San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
6 stand-up shows that will bust a gut
The weather may not be right for Eddie Murphy to don his iconic “Delirious” red leather suit, but summer nights are nonetheless a peak season for comedy in the Bay Area. Once again, in the months ahead, the local calendar is bringing the heat, from intimate evenings with comedy’s top names to a rare farewell appearance from a titan of daytime television.
Here are six shows guaranteed to keep your funny bone limber this summer.
Bill Burr
Beloved grouch and Grammyand Emmy-nominated actor Bill Burr is the rare comedian to improve with age. Long regarded as a comic’s comic, Burr’s ascent to the upper stratosphere of the stand-up world has arrived in tandem with the success of his popular “Monday Morning Podcast” as well as his recent hybrid role as the writer-director-star of 2023’s Netflix film “Old Dads.” Acerbic, relatable, and brilliantly bitter, Burr’s lone Berkeley date at the Greek Theatre will be followed by four nights at the San Jose Civic, set for June 19-22.
6:30 p.m. June 8. $55-75. Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. thegreekberkeley.com
Sarah Silverman
In 2005, Sarah Silverman’s stand-up special “Jesus is Magic” introduced her as a take-noprisoners comedian who revels in silly songs as much as she does barbed punch lines. Since then, she’s had highs (Comedy Central’s “The Sarah Silverman Program”), some lows (last fall, comments Silverman shared to social media created backlash with her pro-Palestinian fans), and a few periods of professional hibernation. Notably, Silverman now appears poised to return to stand-up as evidenced by an upcoming run at the
intimate Punch Line this June, offering a unique chance to watch the Emmy-winner shape material for whatever form her next special may take.
June 14-17. $60.25. Punch Line, 444 Battery St., S.F. punchlinecomedyclub.com
Ellen DeGeneres
Assuredly eager to phase out the flurry of bad press that led to her talk show’s acrimonious end in 2021, 33-time Daytime Emmy Awards winner and LGBTQIA icon Ellen DeGeneres has announced a largescale stand-up tour for the summer.
Scheduled to include three nights at Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, “Ellen’s Last Stand … Up” tour will mark the first time DeGeneres has hit the stage since 2018. And if the production’s name is to be taken at face value, it may mean these shows are
the final opportunities for Bay Area audiences — as well as the comedian’s 300 million followers online — to see the star of the groundbreaking sitcom
“Ellen” in her element.
7 p.m. June 30-July 2. $55-$95. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa.lutherburbankcenter.org
Taylor Tomlinson
Thankfully, you won’t have to stay up into the wee hours to catch “After Midnight” host Taylor Tomlinson when she arrives in San Francisco in July. Performing four shows over two nights, the 30-year-old comic’s “Tries Out New Ideas” shows will see the former “Last Comic Standing” competitor and current late-night gameshow host test out fresh material, presumably for inclusion in her yet-to-be-announced fourth special.
If it’s anything like the zingers she regularly slings on her previous Netflix specials, it’s sure to be an unmissable evening of mirth from a rising titan of the form.
July 19-20. $40.25. Punch Line, 444 Battery St., S.F. punchlinecomedyclub.com
Kumail Nanjiani
For three nights in August, actor-comedian-writer Kumail Nanjiani will call North Beach home as he makes a welcome return to his stand-up roots. Recognized with an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the 2018 autobiographical comedy “The Big Sick” with his wife, Emily V. Gordon, Nanjiani’s leap into the mainstream has also included a star-making turn as Dinesh on the HBO sitcom “Silicon Valley,” a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2021’s “Eternals,” and the dramatic lead in the 2022 series “Welcome to Chippendales.”
Onstage, the performer is expected to discuss pop culture and politics alike as a proud nerd who is also game to tackle topical issues head-on, so secure your seats to be among the first to hear the comic’s latest jokes.
Aug. 22-24. $. Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave., S.F. cobbscomedy.com
Comedy continues on G20