The Illuminati of Mirth: Comedy Is a Small World. We Establish a Few Secret Connections

Southerner-turned-Los Angeleno and Sketchfest first-timer Nate Bargatze's comedy style has been referred to as "low-key," but in person, some say, he can be "excitable." He's performing this year at several events, including Kurt Tub, Crash Test, and Prompter, which is a spur-of-the-moment type improvisational comedy show that makes Bargatze feel as nervous as he used to feel performing as a young stand-up.

SF Weekly: How do you expect this to compare to other comedy festivals?

Nate Bargatze: I'm excited. I've heard nothing but good things, and festivals are a lot of fun. You get to see a lot of comics you don't get to see a ton throughout the year. The shows are always fun. The people are there to specifically to see the show, instead of sometimes, being at a club, it's just people are just there, they go out for whatever reason.

Some people say it's like going to camp.

It's nothing but fun.

What do you like to do when you visit San Francisco?

I was there just recently. It's pretty awesome just to walk around and stuff. I lived in New York for a while, so it's fun to go walk around.

When and how did you first know you were funny?

I knew I was funny growing up. In high school I was always making people laugh. I guess right about then. I was thinking about doing comedy, but nothing too crazy. I wasn't going to start yet, I just would joke about going to the comedy club, and people would say, you should go try it. When I was 23, I moved with a buddy of mine to Chicago, and I started then. I really was like, "Finally, I'm going to do it."

What made you want to pursue it as a career?

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The Illuminati of Mirth: Comedy Is a Small World. We Establish a Few Secret Connections