Ronn Vigh might not be from the Central Valley – the New Jersey native has lived in San Francisco for almost two decades – but he’s got a formula for when he comes east to perform for crowds.
And so far, it hasn’t failed him once.
“I’ve discovered that The Golden Rule for this area, when you’re performing in Manteca or Modesto, is this – when it doubt, make fun of Ripon,” Vigh said with a laugh. “So basically, every joke that I have that makes fun of Reno, I replace with Ripon – everybody seems to enjoy it.”
On Saturday Vigh will headline the monthly Deaf Puppies comedy showcase at Strings Bar and Grill in Manteca starting at 8:30 p.m.
It’ll be his second show at the venue which has become a regular stop for Sacramento and Bay Area comics that are looking to hone their craft in front of an entertainment-starved audience that appreciates the craft and those who are working to master it.
And in these polarizing times, Vigh – who makes no qualms about his sexuality – said that he looks forward to using his stage time not to be divisive, but to give people an outlet to forget about all of the other things in their life and just enjoy themselves.
“My approach to comedy is to have fun – if you’re not having fun, the audience isn’t having fun,” Vigh said. “At the end of the day, a lot of comics want to use the stage as their platform – be that politics or something like it.
“I want to do something very different – I want to be myself and silly and kooky and share my point of view, but I want to be in the moment and have fun.”
While it’s Vigh’s second time performing at Strings, if all goes as planned it could be his last.
According to Teicheira, he’s all set to move on pulling the trigger on the Deaf Puppies Comedy Club – waiting only to hear back from the development company that owns the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley about whether they’ll open up spaces for rent again.
“I think it’s the perfect spot – you’ve got the theater there and the restaurants there and if they put condos in there it’ll be the perfect addition,” Teicheria said. “People have asked me about whether I would want to put it Downtown somewhere, but I want this to be a place that caters to the entire valley – where people from outside of the city are coming in here to spend money and enjoy comedy.
“By doing these shows at Strings I’ve gotten to know two couples that moved here recently from the Bay Area that come to every show and they told me that they were so excited to finally have something here to look forward to and not have to drive over to the Bay Area for entertainment. The demand is there and I can’t wait to make this happen.”
In addition to Vigh, the show will also feature Mean Dave, and will be guest-hosted by Teicheira’s former podcast partner and fellow Deaf Puppy Anthony K.
Tickets for the show are $10 in advance and can be purchased by visiting Strings – located at 680 N. Main Street – during normal business hours. Reserved seating is available if purchased in advance, and tickets are available at the door the night of the event if there is space left in the room. For additional information, or to find out about availability, contact strings at 209.239.0378.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
