedians] did a Pretending to Care podcast when they were dumping on an article Brian Crall [Sacramento Comedy Spot founder] wrote.

The article about how to start performing stand-up comedy?
As I’m listening to it, I said, “You’re way out of pocket, and I’m going to ambush your next podcast and defend his honor.” So I went there with my girlfriend and my girlfriend said, “There’s something wrong with your pig!” Her gut was just dragging on the floor and Chris said she was pregnant. Then my girlfriend said, “Can I have one?” And she just gave me a look and I said, “Look if you want it, go for it, but it’s going to be you raising it because I’m not around so much.”

We were planning on naming it Lord Hidalgo Noriega then she decided she wanted to name it Nigel. I still wanted a title so I came up with Sir Nigel Buckingham. At the last second I tried to get her to let me name it Hash Browns, because I think that’s an adorable name.

He had a crown on when I met him a few nights ago. Where do you find a crown for a pig?
We had already planned on getting him a mini crown and cape, so the day before we got him we went to Petco to get him his bed, food and a leash, and as soon as we walked in, that outfit was at the door.
This year for Halloween I’m going to be Khal Drogo, my girlfriend will be Khaleesi and she’s going to make a dragon costume for Nigel.

What’s the biggest surprise about owning a pig?
Everyone’s always saying how smart pigs are, but I was reading about it and found out the chain of command is that number one is humans, number two is chimps and apes, number three is whales and dolphins, and number four is pigs. So they’re the fourth smartest thing on the planet.

What’s the dumbest animal?
Comedians [laughs]!

This pig is gonna get big, right?
Probably about 200 pounds. Considering I’m 175 pounds, it’ll make me feel good about myself.
Tell me about your background. A lot of people make assumptions about you. Let’s get that straight.
I’m born and raised in Sacramento. My parents were born and raised in the Punjabi area of India. And my mom and dad moved to England when they were 3 and 7. My dad moved to Sacramento when he was 12.

So they met in England?
Just a bit, but once they turned 18 they were in an arranged marriage. My mom’s aunt is married to my dad’s uncle. There’s no blood relation, but there’s no word for that in Punjabi. So when people would ask my parents how they met, he would say, “She’s my cousin!” and she would say, “No! We are not cousins. Stop it!”

So the arranged marriage worked out for them?
Yeah. Neither of them drinks or smokes, and they don’t eat meat. They don’t have vices, so it’s not like one is sacrificing for the other.

Where did you go to high school?
Laguna Creek in Elk Grove.

Was being a comedian something you wanted to do then?
Never. I wanted to be in a punk or a metal band.

You’re in a band now, right?
Yeah, it’s Steal This Band. It’s a System of a Down tribute band. They get so mad when I call it a cover band. I guess a cover band plays a bunch of people’s stuff, and a tribute band … only [covers one band]. We’ve been together almost a year, but we’ve only done five shows. They’re all in “real” bands so it’s just something we do on the side.

You can sing. I remember we were in Marysville at The Silver Dollar Saloon after a show and you sang “Pony” by Ginuwine. I’ve heard you sing it before, too.
I would use that to pick up on women at bars. I’d put that song on and make a spectacle. I’d walk the bar top and find the biggest dude in the room and start giving him a lap dance. They always joke back with it, because you can’t hit me, I’m too small. You can’t win a fight against me if you’re a big dude, because if I win, a little guy just kicked your ass; and if you win the cops will be like, “Why are you picking on this skinny little Indian?” Then I’d go to the girl I actually wanted to get with.

So what was the spark that got you to try comedy?
My brother went to UC Santa Cruz and they had a culture show and they got a comedian to come up from Los Angeles to close it out. They paid for his flight, his hotel and all of his food and drinks for the weekend.

Is this someone you can name?
His name’s on the wall of The Comedy Store. I don’t think he does comedy anymore. They paid him $3,000.

So they didn’t know what they were doing?
He saw them coming. There were children and old immigrant women and everyone in-between there. He’s cussing and was just super vulgar. So he turned the audience off immediately and never got them back. Later on, we’re having a bonfire at the beach and passing a guitar around and someone says to me, “Why don’t you try comedy, you’re funnier than this guy!” He heard that and started treating me different. It really hurt him. So I said, “What, do you think you’re Russell Peters?” Once he started treating me crappy, I recognized that he saw I would be able to do this.

