Something to Laugh About

Comedy has sometimes been the red-headed stepbrother to the entertainment scene in the 209. The last few years have shown that comedy is a force in the 209, and at the State Theatre’s American Laughiti comedy competition, where Scott Powers took home $5000 keeping a nearly sold-out crowd laughing for his 13-minute set, and Nick Larson squeaked out a win in a postshow laugh-off against Rhoda Ramone winning $1500.

You no longer have to go to Sacramento or the Bay Area for a fun night of laughter, you can catch great locally-produced shows nearly every week in the Modesto Area.

MA-Crazy story. I went to watch Bill Burr at The Forum in Los Angeles, a huge stadium for comedy. His opener was this brilliant young comic I know, Bianca Cristovao. So, after the show, I’m chatting it up with Bill and I say how dope it is for him to give a young woman such a glorious opportunity and he tells me, I kid you not, that he saw her at MY show Women Crush Wednesdays and that’s why he booked her! It made my little Grinch heart grow three sizes that day. It’s been unbelievable to hear these types of stories come out of a show that means so dang much to me. I wish everyone was down to help everyone but we all know that’s not the case. But I certainly love it.

MV-Your debut comedy album The Woke Bully(called one of the best comedy albums of 2019), debuted at #3 on the Billboard Comedy charts, do you have a follow-up planned?

MA-Yes! My next album should be drop-

By Middagh Goodwin

ping soon, it’s called Mercury in Reggaeton because it was one of the worst headlining weekends I’ve ever done. EVER! Everything went wrong! And we still managed to put together a really fun and wild album. It’s not just material like the first album, there was a lot of audience participation, which as we’ve learned from internet clips, is such an unpredictable ride. A lady ADMITTED to drugging her husband, I had a blast making fun of her. So yes, VERY different from the first album.

MVAnything else you would like our readers to know?

MG-My opener Lydia Popovich is so freaking funny. I cannot wait for people to see her.

MV-Final Question(this is the patented Chris Murphy question) The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

MA-Well, my dad loved The Beatles so definitely them!

Find out more about Marcella Arguello at www.marcellacomedy.com and buy tickets for her show at the state at www. thestate.org

Here are just a few you might want to check out to get your recommended dose of laughter.

August 2nd Spotlight Lounge, Modesto. Pete Munoz with Marcus Peverill, David Samuel, Mikel Nordstrom

August 9th Contentment Brewing, Modesto, Molly Magee, Scott Powers, Dejan Tyler, Erik Power

August 18th The State Theatre, Modesto, Marcella Arguello, Lydia Popovich

August 19th The Hotbox, Modesto, Jimmie Menezes, Serena Gamboa

August 25th The Post Restaurant. Modesto, Roman Guzman, and special guests

August 26th The Wildflower, Galt, Rhoda Ramone, Thu, Andre Morton(Comedy Special Live Filming)

August 30th Grains of Virtue, Oakdale, Marcus Peverill, Eric Power, Brandon Knowles, Gabriel Alexander