Latest news with #Oakland-set
San Francisco Chronicle
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Get weird (and wise) with ‘Kate Berlant Live'
You might go to a Kate Berlant show for the comic's singular brand of intellectual comedy, but her exaggerated face pulls and cross-eyed expressions are sure to tickle you, too. The comedian/actor's high-low approach to comedy makes the laughs come easy and the deep thoughts percolate well after her set. A Los Angeles native with an artist and a stage performer as parents, Berlant has been experimenting with surrealism and absurdism since the 2010s. Fans know her as a longtime collaborator of comedian John Early: Both had their own sketch specials on Netflix's 'The Characters' (2016) and together, they released a comedy special titled 'Would It Kill You to Laugh?' (2023), in which they play characters with a penchant for pettiness or a tendency toward hilarious self-seriousness. As an actress, Berlant favors roles in movies with a trippy bent, playing supporting characters in movies from Boots Riley's Oakland-set satire 'Sorry to Bother You' (2018) to the surreal dark comedy 'Dream Scenario' (2023). And as a podcaster of 'Berlant and Novak,' she and fellow stand-up Jaquelin Novak chat it up about their dogged pursuit of all things wellness. Berlant's Hulu comedy special, 'Cinnamon in the Wind' and her one-woman show 'Kate' both straddle the tension between authenticity and performance. Don't miss her latest musings with 'Kate Berlant Live.'
San Francisco Chronicle
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area legend to shoot music video at Oakland Ballers game
Too Short is offering Bay Area fans the chance to be part of his musical legacy. The East Bay rap icon plans to perform and record a new music video at an Oakland Ballers game on May 22. The Ballers' field is more than just a local setting for Too Short — he invested in the team in March, along with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Emmy-winning actor Blair Underwood. Filming begins at 6 p.m., and the team's scheduled game against the Ogden Raptors is set to begin at 6:35 p.m. The first 500 fans to arrive will receive a limited edition commemorative cup. Tickets are on sale now. The Ballers are a new independent Pioneer League team and the East Bay's only professional baseball team since the departure of the Oakland A's last summer. Founded by Bryan Carmel, the former head of comedy at Fusion Media Group, and ed tech entrepreneur Paul Freedman, the privately owned club plays at West Oakland's Raimondi Park, which can accommodate 4,000 fans. 'If I can't brag on a big-league franchise I can brag on being a Baller,' he told the Hollywood Reporter, making a dig at the A's, who have temporarily moved to Sacramento where they'll play the next three seasons before permanently moving to Nevada. 'Oakland is the connection, it's the diverse city of all walks of life and cultures.' The rapper recently released his latest studio album, 'Sir Too Short Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales),' which includes features from Snoop Dogg, Larry June and King George. Its release came right before the Oakland-set film 'Freaky Tales,' which he narrated and helped to produce.
