Preliminary Round One
Performers

Josef Anolin
Oakland
Marcos Calandrelli Argentina 
Shanti Charan
San Francisco
Amanda Cohen
Los Angeles
Jeff Dean 
Jack Ferguson
San Francisco
Aaron Foster
Los Angeles
Walker Glenn
Oakland
Benton Harshaw Sacramento 
Brett Jennings
San Francisco
Tristan Johnson Sacramento 
Daniel Lewis
Oakland
Chad Opitz
Bay Area
Sean Reilly
Austin, TX
Paco Romane
San Francisco
Marcus Williams
Oakland

Host: Dauood Naimyar

Afghan-American comedian Dauood Mohammad Naimyar learned the value of assimilating at a very young age. Because of this, he tried his best to not be different but failed at every encounter. Once he embraced his eccentric point of view, he saw the humor all around him. Dauood’s comedic perspective is shaped by the duality of his constant need to fit in and his relentless desire to be different. His search for being relatable yet unique has brought audiences joy for nine years—and will probably continue until he finally figures himself out. Dauood has built a following of 150,000+ TikTok followers by showing the humor of his circumstances as an Afghan living in America, with multiple viral hits poking fun at politicians and world leaders. Dauood’s debut comedy album, Pier 69: Junior Varsity, topped all the charts upon its release.
Venues
- The Battery: San Francisco (Private Show)
- Marin Showcase Theater: San Rafael
- Orinda Theater: Orinda
- Crow’s Nest: Santa Cruz
