Looking over the recently released list of performers for the first ever Pacific Crest Comedy Festival (PCCF), I must say that I’m blown away. This fest has everything I like. PCCF is shaping up to be a delightful smörgåsbord of the best comedy happening in Portland.

This is PCCF's first year, but it's gathered a lot of buzz due to the trio behind it: Kirsten Kuppenbender (founding member of Lez Stand Up), Shelley McClendon (owner of The Siren Theater and Bad Reputation Productions), and Randi Wigginton (former staffer at Bridgetown Comedy Fest, High Plains Comedy Fest, and LA Riot Comedy Fest). The festival will be wholly contained at The Siren, utilizing the main hall and the theater’s upstairs loft area, which used to be Kickstand Comedy before they moved to their NW Broadway location.

Brace yourself for the list of PCCF performers because it is long and filled with eye-popping talent:

Amy Miller
Steph Tolev
Maggie Maye
Bri Pruett
Caitlin Weierhauser
Irene Tu
Derek Sheen
El Sanchez
Nariko Ott
Barbara Holm
Shain Brenden
Neeraj Srinivasan
Amanda Arnold
Laura Anne Whitley
Kirsten Kuppenbender
Katie Nguyen
Becky Braunstein
Kate Murphy
Becky Yamamoto
Steven Wilber
Marita De Leon
Khadija Hassan
Chris Johnson
Dan Weber
Jake Silberman
Hunter Donaldson
Chris Nakis
Zana Carter
Ben Harkins
Jeremy Alder
Elena C Hayden
Brandon Lyons
Phil Schallberger
Calaix Alexander
Pallavi Gunalan

WTF, right? There's also going to be live taping performances from some of Portland's best local comedy podcasts like Here's What I Want (Thurs Nov 7, 6 pm): a podcast which asks local comedians to describe exactly how they'd like something. (For instance, check out the episode where Shelley McClendon describes her ideal late night dining experience.) Allyson Koplin, Hannah Eather, and Hunter Donaldson will have Neeraj Srinivasan as a guest on their Dumb + Busted podcast (Thurs Nov 7, 8:30 pm) which explores "true crime stories of insane stupidity and exceptional genius." Nariko Ott and Dan Weber will decide the most metal version of something on What's More Metal at the festival's close (Sun Nov 10, 6 pm).

In addition to podcast tapings, PCCF has all the best local showcases like Minority Retort, Rants Off/Dance Off, and Earthquake "Mother-flippin'" Hurricane, to name a few. Furthermore Caitlin Weirhauser and Amy Miller are reprising their Uncle Cait & Aunt Amy holiday show (Sat Nov 9, 8 pm), and I just... I need to sit down.

Landing someplace between a comedy showcase and a podcast, there's going to be an epic Portland Mercury I, Anonymous Show (Sat Nov 9, 6 pm) with Kate Murphy AND Caitlin Weirhauser AND Bri Puett—that's two former I, Anonymous Show hosts and the current one! Steven Wilbur's also in that mix, performing his duty as an agent of chaos. I think they'll get along and riff, but WHAT IF THEY FIGHT?

We'll have more news about this festival in next week's issue, but while there's time you may want to consider scooping up a festival pass. They're $100, but at a festival like this—where you might want to check out a podcast in the loft and then cut downstairs to see the main stage headliner set—the pass pays for itself pretty quickly.

(Pacific Crest Comedy Festival happens Thurs Nov 7-Sun Nov 10 at the Siren Theater, 316 NW Davis, check their site for schedule and tickets; single show tickets are $10-20, festival passes are $100)