He inspired me to perform, so I came back to Sacramento and did Laughs Unlimited’s open mic back around 2006 and performed three times with different sets, and just put a pin in it and went back to college. Then about three years later I just started it up again. I was going to clubs and watching and became friends with some of the headliners and features. I didn’t even know the local hosts. But I spent the next six months doing open mics and showcases.

I ended up getting my first day job and my first hosting weekend at Laughs Unlimited the same week. Kivi Rogers was the headliner and he was giving me advice, and I was taking it way too literal. After one of the shows he said, “That’s your stage. You don’t leave that stage empty!” What he meant was to not introduce people and walk off the stage before they get up. What I did was after the show I said, “Thank you guys for coming, have a good night!” and I just stayed on the stage until everybody got up and was gone. I was doing that for the whole weekend.

You can see DJ Sandhu performing at the Sacramento Comedy Spot (1050 20th St.) on Oct. 8, 2017. Visit Saccomedyfest.com for details on this and the other nine shows that are a part of the Sacramento Comedy Festival, which takes place from Oct. 6–8.

Seeing the name for the first time, it seems like 99 percent of people would read it HAM-BUR-GER. But when the host read Daniel Humbarger’s name correctly, it wasn’t a huge shock, because he performs a lot.

The room at Comedy Spot was pretty full that night. It was easy to grab a seat in the back with everyone else who came by themselves; sitting one empty seat apart from one another.

Humbarger did about 10 minutes, maybe a little less. He was funny and entertaining, and the crowd was responding to that. He propped his arm up on the empty mic stand from time to time, as other comics do, and it felt casual, it didn’t even look uncomfortable, like I know it must be.

He did a bit recounting a specific N.W.A. song and their feelings toward the police … you know the one. He really got into it, and the crowd was watching intently. People venturing to the garbage can with empty bottles were putting their hands in the actual garbage can, just so they could set the bottle down quietly. As he finished, the room erupted in unanimous applause.

Now, I don’t know if that is common etiquette, but more than one person did it during his set. This writer was moved by the level of appreciation and unspoken etiquette.

Humbarger is recording an album on Aug. 26 and 27 at the Comedy Spot. The album is going to be released on Stand Up! Records, out of Minneapolis. He was also just added to the San Francisco Comedy Competition, kicking off Sept. 8–Oct. 2, 2016. Past contestants include Ellen DeGeneres, Louis C.K. and Robin Williams.

For the following interview, I met with Humbarger at Dad’s on J Street to talk and maybe order a burger, but I never ended up ordering a burger, and we both just drank water that we brought with us. (Thanks, Dad’s!)

Has anyone ever introduced you as Daniel Hamburger?
No … [Laughs] Yeah, totally, every day since kindergarten.

What do you feel draws people to stand-up comedy on any given night, over something like a concert or a show?
I feel like in comedy, the things that are going to connect with people are more honest. And a lot of that is vulnerability, which was hard for me at first. My father passed away when I was 13, and it was like, my mom said it was like a switch, you know, I was like a really happy kid, and then it was like someone flipped a switch, and I was just on robot-status. So that was tough for me at first, I would do esoteric material. I didn’t really like talking about myself that much, but the more I did it, I felt much more comfortable with it, and I also realized that people crave that vulnerability. They like to connect with you, and I think that’s what’s cool about comedy.

How would you describe your experience as a comedian?
People ask me to sum up the experience of doing stand-up comedy, in a nutshell, so what I like to tell them then is a tale of two nights: So one night, I’m at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, and my hero Robin Williams is there. I meet Robin Williams, he’s super nice and I’m talking with him. I’m so giddy … So I go out and have a good set, and I get off stage and he’s like [In Robin Williams’ voice], “Great set, well done, well done,” and I’m like, “Oh my God!” It meant so much to me; my hero just told me I did a good job.

And then the very next night, me and Johnny Taylor drive down to Lodi for a bar gig, and we bomb our dicks off. Like, there’s people staring at me like I have a third eye, and I get off the stage, and some guy’s like, [in a tough Southern accent] “I don’t think this is for you, buddy.”

So you know one night your hero is telling you, “You had a great set,” and then the next night, some hillbilly in a bar is telling you, “You should hang up your gloves [laughs].”

Is there a moment when you decided that you wanted to become a comedian?
There’s this story that my mom tells me, I don’t remember it, but we were watching The Tonight Show, and there was this comedian on there, and he wasn’t that funny, and I told my mom she should call The Tonight Show, and I went on about it for like a week, you know? “Did you call The Tonight Show? Did you call The Tonight Show?” She never called … and I haven’t spoken to her since [laughs].

