The Steam Powered Hour is a monthly stage show in New York City featuring comedy, art and bluegrass-ish music hosted by The New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee. So far we’ve welcomed performers such as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Demetri Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thile, Tony Trischka, Steve Martin, Roz Chast, The Two Man Gentlemen Band, Roger Hailes, Michael Daves, Patrick Borelli, Noam Pikelny, Tom Shillue, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Pete Holmes, Adam Wade, Stuckey & Murray, Barry Mitterhoff, DJ Hazard and many many more.

The Show’s been affectionately referred to us as “The Brooklyn Home Companion” and “Hee Haw for People Who Hate Hee Haw.” We’ve rambled around a bit, but currently have a cozy home at The Jalopy Theater and School Of Music in Brooklyn. Come see us some time.

The notion for the show started around a kitchen table in Nashville on the morning of January 1st 2007 in a conversation with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.  The talking found it’s way to the topic of the old Johnny Cash Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and how there didn’t seem to be a place that offered both the type of music and the type of comedy we liked. We thought someone ought to do something.

When they were next in New York, we decided to go ahead and try it. Demetri Martin jumped in and we had ourselves a show. What we didn’t have at that point was a name. We called that first one “The Unnamed Music and Comedy Show.” We’re clever that way. The name “Steam Powered Hour” was decided by the third show. It’s a nod to the late, great John Hartford whose musical and comedic taste continues to inspire us.

In the twenty plus shows since that first one, we’ve had lots of changes and a few false starts, but one thing we’ve always managed to do (with varying degrees of proficiency) is videotape the goings on. We’re now in the process of posting the best bits and pieces of that footage to the Archive.  

We hope you’ll check back here often and find something new every time. Our aim is to create a community of like-souled folks who enjoy innovative music rooted in traditional American forms and comedy that is artful, smart and occasionally (mostly by accident) deep.

If that sounds good to you, share us with your friends and go to the Pitch In section to see some other ways you can get involved. Beyond that, just pull up a chair, warm your feet at the fire and help yourself to anything in the fridge.