The West Coast Report July 3rd, 2004 - Comedy Showcase in San Jose

This past Saturday night, a comedy showcase was held at Mexico Lindo restaurant in downtown San Jose. We were invited to see our friend Dave McCrae, who would have a real set as opposed to the 4 minute ones we were used to seeing. Usually I would never go to San Jose unless it was for Brian Regan or Dane Cook, but I really wanted to support Dave and see a full set. The restaurant that the showcase was held in was set up really well. The front part is a full restaurant, while the back consists of a large bar and a stage in a large room. It was a good set up with good food.  
 
The host for the night was a fellow named Danny Dechi. From his promo pic, we weren’t expecting much. To my surprise, he started off really well, talking about how he’s balding and lives with his mother. He then asked the women in the audience to please not rush the stage. He also mentioned how it was hard to pick up chicks by asking “your place or my mom’s?” He was making me laugh until he finished his set by playing songs with his cheek. www.danieldechi.com
 
The next guy up was a guy named Alfred Muller. I’ve seen him try out material before and it was refreshing to see him do a real set this time. He spoke about how it was hard growing up in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood, his shitty job at Disneyland, and being a Jehovah’s Witness from age 8-16. Although much better than the first time I saw him, I thought his stuff was alright. www.alfredmuller.com
 
The third act was a newcomer to the stand-up scene named Matt Randozza. I understand that the guy is new to the scene, but his set was way too hard to get in to. He went on about how giving his wife flowers, or plant genitalia, which would always lead to her getting pregnant. A few jokes about his son, their balls, and superheroes ends his set. www.mattrandozza.com
 
Comic #4 was the producer of the nights show, Tom Miller. Tom Miller produces stand-up showcases in the South Bay Area. He starts off with acknowledging his “Weird Al/Gallagher love child” appearance. He then goes into a ton of Jewish material and talks about impotence. He seems like a good resource for local comics, as he provides a ton of info on local comedy shows. sitdowncomicsmile@yahoo.com
 
The only female on the bill, Lori Chapman, was up next. Bubbly and loud, she starts off by letting us know that exercise bothers her because her as is so comfortable to sit on, that it would be a crime to get off of it and exercise. She talks about how she likes fantasy TV to reality TV, and singing to obscene phone callers to get rid of them. loric94118@yahoo.com
 
The fifth comic was a New York City native named Jeff Applebaum. I could not get in to this guys set. He did have a good stage presence, but it was hard for me to laugh. Topics of discussion included music & TV now versus when he was growing up and going to a fertility doctor. jeff@chutzpahent.com
The next comic up was the Steve Buscemi-looking Michael Slack. He is a very gregarious guy who again, I couldn’t get a handle on. He talked about working a retirement home, how working in Florida stinks, self-help books, Clinton’s book, and Fahrenheit 911. He performs regularly around the Bay Area and emcees a comedy showcase every Sunday night in Santa Cruz. www.michaelslack.com
 
Our headliner for the night was Dave McCrae. Anyone who is familiar with the West Coast report knows that I like Dave and his comedy. Dave starts off by talking about how he’s on the John Madden diet, and how he’s been married for so long. A lot of Dave’s set included observations from a guy who has been married for too long and has kids. He talks about how lying & communicating are key in a relationship, getting your fingers into a woman’s purse is harder than getting your fingers into her vagina, his technique for oral on a woman, and how it felt to coach his wife through her pregnancy. Dave is a really funny guy on & off stage, and it was a pleasure to see him do a full set and kill. codeindrm@aol.com
 
 -Vyse