My parents loved comedy, they were always watching it on TV. I used to steal my dad’s Richard Pryor Live! cassette and listen to it all the time.

What comedians inspired you before you wanted to be a comedian?
That Richard Pryor cassette that my dad had, I absolutely adored. Robin Williams, then Def Jam, Martin Lawrence and his first album Talkin’ Shit.

What about stuff you’ve been listening to of more recent times?
Doug Stanhope’s Beer Hall Putsch, Bill Burr’s Let it Go and also Sarah Silverman’s Jesus is Magic. I really like Maria Bamford. She’s so weird and does all these weird voices; I dig that.

If there was something that you would want people to take away from seeing you perform, what would it be?
I feel like I did everything I was supposed to, you know? I came from a poor background … My parents never finished high school, and I went to law school, even though that was something that people from other families do, not somebody like me, and I graduated in 2009, right when the economy … just when shit just hit the fan.

At the end of the day, with my dad dying at such an early age, it taught me that all of this is just kind of temporary and just to be happy, and if you feel that right now you’re not doing what you want to do, then you might want to re-evaluate things.

That’s kind of what the theme of my album is, it’s basically about me being over-educated.

I mean I’m glad I got an education … Obviously, it’s useful and all that, but it’s like, we’re kind of in a system where it’s more of a racket for banks and institutions to make money.

I think more than anything, I just want people to have a good time and be happy, you know, because it seems fleeting. I deal with anxiety and depression sometimes, but you know what, when people are happy, you can tell, and I think that resonates. So, that’s what I want.

Was there a point when you were a lawyer when you were like, “Damn, I gotta pursue comedy instead?”
The main thing is, whatever I do, I want to do it well. Being a lawyer is a huge lifestyle investment, and I don’t like to half-ass things. I want to be good at it, and I figured comedy is what I really want to do, so why not go for it? I mean, I’m not saying I’m right, and that I’m not crazy, but that’s my philosophy.

Daniel Humbarger will be recording his upcoming album live at Sacramento Comedy Spot on Aug. 26 and 27, 2016. This is your chance to have your laughter immortalized on tape (or the digital equivalent thereof). Showtimes will begin at 8 p.m. on Aug. 26, and 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 27. Be sure to check out Saccomedyspot.com as more info becomes available. You can also Follow Humbarger on Twitter @humbargerdaniel.

In most circumstances, political dysfunction lends itself beautifully to the joke-writing comedian. It’s a plucking ground for material that elicits strong feelings among a large audience, so it’s ripe for comedic dissection. But for Hari Kondabolu, in this particular moment, it’s almost too much to keep up with.

He’s recording his second live album less than a month from now in Portland and would like to incorporate the election heavily into his set, but as he irons out his material and prepares it for the road, that cast of characters just keeps on making headlines. From Donald Trump riffing jovially about Mexicans and Muslims to Jeb Bush watching his pile of money disappear alongside his poll numbers, the whole thing is still so fluid.

“This election is bringing things to the surface constantly because of the extremes,” Kondabolu told me by phone. “By the time [the album] gets released, hopefully in the spring, I don’t know who’s going to be relevant still. I want to write stuff that’s not going to disappear with the election cycle while still covering the now.”

The clown car remains full, and it’s hard to know exactly where it’s headed. Kondabolu is doing a short tour leading up to the album recording so he can feel things out in front of a few live audiences before he presses record. Two of those shows will be at the Sacramento Comedy Spot on Jan. 23, 2016.

“I’m hoping by Sacramento I’ll just be running the set,” he said. “If I recorded it in Sacramento, it would still be a solid album. I want to give them a great show that has a few moments that are flexible. I think that’s kind of fun.”

While the election itself will surely be a part of Kondabolu’s act, his real interest is in the broad issues that surround the political jockeying.

“Politics is like the game,” he said. “It’s the sport. The things I care about are the bigger issues like racism, immigration, homophobia, sexism, transphobia.”

Immediately prior to becoming a full-time comedian, Kondabolu was an organizer for immigrant rights in Seattle. He played open mics and clubs at night because he enjoyed it, but organizing was the primary recipient of his energy. It was his job.

But over time, Kondabolu’s comedy caught momentum in Seattle. He went from an “unknown open miker to the hottest comic in the city,” according to a 2007 Seattle Times article. He was invited to perform at HBO’s prestigious U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! shortly thereafter. With that head of steam, he’s been a rising comic ever since, with a following far beyond his starting point in the Pacific Northwest.

But in spite of his pivot to comedy, Kondabolu the immigrant rights organizer is still very much the man on stage.

