Last month Anthony K – also known as Anthony Krayenhagen – stepped out on the stage at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto and performed for a sold out crowd that came out solely to see him grace his hometown’s biggest stage. 

And on Saturday, he will headline the next installment of Deaf Puppies Comedy at Strings Bar and Grill on N. Main Street – the first time since Chris Teicheira and the Deaf Puppies have turned the longue into Manteca’s monthly comedy destination that he’s done more than a brief set to the capacity crowd. 

“Shows like this are special because the Central Valley needs entertainment like this,” said Krayenhagen. “I think that comedy has had a resurgence recently, and live entertainment is great because everybody loves to laugh. 

“It’s not just great for the artists because we don’t have a local comedy club here – that is coming soon, by the way – but it’s also an outlet for people and an alternative from going to a bar or going to see a movie. It’s a chance to come out and laugh, and people really respond to that.”

For the last month Krayenhagen has been on the road to Arizona and Nevada to play casinos and smaller venues in rural areas, and said that he’s looking forward to coming back home to where he got his start in comedy. 

Last month he sat back as people he has gotten to know from throughout his nearly decade-long career drove in and rented hotel rooms to watch his Gallo Center Show – something he said floored him as he heard stories about people coming from Chico, Sacramento, San Francisco and all points around Northern California to see the show. 

Having that kind of support, he said, means everything to performers – especially when it’s at a venue that didn’t even exist when he was starting out in the comedy game. 

“Selling out the Gallo meant the world to me – it’s definitely the pinnacle of our town, and it was a big accomplishment for me because I was doing standup since before that thing was built and was always saying that I was going to be in there one day,” he said. “Having people come in for the show like that showed me that I was doing something right, and it was overwhelming to see that kind of support – it was definitely the biggest thing that I’ve done.”

Krayenhagen’s friend and former roommate Chris Teicheria – a fellow member of the Deaf Puppies, the comedy crew of friends and fellow performers that have made their unique brand of comedy a staple in restaurants and rooms in the 209 – said that whenever he comes back home the crowds that see him are in for a special treat. 

“Anthony is going to demolish Strings – the 209 crowd gobbles him up,” Teicheira said. “He’s been touring the nooks and crannies and cosmopolitan towns and cities for the last two years, but when he has his feet planted firmly in the 290, it’s a different animal with him. 

He doesn’t have to cater the act to appease some hoity-toity San Francisco crowd – you just get a dude straight out of Ceres being way too real – and he loves it.”

Tickets for the event, which are $10, can be purchased in advance by visiting Strings Bar and Grill – located at 680 N. Main Street – and at the door until the room reaches capacity. 

Additional information about Krayenhagen’s upcoming shows, like his upcoming stint opening for Mo Mandel at the San Francisco Punchline, visit www.facebook.com/anthonykcomedian. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.