Sketchfest shuffle

The eighth annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival—or Sketchfest ’09—debuts Thursday 8 at Theatre Building Chicago (1225 W Belmont Ave, 773-327-5252, chicagosketchfest.com). Featuring exactly 100 troupes, the two-weekend, no-holds-barred comedy extravaganza is undoubtedly the easiest (and cheapest) way to catch all-star groups from across the globe. Don’t miss our picks for the best of the fest.

Thursday 8
Eclectic Muse, 8pm
The only way to kick off a giant, semiraunchy comedy festival is with a little spiritual enlightenment. Set during a taping of its fictitious religious variety-television show, As Above So Below, the performance by Eclectic Muse focuses on the funny side of faith.
Hey You Millionaires, 9:30pm
A crowd and TOC favorite last year, the local group won our hearts with its smart, nerdtastic set that targeted everything from Nazis to pi (the number, not the food). Expect line-toeing between delightfully weird and weirdly dark. What, death and terminal illness can’t be funny?

Friday 9
BriTANick, 9pm
It was impossible to look away from BriTANick’s viral video on the lengths one should go to for a Klondike bar—hint: It involves a potential makeout session, a dead man and Don Hertzfeldt–esque cartoons. We’re eager to see how the group’s mastery of awkward situations translates to the stage.
Ten West, 10pm
Welcome to comedy with class…and not just because this L.A. duo wears ties and suspenders. The highly physical part-comedian, part-clown team injects Sketchfest with a healthy dose of slapstick.
Team Submarine, 11pm
No characters, no silly props, no viral videos: New Yorkers Nate Fernald and Steve O’Brien go raw dog with a set thankfully devoid of gimmicks. In place of flash, the group serves up a smart, impeccably timed show that’s been one of the highlights of Sketchfest two years running.

Saturday 10
The Backrow, 7pm
One of Sketchfest’s longest-running shows, Backrow’s set this year focuses on “the failure of human spirit.” In its eighth year at the fest, the group is tight, its sketches move fluidly, and cast members play off each other with ease.
Heavyweight, 8pm
A top contender for one of the best performances of last year, the local group of Brady Novak, Mark Raterman and Nick Vatterott rocked us with its chaotic, at times nonsensical brand of funny, even without star performer TJ Miller.
Elephant Larry, 10pm
It’s no accident this consistently clever (and funny) New York quintet is back for its sixth Sketchfest. One of the few groups blessed with a Midas touch for comedy, Elephant Larry tackles both cerebral and lowbrow topics with the same level of wit.

Sunday 11
Best Church of God, 3pm
If talk of using foreskins as currency is wrong, we don’t want to be right. A parody of born-again evangelical ministries, local group Best Church of God presents a fictitious house of worship guaranteed to convert even the most cynical of fest attendees.
Carpeted Afterhours + Cell Camp, 5:30pm
Local troupe Carpeted Afterhours, which just wrapped its first TV pilot (also called Carpeted Afterhours), offers up a set loaded with sarcasm and music. Cell Camp follows with select scenes from Mall Party, a totally tactless examination of consumerist culture.

January 15
Fowler Family Radio Hour, 9:30pm
Like Prairie Home Companion mixed with grade-A dysfunction, this old-timey radio-broadcast-themed show performed by straight-from-the-South transplants blends country charm with racy jokes and live music.

January 16
Approximately 3 Peters, 8pm
We loved its accents. We loved its geekarific sense of humor. We loved its performance last year. This Canadian group charmed us with its playful antics and references to the space-time continuum.
The Imponderables, 9pm
The first independent comedy troupe to headline a Second City Mainstage show, the Imponderables have been hailed by the Canadian press as the next Kids in the Hall. We’re eager to see what all the fuss is about.
Last Call Cleveland, 10pm
Last year, much of the group’s all-musical set overlapped with its Sketchfest outing the previous year. This year, we’re crossing our fingers for some fresh material from this out-of-town favorite.

January 17
Cupid Players, 8pm
There’s love! There’s harmony! There are references to unwanted boners! The cast of iO’s longest-running show, Cupid Has a Heart On, performs an all-musical set that covers love, lust and the pitfalls of both.

January 18
UnRelated, 2:30pm
At an age when most boys deny their fathers’ existence, 11-year-old Jacob Caponingro takes the stage with his. This all-ages show is ix-nay on the aunch-ray but heavy on the endearing awww factor.
Meg and Rob, 4pmIncorporating video, sound and the occasional pogo stick, the Philly-based duo looks at what makes the American Dream. Apparently, it consists in part of uncomfortable dancing and shirtless men, both of which were recently featured in the group’s Philly Fringe Fest show.

For a rundown of this week’s complete showtimes, see “Sketchfest schedule.”