“I’m doing an elevated version of myself,” he said. “I’m a very political person and I can’t not view the world that way. My lens is a politicized, radicalized lens.”

And yet, social change is not Kondabolu’s priority. He’s here to make people laugh, and he does so by picking apart the things he knows and cares about. If people are forced to think about something important in the process, he’s cool with that. But it’ll never be the impetus for writing the joke.

“It’s dangerous to have that mindset while you’re writing,” he said. “There’s an ego that comes with being a performer. If you add that self-importance to it, it’s going to affect the quality of work and it won’t let you write from an honest place.”

I asked him what satisfies him most on a purely human level: Pushing for social change or making people laugh? His answer was swift and clear. He wants to make people laugh.

“I’ve had audiences that weren’t laughing, but they’d come up to me after and say how important the work is that I do,” he said. “That doesn’t make me feel good! I’m a comedian and I love and respect the art form. I could have become a lecturer or done something else!”

My first exposure to Kondabolu’s comedy was a YouTube video tweeted by journalist Jay Caspian Kang, whom I learned during my interview was a classmate of Kondabolu at Bowdoin College in Maine.

The video was a two-and-a-half minute clip about people who threaten to move to Canada in the wake of unfavorable political situations.

“Man, if a Republican president wins, I’m moving to Canada,” Kondabolu says before pausing. “You’re not fucking moving to Canada! I’ve heard this shit before. I hate to break this to you, but Canada doesn’t have a special visa for American liberal cowards. That’s not how the immigration system works. What, you think you’re gonna get in on refugee status?” And so on.

I saw that video about a year ago and followed Kondabolu on Twitter that day. Over the ensuing year, the issue of political correctness edged its way to the front of national conversation, mostly as it relates to over-sensitivity in college students.

A recent cover story in The Atlantic carried the following subject line: “In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health.”

An accompanying article explored why some prominent comics are choosing not to play college campuses for that very reason. The article describes the annual National Association for Campus Activities convention, in which comedians gather to audition for lucrative college gigs. Playing it safe is the name of the game, because NACA is looking for comics whose sets won’t “trigger or upset or mildly trouble a single student.”

As a former organizer whose politics are weaved into in the DNA of his comedy, what does Kondabolu think of comics like Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld avoiding college campuses because the kids allegedly can’t take a joke?

“That’s what old people sound like,” he said. “Your job is to reach people. If you’re not able to make [young people] laugh and find things that can have them thinking, why are you relevant?”

Kondabolu contrasted those established comedians with the late George Carlin, who he said remained culturally interesting and challenging across demographics all the way up to his death. He says it’s lazy to simply write off a whole generation as sensitive babies.

When Kondabolu plays colleges, he’s typically invited through a back door by a professor or a social/political student group rather than the folks in charge of campus activities. He also resists folks who have held him up as an example of how political correctness can coexist with stand-up comedy.

“I’m not politically correct,” he said. “Maybe you’re not offended because you agree with me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not offensive. People walk out of my shows and they’re not walking out because I’m ‘politically correct.’”

Kondabolu, who grew up in New York the son of Indian immigrants, says that what some people like to call political correctness might really just be “well thought out progressive opinions.”

Donald Trump has built a massive lead over his fellow Republican candidates by denouncing that very political correctness. Meanwhile, Kondabolu continues to write jokes and refine his act with one eye on the screen as his album-recording show inches closer. Let’s see if anything fun happens between now and his sets in Sacramento.

Catch Hari Kondabolu Jan. 23, 2016 at the Sacramento Comedy Spot, located at 1050 20th St. Shows are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and tickets are $15. For tickets and more info, check out Saccomedyspot.com.

When someone like Jay Leno calls you “the future of comedy,” you know you’re doing something right. Los Angeles-based writer, actor and comedian Cameron Esposito has received so much praise over the last year or so that we’re starting to wonder if maybe she paid off all the press. Either way, it’s pretty rad that someone whose latest album (titled Same Sex Symbol, released in fall of 2014) debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts and was also named the Best of 2014 comedy album by The AV Club, Consequence of Sound, The Laugh Button and Paste Magazine, is making her way to little ‘ol Sacramento for one night only on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015. Esposito will perform two intimate shows at Sacramento Comedy Spot, located at 1050 20th Street, Suite 130 (at the MARRS Building). Tickets are a steal at just $20, the early show is at 8 p.m. and the late show starts at 10 p.m. Come see why Esposito has been invited to appear on shows like Late Late with Craig Ferguson, @midnight, Last Call with Carson Daly and many others. Hit up Saccomedyspot.com for more info and to buy tickets ahead of time (which is strongly encouraged, as these shows will likely sell out!). For more on the comedian herself, visit Cameronesposito.com

