Ben Gibbard Covers Morrissey With Smiths Tribute Band At SF Sketchfest

3 days ago7 min read

The hallowed stage of San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall recently played host to a delightful collision of comedy and indie-rock reverence, courtesy of SF Sketchfest. The occasion was a 25th-anniversary celebration for the cult film *Wet Hot American Summer*, spearheaded by members of the seminal '90s troupe The State.Their vehicle was the aptly named Middle Aged Dad Jam Band, featuring Ken Marino on vocals and David Wain on drums, often joined by Shudder To Think's Craig Wedren—the musical architect behind both the film and the group's original MTV series. The first night was a freewheeling set bolstered by castmates and special guests like Janeane Garofalo.Yet, the true harmonic alchemy emerged the following evening when the band pivoted to an all-Billy Joel tribute, a move that somehow set the perfect stage for an unexpected cameo. Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard stepped into the spotlight, not for a piano man standard, but to channel a different kind of iconoclast.With a Smiths tribute band providing the jangling, melancholic backdrop, Gibbard lent his distinctly earnest tenor to the complexities of Morrissey, bridging the gap between '80s Manchester miserablism and modern indie sentiment. It was a moment that transcended mere nostalgia act, revealing how the earnest emotional core of certain music—whether from a Broadway-style piano ballad or a Smiths lament—can unite disparate scenes, from comedy writers to indie frontmen, in a shared, heartfelt performance.

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#Ben Gibbard

#Morrissey

#The Smiths

#tribute band

#SF Sketchfest

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#Middle Aged Dad Jam Band