Comedy Q&A: Moshe Kasher, Pt. 1

Comedy Q&A: Moshe Kasher, Pt. 1
by John Wenzel on July 3, 2009

Moshe Kasher performing at the Purple Onion in San Francisco.

Every once in awhile a comic comes along who slaps you upside the head so violently that your only recourse is whirl around, dazed, and wonder where all your teeth just went. Lately, 29-year-old Bay Area native Moshe Kasher has been fulfilling that role for many people. Smart, dirty, sharp, self-deprecating and ultimately hilarious, Kasher won over the crowd at the recent Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival, walking away with the “Best of the Fest” award.

Of course, like many hot young things, Kasher didn’t materalize fully-formed. He’s been plying his trade for years in traditional and non-traditional comedy venues, sketch troupes, online videos and even monologues for years, but people have just now started to take notice.

All the right people, in fact. Kasher’s new album “Everyone You Know is Going to Die… And Then You Are” was snatched up by Rooftop Comedy’s record label and he’s planning on filming a “Live at Gotham” special for Comedy Central later this year, among other projects.

We spoke to Kasher in advance of his headlining sets at Comedy Works South Thursday, July 9 through Saturday, July 11.

You’re in New York right now playing Comix, right?

Yeah, I’m dipping my toes in the water here. I did Comix and Gotham, which is good because I just found out I’m taping “Live at Gotham” in August for Comedy Central. It’s always good to not have your taping be the first time you walk onto a stage somewhere.

I understand you’re originally from Oakland but that you moved to L.A. about a year ago.

I love the Bay Area so much and it’s the kind of place that makes it very difficult to leave. But it’s also very difficult to make it in the Bay Area. As they say, San Francisco’s where young people go to retire.

It’s such a great city for comedy, although I can see why people would pull up stakes and move to L.A. after a certain point…

I’d been there for years and after a certain point it felt like I was spinning my wheels. I was just waiting for someone important to come to town and for me to be on the show that night and me to have an epic night. You get to L.A. and you realize every night of the week there’s someone important in the audience.

It must have gratifying win “Best of the Fest” at Aspen recently.

It wasn’t mediocrity, as far as I could tell. A lot of the other comics are people who are on Comedy Central Presents. Some of them are really pretty much legends on it. So it felt really good to be awarded that with those kind of peers. It’s really good to crush other peoples’ dreams.

Did offers just start rolling in after Aspen?

Not exactly. Comedy’s this weird thing that you just put work and work and work into, and I felt like Sisyphus for a long time pushing a rock that wasn’t moving. But this last year with my move and everything, I definitely felt some momentum.

I’m sure you realized early on that comedy is a tough business.

As my friend Brent Weinbach says, comedy’s not about whether you can succeed, it’s about whether you can fail and continue. I mean, you’re going to fail. It’s the worst business. I know I’m painting this horrible picture of it… but I feel good!

Read Part 2 of our interview with Moshe Kasher on Monday, July 6!