The Sacramento Comedy Foundation, a local nonprofit organization, will be hosting the fifth annual Sacramento Comedy Festival and they’ve now expanded to a whopping nine different venues. The party kicks off on Oct. 2, 2015, and lasts until Oct. 10 and takes place at regular hot spots like Punch Line Comedy Club, Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and the Sacramento Comedy Spot. But also the festival includes some non-traditional venues such as the Starlite Lounge, Ooley Theater, Luna’s Café and more. Expect some spirited sets by Myq Kaplan of Last Comic Standing, Mo Mandel from truTV’s Barmageddon, and Rick Overton (actor/writer Emmy Award-winning comedian). There will also be a special Lavender Lights—Gay and Proud show on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Punch Line Sacramento featuring the hilarious Ronn Vigh (Last Comic Standing). Those who love improv will be delighted that Bay Area group 5 Play will perform two shows in two venues over the first weekend as well. If that weren’t enough, there’s even a Stand-Up Comedy Competition, which will have 60 comedians competing for a generous $2000 purse. Come for one show or buy a festival pass. You won’t be disappointed either way. Check out Saccomedyfest.ticketfly.com to get the lowdown.

Comedy, On the Rocks

Comedian/actress Sasheer Zamata has a sketch in which she’s walking down a New York City street when a male stranger comes up to her, asks to walk her home (she says no and keeps walking). He then pulls out his junk and says “Hey Miss, this is for you!” Hilarity ensues as Zamata tries to see the interaction from the exposed man’s perspective, and even praises his polite directness.

“It was like a date with a lot of stuff missing out the middle,” says Zamata. “It was short and sweet. Everyone was honest with their feelings. It was probably the best date I’ve ever had actually.”

As hysterical as it is, the sketch addresses the more serious issue of society not openly talking about and taking proper action against sexual harassment. It’s something Zamata discussed over the phone last week while answering questions about her upcoming Sacramento stand-up show, her dream-come-true career as a Saturday Night Live cast member and coming up with new material.

“Everyone probably has some sort of uncomfortable sexual, weird moment with a guy, which sucks,” she says. “It’s shitty to think it’s just inevitable that something terrible like that will come across your path in life. I do like talking about that on and off stage so people know they’re not the only one and it’s not your fault, that it’s more common than we think.”

Zamata says she admired the Columbia University student who carried her mattress around campus after she was assaulted, forcing people to have that conversation.

“Even in my neighborhood now—I live in Brooklyn, and it’s a safe part of Brooklyn—I have gotten followed walking home and my guy friends are like, ‘No, how is that possible?’ but it doesn’t matter where you are, it’s possible,” she adds. “So if the conversation includes men more, maybe they can check each other on that like, ‘Hey man, maybe don’t be an asshole to this girl or don’t push her too hard at the party.’”

Zamata says she talks about what’s going on in the news with friends and coworkers when figuring out the best execution for serious topics.

“Some things are better as a sketch or a joke or a short film and I just write everything down and think about what I want to say, and sometimes I just get on stage and talk about it,” she says. “Lately, because a lot of the news has been intense, it’s more talk and not necessarily jokes, but I work out how I feel about the situation and people in the audience are with me, they get it.”

It’s not easy to address racial issues or tragedies, or conversations society has been avoiding, but Zamata says she sees it as a comedian’s job to shine a light on these things in society, reflect on them and be a mirror.

“That’s what I try to do and it’s been getting a good response,” she says.

If you’re getting worried Zamata’s shows on July 11, 2015, at the Comedy Spot are going to be Debbie Downers, they won’t. The improv extraordinaire has been working on new material that most fans have not yet seen, unless they’ve caught her in late-night action around NYC.

The shows are part of her first major cross-country tour, Whiskey on the Rocks. And yes, that is her drink of choice for those of you who’ll be attending or catching up with Zamata at a bar after the show.

The 29-year-old has had a whirlwind year-and-a-half after joining the cast of SNL, and has won over viewers with her on-point impressions of Michelle Obama, Rihanna and other prominent black women in society, who, for the last eight years, were mostly being played by SNL male cast members, if played at all.

“We have a lot of black people on the show who want to shake things up and want to talk about things that may be uncomfortable, but we want to talk about it so we try to put it into the most digestible package,” Zamata says. “It’s hard because we aren’t like this new punk show just starting out; we are a show with a long tradition and have to appeal to our longtime fans.”

