The Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival took place in ATX last weekend and we were on the scene to get the real scoop on the event straight from Austin’s own comedians. While the local scene is still reeling from the untimely passing of Lashonda Lester, the show must go on.
So, we caught up to a few of our local favorites during the festival to find out what they were thinking. Here’s what they had to say…
Kerri Lendo
Kerri has been an Austin comedian for over a decade. Here she is interviewing Piff the Magic Dragon at last year’s festival:
What’s the best thing about Moontower?
“Sweet ass comics in a city I love!”
What’s the worst thing about Moontower?
“I work for them doing online interviews too, so I don’t always get to partake in the late late night parties with comics. I just get to hear about the stories the next day.”
Who are you most excited to see at this year’s festival?
“I love Andy Kindler. He always delivers and I could watch him ten million times and not be sick of him.”
Ralph Hardesty
Ralph has been doing standup in Austin since 20011. Before that, he was the host of The Encyclopedia Show, a variety sketch/lecture series. Here he is in the semi-finals at The Funniest Person in Austin competition:
What’s the best thing about Moontower?
“It’s comedy Christmas. This is an INSANELY good city to do comedy in, with clubs like the Velveeta Room and Cap City, but during Moontower everything is turned way, way up. It’s just a lot of fun, and it’s one of the only festivals I still go to in this city.”
What’s the worst thing about Moontower?
“Trying (and failing) to avoid all of the free bean chips they give comedians backstage. Every green room is full of a ton of comedian’s farts.”
Which Austin comedian do you think is ready to break out?
“THIS IS SUCH A HARD QUESTION! I’m intentionally disqualifying anybody who has deserted us for LA or NY, so I’ll say Kerri Lendo, Vanessa Gonzalez, and Chris Cubas. All three are unique and hysterical. I am humbled every time I watch one of them do a set.”
Kat Ramzinski
Kat has been doing comedy in Austin since 2008, and moonlights as rapper Ver$ace Kolache. Check out her rhyming skills on Soundcloud!
Who are you most excited to see at Moontower?
“Probably the My Favorite Murder podcast live. When I found out Karen Kilgarrif was a host I pretty much pledged my allegiance to them because if you haven’t heard her songs, do it now.”
What’s the best thing about Moontower?
“Getting to perform. Also, getting called ‘Kath Barbadoro.’ It’s fun to be Kath, she gets a lot of compliments and pretty much every year people just think I’m her even though we look nothing alike.”
What’s the worst thing about Moontower?
“Not getting to perform. Also, getting called ‘Kath Barbadoro‘ because she gets in twitter fights with people who think I’m her and then I have to defend myself as Kath, and that’s when I do the big reveal, I’m actually KAT. No ‘H’ baybay!”
