Bay Area Comics boosting Vallejo with laughter

VALLEJO — For the last several months, a group of area comics have been working to build a thriving comedy scene in Vallejo, with shows that are both fun for the whole family and geared toward adults only.

Free, family-friendly comedy shows return to Bambino’s restaurant this week and will continue on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. This week’s headliner is Phat Joe, a seasoned comedian and Little League coach who performs regularly at Laughs Unlimited and other Sacramento-area venues.

Bay Area Comics is also hosting an “uncensored” show at the Empress Lounge next week on Oct. 12, with Vallejo native Myles Weber at the top of the ticket. Weber entertained 300 people at his last show at the larger Empress Theatre in 2018, and said he expects this show to sell out.

Bay Area Comics founder Guile Mosher didn’t plan to bring comedy to Vallejo when he came here last year for a job, but a coworker found his Facebook page and outed him as a comic.

“He told everyone I do comedy,” Mosher said. “And every single one of them were like ‘Dude, you should put on a show!’” A waitress at Bambino’s told him who to contact. “They gave me a shot, and it’s been fun,” he said.

Vallejo’s enthusiasm for comedy surprised Mosher. He had done shows in Martinez and other Bay Area towns, but said, “No community has ever thrown themselves at me the way this one has. It's dying to be entertained.”

“My interest is building a comedy scene. You have to have a couple of tiers, you can't just have one show,” Mosher said. The Bambino’s shows are casual and accessible to anyone, including families with kids, while the 21 and over Empress Lounge has an upscale vibe where people dress up and make it a night on the town.

The comedy fans at Bambino’s occupy a handful of tables near the stage at the back of the room, while the comedians are occasionally distracted by raucous conversation from the bar area. Diners seated at the front of the restaurant converse with their companions, apparently oblivious to the show in the back of the room.

Mosher said that people tend to find the same joke funnier when they’ve paid to hear it because of what he calls the “opera house effect.” They’ll walk by a violinist busking at a BART station and shrug, but if they pay fifty bucks to see the same guy at Madison Square Garden they’ll think he is amazing.

Even with the challenges, Mosher said he’s grateful for the opportunity and appreciates his repeat customers. The Bambino’s shows provide an opportunity for new comedians. “I always book at least one good headliner, but I want guys that don't have a whole lot of exposure to come in and get their practice,” Mosher said.

The Empress Lounge audience is much more attentive. They’ve paid for a ticket – they’re only there to see comedy. People who sit near the stage are not only engaged, they’ve come prepared to partake in a bit of bawdy repartee with the comics. The feedback of louder laughter in the frequently sold-out space helps inspire the performers.

Another big difference between the two venues are the content guidelines – family-friendly vs. anything goes. Experienced comics like Phat Joe, who work a lot of family-friendly fundraisers, will sail through with no trouble, but some of the greener comedians occasionally stumble searching for clean words to illustrate an off-color joke.

Mosher says doing a clean show is good practice. “If your entire joke is hinged on cussing, then you don't have a joke,” Mosher said. “That’s just part of learning the craft.”

Mosher compared doing comedy at Bambino’s to working out with weights. “When we go to the Empress it’s weights off, fucking crazy, off the hook,” he said. “I fucking crush it every time.”

Weber said he always has a blast performing in Vallejo. “It’s so much fun because I was born and raised here,” he said. “I live here now with my family.” He said he has no shortage of material that Vallejoans will relate to, knowing “the ins and outs of how it's been, how it used to be, how it is now, where it could go from here.”

Weber said he gets frustrated because there’s so much potential in Vallejo, and he’d like to see it thrive again. “Hopefully, we can have a fun show, and then people will be like, ‘oh, yeah, look, we're doing a thing in Vallejo that’s fun,’” Weber said. “That's why I like that Guile has been packing these shows. It seems like they've been a really good thing for people in town and around town to do, so I'm very grateful for that.”