Zamata is free to perform as she pleases in her own live shows, but has realized that since starting her new job, audience members sometimes expect to “see SNL” at her performances.

“Older people would be like, I was a fan since the 1970s and I was really hoping you would do Michelle Obama,” she laughs.

Her love of performing started at a young age, and not in improv but in show choir (she notes that ever since the SNL team found out she could sing, she has had regular singing sketches on the show). It wasn’t until middle school that a volleyball coach with a love for ComedySportz introduced Zamata to competitive short-form improv by taking the team to a show at the end of a season.

“The first time I went I thought, what is this magical thing, and I was so enamored,” Zamata says. She forced her parents to take her to more of the shows and in high school, she joined an improv team for a week before realizing it conflicted with her show choir schedule.

“So I’d just watch Whose Line Is It Anyway all the time and was still an improv fan,” she says.

After graduating from University of Virginia with a drama degree, Zamata moved to New York and joined the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), whose ranks include hundreds of famous comedians and improv artists like Amy Poehler, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts.

“I started doing improv because I liked improv,” Zamata says about her switch from choir and musical theater. “It was the same with sketch and stand-up. I barreled into it and figured I’d stop when it stopped being fun but it has never stopped being fun.”

When Zamata joined UCB in 2009, she was the only black female. Since then, several more have joined the group and even more women are in leading roles in comedy than Zamata ever remembers.

“I think it’s all about representation; seeing someone on stage or on screen who looks like you is a huge help,” she says. “Donald Glover was performing here [at UCB] and even though I’m not a guy, he was someone I could relate to and that was a huge help for me. It helps to have a relation to someone that you’re watching. If all you see is one kind of person, it may seem hard to get into it.”

Zamata says she noticed during UCB’s annual Del Close Marathon—a three-day improv event in NYC—that improv students of color were taking pictures of her and saying they couldn’t wait to show their friends and families that people who look like them are doing this work too.

“I feel proud that I was able to be at UCB for so long and now there are more people who look like me there,” she says, but adds that comedy, and especially improv with its expensive classes, can still be hard to reach for many young people because of socioeconomic issues or because they don’t have the exposure in their schools or towns.

“But I think it is changing and the more exposure UCB and the form has to people the more diverse it’ll become,” she says. “This is a good time for women in comedy and I feel excited to be in the mix of it.”

To get Sasheer Zamata that whiskey at Comedy Spot on July 11, go to Saccomedyspot.com/sasheer-zamata for tickets. She has two shows: 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and tickets are only $20.

Shut Up and Listen!

Comedian Robert Berry likes his venues to be loud, weird and sometimes a little awkward.

If you have ever driven down to the corner of Fulton Avenue and Monroe Street in Sacramento, you may have read a huge sign hanging above a dive bar that reads, “The Coldest Beer in Town.” And upon walking into this local joint, On the Y, you will be greeted with a collage of beer posters, cheap drinks and interesting characters shouting over metal music. But when comedian Robert Berry walks in, all he can think of is comedy. Every Thursday night before karaoke, Berry feels comfortable enough to unleash some new jokes in a pretty uncomfortable environment for most comics.

“Sometimes there are three people in there with their backs to you. It’s a very humbling and difficult experience;it’s a really weird show there,” Berry explained while sitting inside of The Mill, a decidedly cozier coffee house on I Street.

“There’s old crusty guys that are 70-plus that are telling old timey one-liners, [and] one guy with a drum doing rim shots after each joke. And you can try out new stuff there because no one is going to know,” he said with a loud laugh. “It’s not going to come back and haunt you, but it’s fun and, you know, I’m just a loud guy.”

So far being loud has paid off. From performing awkward sets at On the Y to recording his debut comedy album, Retrocrush, at Sacramento Comedy Spot, Berry is moving fast in the local comedy scene. His booming personality is what makes his comedy stand out from the rest. His set is loud, in-your-face and full of one-liners, which most likely stems from performing in noisy bars full of drunk patrons with short attention spans.

“[If] you go up in a crowd, and you are staring at your toes and mumbling, the audience is going to be like, ‘Fuck this guy! I’m going to talk to my friend now,’ or, ‘I’m going to look at his girl,’” Berry said. “But if I can get up there and be like, ‘Hey! How the hell are you, everybody!?’ and try to be bigger than life and boisterous, then people start shutting up and looking at you.”

