From the very genesis of its Midwest inception, Yuck Fest has prided itself on curating a culturally rich and high-quality comedy and music experience. But for founder Katlin McFee, the three-day celebration of local and national arts has become so much more than just a comedy festival. It’s become a celebration of community, as well.
Kicking off its inaugural Boston edition tonight (October 19) and running through Saturday (October 21) at various locations, including Nick’s Comedy Stop, Coolidge Corner Theatre, and White Bull Tavern, this year’s Yuck Fest is sticking to its specific brand of quality-focused show running. While McFee made a name for the weekend-long shindig while attending college in Indianapolis a few years back, the itch to bring it back home to the Northeast was unbeatable, and they know the type of shows they’re unleashing will be celebrated and appreciated by another community that cherishes its bustling culture.
“I’m so excited to be doing this in Boston. When I did it in Indianapolis, it was instantly one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I’m really proud of it,” McFee tells Vanyaland. “I love Boston and Boston’s comedy scene, so I’m just really excited to bring something different and something cool to the city.”
Much like the festival’s Indianapolis roots, where McFee saw the need for a fresh comedy festival experience in 2019, Boston’s bustling arts community, and the comedy community in general, has come to embrace Yuck Fest for what it’s brought to the table in regards to exciting and contemporary art. Now, as they look to fully incorporate the festival into the crisp New England fall season, McFee is just looking to continue delivering the same potent product with a whole new cast of characters.
“I feel like people within the comedy community have really come to recognize the name, and they know that if it has the Yuck Fest name on it that it’s a certain type of show that’s cool, fun and different,” says McFee. “The first year we did it in Indianapolis, we had Sam Tallent, and he had a really good review of it. He said it was a great collection of contemporary comics and musicians, and that’s the type of vibe and energy I want to continue to go for every year.”
With a smattering of local fan favorites like the comedy stylings of Bethany Van Delft and Gordon Baker Bone, as well as the vast musical inspirations of Michael Christmas, the expansive Boston arts scene is well on display throughout this year’s festivities. But the decision process behind who to bring along for the maiden northeast voyage was based more on faces that we don’t necessarily see around town too often, but always bring in a crowd, like Daniel Van Kirk and Zahid Dewji.
It’s McFee’s dedication to quality, as well as their fully evident attention to detail in the meticulously crafted lineups, like we’ve seen during their time as showrunner of Hideout Comedy, that has venues like McFee’s usual stomping grounds of White Bull Tavern, and Nick’s fully trusting the process of bringing top-tier entertainment to the city.
“I think it really speaks to the community of the Boston comedy scene. Every venue we reached out to was really excited to be a part of this, and we’ve also been working with Duck Duck Goofs, which is a new and exciting comedy club that has been running in Cambridge but will have their own space in Somerville soon,” says McFee. “The fact that we’re having shows at Nick’s Comedy Stop is a very special thing to me, because that is such a historic spot in Boston, and being able to have some of these shows there shows the trust they have in me and the Yuck Fest brand that there are going to be good shows there.”
Even with their eyes already looking to the preliminary planning stages for next year, McFee is stoked to plant the roots of the multi-faceted festival into Boston soil, and solidify its brand and commitment to not high-quality art, but also top-notch fun and entertainment.
“Honestly, the thing I’m looking forward to most is just how fun it’s going to be. The shows are the types of shows that I would go watch even if I had nothing to do with them,” says McFee. “When I put this on in Indianapolis, it was a lot of work, but at the end of the day, it’s so much fun. So, I’m really just so excited to see everyone out at shows, and to have fun afterwards too.”
YUCK FEST :: Thursday, October 19 to Sunday, October 22 at various locations :: Event schedule and advance Tickets
