Bay Area Stand-up Comedy • Nina G and OJ Patterson
The comedians of the San Francisco Bay Area changed comedy forever. From visiting acts like Richard Pryor, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg to local favorites who still maintain their following and legacy, the Bay Area has long been a place for comedians to develop their voice and hone their stand-up skills.
Popular spots included Cobb’s, The Punch Line, hungry i, the Purple Onion, Tommy T’s, Brainwash and the holy grail of San Francisco comedy during the 1980s boom, the Holy City Zoo. For more than seventy years, these iconic venues and others fostered talents like Mort Sahl, Phyllis Diller, Smothers Brothers, Kevin Meaney, Paula Poundstone, Dana Carvey, W. Kamau Bell, Margaret Cho, Chelsea Peretti, Andy Samberg, Ali Wong, Moshe Kasher and (of course) Robin Williams, introducing them to local crowds and the world beyond.
Join comedians Nina G and OJ Patterson on a hilarious and thoughtful tour through the history of Bay Area comedy.
Timeline
Many of these are still in-progress, with the promise to fill placeholders with yet-unearthed text and images.
1960
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1970
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1980
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Green Room
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Memorials
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