SICK OF SAUSAGE-PARTY stand-up lineups and bro-centric Comedy Central fare? Get excited for this weekâs All Jane Comedy Fest, which is practically a Portland tradition at this point, the one time a year comedyâs serious gender imbalance is temporarily righted, and a living rebuttal to anyone whoâs somehow walking around in 2016 clinging to the notion that ladies canât joke good. This yearâs festival boasts big-name headliners, some of our favorite local comedians, and under-the-radar comics that youâll want to know before they hit it big. Here are the Mercuryâs picks for one of the funnest weekends of the year.
Maria Bamford
On her surreal Netflix series, Lady Dynamite, Maria Bamford covers everything from the allure of a Target-like corporationâs fake good vibes (âSounds good, feels right!â) and the sadness of pet death to rare lady troubles (âA Vaginismus Miracleâ) and the tyranny of showbiz (âCradle the balls and work the shaft!â), all the while pulling from Bamfordâs real-life experiences with bipolar disorder. Itâs a tangent-taking, unapologetically strange depiction of mental illness, and also one of the best, most honest portrayals of depression and anxiety Iâve ever seen in pop culture. In person, Bamfordâs even funnier and more charming. I canât think of a headliner Iâd rather see at thisâor anyâcomedy fest. MB
Jackie Kashian
Remember how I just said I couldnât think of a better headliner? Jokes! Get double excited, because the dry, delightful Jackie Kashian is co-headlining with Bamford. Amid a scourge of comedy podcasts currently clogging up iTunes, Kashian stands out with The Dork Forestâthe live show where she invites likeminded nerds to join her as they discuss âwhatever dorky thingâ theyâd like. But donât be fooled by Kashianâs made-for-podcasting voice: Sheâs extremely funny onstage, and her jokes have premises that make you laugh while also embedding themselves in your brain, as when she calls the grocery store frozen-food aisle âa trophy case to American imperialism.â MB
Maggie Maye
Iâve seen her so often I canât even remember how many times, but whatever that number is (five? three? 25?) I can tell you it isnât enough. Austin stand-up Maggie Maye is charismatic as all get-out, sharp as can be, and has the fashion sense ofâher wordsââa five-year-old whose dad has her for the weekend.â You will want to be her friend! If you get bored at comedy shows, donât miss Mayeâs set. It goes fast, funny, and features everything from alternatives to âDance like nobodyâs watchingâ (âDance like you are not the father!â) to the not-so-subtle racism of being called âsassy.â Mayeâs stand-up is a goddamn gem. Youâll wish you could see it again as soon as itâs over. MB
Daphnique Springs
Incredulous is one of my favorite comedy flavors and nobody does it like Daphnique Springs. I could watch a whole set of Springs working a crowd and/or just focus on her amazing eyebrows. It feels like sheâs not even doing material, but she is definitely doing material. Springs is a seasoned comedy writer from LA, appeared on How I Met Your Mother, and kissed Patrick Stewart on Jimmy Kimmel Live! If I wasnât concerned that fucking older men might give me âgrown face babiesâ before I saw her do her stand-up, I am now. SS
Irene Tu
I donât like The Ellen Show because Ellen Degeneres is so GODDAMN SPRINGY, but if Irene Tu (the self-professed ânext Asian Ellen Degeneresâ) had a show, I would watch the fuck outta that. I just want a morning show thatâlike Irene Tuâcomes at me all casual, with calm resignation about how fucked-up the world is and jokes that sneak up, circle back and make me spit out my soda. Tu hails from San Francisco, but you can still detect that Midwest Chicago sneer. She excels at pleasantâalmost parentalâcondescension and the confident undercut, especially in her dirty haikus. SS
Wendy Weiss
Do you like jokes about sex? Of course you do! We profiled Portland stand-up Wendy Weiss recently in our pet issue because sheâs an intriguing local cat lady, comedian, and stripper. Weiss wields a sultry, matter-of-fact humor pulled specifically from her unique experiences. Sheâs uncomfortable with racism at an orgy. She wishes everyone could be as real as dick torture bros. No one else can tell these jokes. Only Wendy Weiss. SS
Note: Clare O'Kane had to cancel her appearances at this year's festival. This article has been updated to reflect that. âEds.