His new album is full of his favorite old pop culture references (such as Star Wars), ruminations on Costco and over-analyzing Christmas songs. He finds a way to recreate his favorite memories or stories and cleverly turn them into jokes. And of course, there are also his signature one-liners.

Half-way through his album, Berry goes through a seven-minute bit, called “Groanerpalooza,” a parade of one-liner jokes shot at the audience back to back.

“If you like them, hey that’s great but if you don’t like them, let me have it,” he commented on his album. “This is a learning experience here. These are groaners for a reason, so if you don’t like them, feel free to groan.”

While ripping through the one-liners and audience groans, Berry’s energy never dies down throughout the album. It’s easy to imagine him on performing on stage with his over-the-top persona.

But speaking with him in person is suddenly a different experience than hearing or seeing him perform comedy. He is almost a completely different person. He is quick-witted, likes to laugh and perform karaoke. But he is also a laid-back, friendly and family-oriented guy with a common day job who just wants to make Sacramento laugh. A lot of his material comes from conversations and experiences he has every day with his family and having a full life in Sacramento with a wife of 22 years, a son and daughter. Berry chooses to remain more local with his comedy instead of seeking gigs out of state.

“I’m 45, roughly starting this a lot later than most do, but I’m happy with where it is now and where it’s going, but I don’t have this endgame,” Berry explained. “This album was a milestone for me that I’m very happy with, and it can live forever in some kind of way, so there’s that.”

The title Retrocrush isn’t just about his first album, it’s a name that has grown with his comedy career for over seven years.

What started as a website, turned podcast, then variety show and now comedy album, Retrocrush represents where Berry has been and where he is going with comedy.

It’s a title that originates from his website, a pop culture-based site full of movie reviews, interviews, old comics, video games, lists such as “30 Coolest Game Show Hosts” or “100 Worst Cover Songs” and anything else Berry can think of to reminisce about.

“People all have a past in something, and if you can hit up a lot of areas and get people nostalgic about things, it’s kind of a fun way to connect,” he said of the site.

It was from this mindset that his podcast was born. During the “heyday” of his podcasting career, from 2005 to 2008, he recorded more than 150 episodes, had upwards of 16,000 subscribers and was noted as one of the top 50 comedy podcasts on iTunes. Starting off in the early days of podcasting, Berry saw Retrocrush grow right before his eyes.

“It would blow my mind that I could mention on a podcast that I was hosting a screening of some movie down at the mall and then actually someone shows up and say, ‘Hey, I really like your podcast and I wanted to come and see this,’” Berry explained.

From there Retrocrush still kept growing. He turned it into recurring variety show that was featured at the Comedy Spot for over a year. He would feature local comics, sketches, drag queens and burlesque dancers.

But his transition from owning a pop culture website and podcasting to creating the Retrocrush comedy album wasn’t as tough as it might sound. For Berry, being alone on stage was never foreign territory. He would host local events around town and have fun on stage at the Trash Film Orgy Festival, fundraisers, concerts, charity events and even movie screenings. He would enjoy getting the audience “excited to be there,” started to crack jokes in-between sets, and got a small taste of what stand-up comedy was really like.

Even one of Berry’s long time friends—and conveniently one of Sacramento’s favorite local stand-up comics—Keith Lowell Jensen, would see him host events and encouraged him to get on stage as a comic. Berry specifically remembers one night hosting a festival at On the Y where he had comedy material for introductions and thought about seriously giving stand-up comedy a shot.

“So I went through a lot of horrible sets and open mics, bombing my ass off. I wrote a lot of jokes on Twitter and I still do. The first comedy set I did I basically read jokes off of my Twitter,” he admitted. “It was a good introduction to bombing, which really helps you grow by messing up, having the whole audience stare at you and not clapping. It’s really scary but it helps you think about why that’s happening and how can I make this better.”

But being used to performing and even hosting at some tough venues, bombing didn’t discourage him for a second. From there he only wanted to get better and started to perform at any open mic he could, including coffee shops. But for Berry’s loud persona, performing in a coffee shop didn’t quite match his high energy compared to his favorite stage, On The Y. He became too loud for a microphone because he didn’t even need one, he explained. But all he needed to do was find the right venue to be himself.

“One time he [Keith Lowell Jensen] saw me at Punch Line for the first time perform with a really big full house crowd. I was very loud and I had people singing along with me and chanting with me and he says, ‘Hey, forget what I said about being loud, that works for you,’” Berry said.

Since then he has been writing and gathering bits and pieces from each open mic night he’s ever had to create a full hour of funny material.

