What do you expect in The Dark Room? The Business

November 12, 8:50 PMSF Literary Culture ExaminerEvan Karp

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WANTED! Someone to write photo captions

Finally. I feel like the world has been conspiring against my efforts to see Bucky Sinister again. We met during Litquake, first at the Punk Rockers Spill Their Guts event, and then at Drums Inside Your Chest; it took me five Wednesdays to make it to The Dark Room to see The Business. (Cue Flight of the Conchords song "Business Time")

The Dark Room is a perfect place for the stand-up acts of Sean Keene, Alex Koll, Chris Garcia, and Bucky: small, intimate, unpretentious ... BYOB. Each of these funnymen presented an act as different from one another as their DNA strains, but the venue was conducive to the personable delivery they all share. Walking down Mission afterward I kept thinking: "That wasn't like a comedy show so much as it was just me in a small room with a few really funny people I know." Thing is, I met everyone besides Bucky last night.

the dark room early

The Business has been meeting in The Dark Room every Wednesday night for the last six months. The cost is only $5. I should stop right there because that's all you need to know, really. The show starts at 8 PM, and I think I got out around 10 or so. I took video, as usual, but some of the guys have requested I not post them. The show is loose and essentially a time and place for these professionals to hash out new material. I thought they were great, but respect their wishes. Enjoy what's here, and be sure to go to their sites for more!

Sean Keane appears regularly at SF Punchline, with Scantily Clad Comedy, with Comedy Off Broadway, and other special performances. You can find some hilarious videos on his blog.

the dark stage

Alex Koll, before he had all his hair chopped off, appeared on Comedy Central:

You can watch more videos, see more jokes, and read a short interview here. I recommend it. But you could also skip all that and watch a clip from his most recent performance below:

Alex also appears regularly at SF Punchline and the Elbo Room, and is currently scheduled for many festivals, award shows, and an appearance at Cobb's Comedy Club. What a freak!

bucky in the throes of magic

Chris Garcia has almost 50 vids over at Vimeo. Check them out: dude's fn funny. Watch the series called Chris and Ali and find out what happens when stand-up comics date (Ali Wong, that is). For shameless hilarity, watch the American Apparel clips. I'm not linking to these individually because, well, I want you to stay here sometimes! Watch Chris perform at The Dark Room:

Chris also appears regularly at SF Punchline, sometimes with Charlie Murphy in Sacramento, sometimes not. Check his site for the latest.

plz ask erin b4 using hats or wigs

Bucky Sinister is like el duderino. You get the sense that you're just going to agree with him and even though he might be sitting right in front of you with sweats on you get the feeling that, well, there's something princely about him. Watch him relay the legend of baby corpse here, where you can also see him tell two of his superb short stories. Bucky is a gifted writer -- as Amber Tamblyn says in Drums Inside Your Chest, every hipster has a copy of Bucky's books (or cds). Get hip. (You can also find them in many local bookstores). Watch him at The Dark Room:

Read an interview by Stephen Elliott here. WFMU has likened Bucky to Bill Hicks who, if you're not familiar, get! An amazing compliment -- and warranted. Both very smart and very funny. Do it, Buck.