Leave it to Broke-Ass Stuart to bring a very San Francisco brand of talk show to the stage and screen.
If you love talk shows in the classic vein of David Letterman or Johnny Carson and appreciate the quirkiness of San Francisco and its characters, you can catch the show at 9pm April 23rd at Doc's Lab, 124 Columbus Ave.
Broke-Ass Stuart, a.k.a. writer Stuart Schuffman, gained fame with "Broke-Ass Stuart's Goddamn Website" and his book Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco, geared toward the "young, broke and beautiful."
He first launched the "Kinda Late Show with Broke-Ass Stuart" on Nov. 19th at Doc's Lab, and has been bringing it to the stage about every six weeks. It features all of the typical talk show elements—a funny monologue, a house band, guest interviews and pre-produced videos—with Stuart's signature brand of edgy, profanity-laced, self-effacing humor. He also posts clips on YouTube.
"It’s very Bay Area which is cool," Stuart said. "In a time where we all feel the squeeze on the arts in the area it’s a celebration of the fact that so many of us are here doing great things.”
Guests on past shows have included drag queen Peaches Christ; Burning Man co-founder John Law; Kari Byron from MythBusters; Bear Vasquez, the guy who freaked out in the double rainbow viral video; and Polly Superstar, author and founder of Kinky Salon. This month, he's bringing in author Michelle Tea, new media journalist and reality TV star Hermione Way, sexologist Carole Queen, Sambaxé Brazilian-inspired dance company and the MegaFlame Big Band and Cabaret.
Each show also features a viral video. This month, Stuart drove around the city in a rental car outfitted with GoPros picking up drunk passengers for the "St-Uber" confessions, in the vein of HBO's Taxicab Confessions. “We did it for free, we didn’t take any money," he said. "It was a lot of fun. We got some great stuff.”
Broke-Ass Stuart picks up drunks. Photo: The Kinda Late Show/Facebook.
Fans who have been to previous Kinda Late Shows say the guests have been amazing and the production was professional. "I was struck by the fact that it was a real talk show like one you would see on TV, like Letterman or Johnny Carson," said Rob Goszkowski of Alamo Square. "It stuck to that format pretty carefully."
Oakland-based writer Michael McColl said Stuart has "a slight disrespect for authority that made me like him right away." He added, "His style is edgy, with true observations and maybe nostalgia for an earlier version of the city, but overpowered by this rebellious, stubborn love for San Francisco.”
McColl said he appreciates Stuart's knack for finding things that make San Francisco distinct and his observations about them. "He sort of shares his appreciation of life in San Francisco in the subversive way of his, in a way that locals seem to appreciate," he said. "It’s neat to see him doing it live because then you can actually hear the crowd react. It’s a whole room full of people that love the city, that love the counter-culture, that whole sort of 'keep San Francisco weird' vibe."
That's exactly how Stuart sees it, too. "I’m a big student of San Francisco history and culture," he said, "and I like to think that I’m carrying the torch and keeping the city hip and interesting and doing cool things. This is a way to continue to do really awesome things the San Francisco way.”
Tickets are $15 online in advance and you'd be wise to get them early, because they always sell out. The room is limited to 80 for this show due to the extra production equipment, and seating isn't guaranteed, so an early arrival is recommended. Doc's Lab has a full bar and food menu.
If you can't make it or want to catch earlier renditions, check out the popular clips on YouTube, and don't miss Things That Only Happen in San Francisco, which has more than 85,000 views on Facebook and stars Stuart's girlfriend, Ashley Lauren Dickinson.
Also, if you're interested in doing even more to "keep SF weird," Stuart is running an Indiegogo campaign called "Help Broke-Ass Stuart Grow Up." The goal is $30,000 to "help an influential and award winning independent media site grow to its full potential."
Photo: Broke-Ass Stuart/Indiegogo