“It takes a while to get an hour,” he explained. “You go to the open mics and you get five minutes and put that away, and you get 20 of those five minutes and then now you got an hour.”

Now he is ready to unleash his full debut comedy album at the Punch Line on June 24, conveniently as a part of his birthday week celebration.

From his website, to podcast, to variety show, to comedy album, Berry’s overall mission seems pretty simple: make people laugh.

“I want them to have a good time, obviously I want them to share it,” he said. “So maybe they’ll want to see me live, maybe they’ll just laugh. If someone listened to it and said that was really funny and told me, that’s mission accomplished.”

Check out Robert Berry’s Retrocrush album release show at Punch Line Sacramento on June 24, 2015. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 (with a two-drink minimum). You can purchase tickets through Punchlinesac.com.

Sacramento funny man Keith Lowell Jensen is back at it again with his new album Atheist Christmas, which was released Nov. 25, 2014 on Stand Up! Records (his second release for the label and fourth overall). Atheist Christmas is a CD/DVD combo pack; the video portion was recorded right here at Sacramento Comedy Spot early last December, and the audio portion was recorded just a couple days after at Punch Line in San Francisco. Submerge was lucky enough to get an early sneak peek at the video special and we can vouch that it is absolutely hilarious! There are cute little Christmas decorations behind him on stage and multiple camera angles. KLJ’s material ranges from relatable jokes about his daughter acting like a tiger, to weird/traumatic childhood experiences at church camps, to much more outlandish and slightly embarrassing jokes about his doctor sticking fingers up his ass, masturbation and how his life peaked in elementary school (it’s a funny story involving bird shit). You know, everyday normal conversation-type stuff for a comedian. “I do know that I’ve been talking about a lot of depressing stuff,” Jensen says at one point. “But I did warn you that this was going to be a Christmas special!” Jensen is having a Sacramento release show for Atheist Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, at Punch Line Comedy Club on Arden Way. Joining him on stage will be some of his best comedy pals Johnny Taylor, Matt Lieb, Michael Patten and Robert Berry. Show starts at 8 p.m., is 18-and-over, $15 cover charge, and there’s a two-drink minimum. For more information on Keith Lowell Jensen and to buy Atheist Christmas, visit Kljshop.com or Rockass.net.

Just like our music scene and our art scene, Sacramento’s comedy scene is an ever-changing beast. Here are a few noteworthy things going down in the local comedy scene as of late: Sacramento Comedy Spot, located in the MARRS Building, is expanding and opening up a new space called the “Comedy Spot Lab,” located at 1812 J Street, Suite 9 in Midtown Sacramento. According to a press release, The Lab will serve as an additional classroom, rehearsal facility, and podcast recording studio. With the extra space, the Comedy Spot can offer new sketch comedy and stand-up classes as well as additional beginning improv classes. Learn more, sign up for classes and check out upcoming shows at Saccomedyspot.com

After a long and impressive run, Comedy Night at Luna’s is coming to an end on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Keith Lowell Jensen started Comedy Night at Luna’s in 2009 after recording a CD there and falling in love with the small, intimate space. “I long thought Sacramento needed a good workout room,” Jensen told Submerge. “Something to serve as the next step after the open mic scene helped comics get their first five. I wanted a place to get that first 10, 15, 30. I’m really proud of how many comics had ‘firsts’ at Luna’s.” He says he doesn’t really see a need for the recurring night anymore, that they proved it can work, and that “lots of people are doing kickass showcases and rooms downtown that can be a little more alt.” Plus, he may be able to use the free time for “new projects,” as he put it. Keep up with KLJ at Rockass.net and be sure to check out his podcast called “It’s Funny Because…” available on iTunes and Lybsin.

A group of local comedians including Johnny Taylor, Daniel Humbarger, Stephen Furey, Jaime Fernandez, Michael Patten and Alfonso Portela, are teaming up to launch an all new recurring weekly stand-up show on Wednesdays called The InFIRMary at Thistle Dew Dessert Theater (1901 P Street). The show will feature special guests every week as well as sets from most (if not all) of the names mentioned above. Thistle Dew is a unique little spot with less than 40 seats, so these are sure to be intimate shows. You are encouraged to bring your own wine and/or champagne (don’t forget to bring your own glasses, too!) and there will be desserts available for purchase. Tickets are $8 each and the show gets started at 8 p.m. every Wednesday starting May 28. Snag tickets in advance to ensure your seat at the kickoff show at Infirmary.brownpapertickets.com