Hilarious, Emerging Comedians Perform for Beer and Pizza At This Strip-Mall Restaurant in Concord
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – On a cold, windy Tuesday evening in Concord, the restaurant trade is often lacking. The exception is Comedy Night at Bambino’s Pizza.
On the last Tuesday of each month, Pat McCoy brings sound, lighting, and a stage there. Located at a strip mall at 1695 Farm Bureau Road, Bambino’s has historically catered to local clientele, including softball teams playing at nearby Willow Pass Park.
On this evening, some five aspiring comedians plied their trade before an audience of approximately 50 onlookers seeking a laugh or two.
There is no cover charge, so the performers are paid by passing the hat following the show. Bambino’s bestowed a beer and pizza to this motley group.
McCoy deftly acts as host, telling jokes and introducing individual stand-up comedians. He says, “I’m broke. It’s an OK thing that Concord is not Danville. My 401K is the mileage on my truck.”
There is some truth to this statement, as it is not possible to make a living at venues such as Bambino’s. McCoy and his company, Pat Pending Productions, put on similar shows locally on a regular basis. This includes places such as The Greenery in Walnut Creek, Martinez’s William Welsh Wines, and Clayton’s Roadside 22.
As a retired heavy equipment operator who puts on approximately 10 performances a month, McCoy hopes to one day do a show seen on Netflix or one of the other cable networks.
McCoy thinks perfecting one’s delivery and trying out new material before a live audience is an important part of the learning process for those aspiring to be successful as stand-up comics.
After the host completed his bit, Livermore’s Jacob Parnell took the stage. He explains his main employment being a church pastor in Livermore provides an excellent foundation to deliver humor to his audience. They seemed to enjoy Parnell’s light banter.
Next came David Dominguez from San Jose. He said, being a “born-again Mexican, the closest I come to my heritage is working in a landscaping business.” He went on to say, “My mom is Catholic, my dad a Moslem. Raised in California, I’m into astrology.”
Conner Lonsdale from Oakland followed Dominguez. Having previously performed at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco, he tried out bits dealing with sobriety and armed robbers hitting a Pizza Hut in Florida.
The featured local stand-up comic was Linda Goodman from Concord. In attendance at Bambino’s were several friends, including her 89-year-old mother, Joyce. Linda told her repertoire of Johnny jokes to the appreciative audience. Her material was more risqué than her previous sets at the Concord Senior Center.
Also on the bill was Safia. She is a local who is presently living in Paris. Her humor dealt primarily with life in Berkeley, religion, and her mom. Safia’s smooth delivery and pleasing personality were well received by the audience.
Despite the performers making no reference to anything that could be construed as current events, everyone seemed to be having a good time. After the show, Pat McCoy split up the tip money among the aspiring comedians.
More than receiving a few bucks, a beer, and splitting a complimentary pizza, this group received valuable stage time in front of a live audience. Someday, they hope this experience will translate to better and more profitable gigs.
