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Funny times four
Published November 12, 2009
From quick-witted one-liners to longer drawn-out tales of unsavory neighborhood characters, the Kerrville Comedy Explosion promises to cover the range of everything funny.
“No matter what happens in life, a good laugh gets you out of a funk,” said show creator and producer, Roger Acevedo. “I do it to get everyone in Kerrville out of a funk and for my own sanity as well.”
The latest show is slated for 8 p.m. Saturday at Santo Coyote, 2124A Sidney Baker St. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
Five-year veteran comedian Johnny Luna will serve as host, and up-and-coming funny guy Alex “Kool-Aid” Ansel will whet attendees’ palates. Then, polished performer Bobby Smith will share his thoughts about family, music and current event, and headliner Mark Riojas will joke about being a “Texican,” growing up on the West Side of San Antonio and living with a “not-so-typical mother,” Acevedo said.
Luna has performed at the Rivercenter Comedy Club in San Antonio, Laff Stop in Houston and Hyena’s in Arlington, among others. He also has acted in a full-length film titled, “Zombie Movie,” and directed several shorts, including “Swing Shift” and “Slaughter Lake Slaughter.”
Acevedo said Luna’s style is a “mix of bizarre observational humor and fun-loving antics.”
“They’re everyday observations in his own twisted mind,” Acevedo said. “He’s one of those comics who makes you think, ‘What did he just say?’”
Ansel, a recent high school graduate, was voted by classmates as the “funniest senior.” Although a newcomer to the comedy scene, Ansel was tapped to play a role on the San Antonio-based sitcom, “The Cleto Show,” which airs on Fox.
Ansel’s material typically pokes fun at himself, a big guy, self-proclaimed computer geek and lover of hip-hop, Acevedo said about the guest artist.
“I was the feature act,” Acevedo said about a show he performed with Ansel. “I had a little trouble following him. … He’s pretty funny.”
Next up is Smith, the featured performer.
Smith recently was named first runner-up at the Laugh is Hope Comedy Festival in Houston, was a finalist in the Funniest Person in South Texas Contest and has performed at universities, military bases and other venues across the state, according to his biography.
Acevedo said Smith’s act includes “a menagerie of detailed characters, pinpoint delivery and unpredictable punchlines.”
“He’s pretty much laid back, kind of like me. He’s not very excitable,” Acevedo said. “They all have good stage presence, but this guy’s pretty animated.”
Show headliner Riojas got his start as a member of a San Antonio sketch comedy group — Comedia-A-GoGo — and has performed at several well-known comedy clubs across the country. He has acted in major roles for a number of plays, including “Mamma’s Boyz,” “What’s Funny in Spanish” and “Post Cards from San Antonio.”
Riojas draws a lot of material from his early life – family barbecues, quinceñeras and West Side neighborhood characters.
“Mark is probably the epitome of Tejano,” Acevedo said. “His style is based on being a Texican. … Mexican from Texas.”
Typically, those interested in attending the show are people who want to have fun, Acevedo said.
“Especially with the holidays, they’re stuck with relatives they didn’t want to see,” Acevedo said, chuckling. “This is something to cheer them up before they face that reality.”
Acevedo has staged 17 of these comedy shows in Kerrville and nearly every one has sold out, he said. The show at Santo Coyote can seat about 170, but as many as 400 people have attended a show at the Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel.
The audience covers a wide spectrum of ages and backgrounds for the adult-geared show.
“From 18 to 78. We get a lot of older people,” Acevedo said. “I know sometimes the language might get a little salty, but we’ve never had complaints.”
Pauleen Duran, 25, has attended a number of the comedy shows. As soon as they were available, Duran got her tickets. Then, she told her friends and organized a group of people to make plans.
“Every single one I’ve been to has been funny,” Duran said. “They all have their different personalities. It’s different material every time.”
The Kerrville resident said she often travels to San Antonio for comedy shows and would rather see them here. The shows are fun way to relax after a long work week as a production control clerk at James Avery.
“We just go and have fun,” Duran said. “It’s pretty much a stress reliever.”
Acevedo said he spent a few years doing stand-up comedy full time. Although he loved it, it involved a lot of travel and time away from his family. Now, the Center Point resident works full time as an licensed vocational nurse, performs a bit, writes a little for “ The Cleto Show” and produces the Kerrville Comedy Explosion.
“When it’s live, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Acevedo, father of two ages 11 and 3. “If you’re watching (on TV), you can say, ‘Man, that guy was funny.’ At a live show, you can say, ‘Man, you were funny.’”
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