Open Mike Spotlight - Kevin Albritton's Pizza Blast

I was fortunate to attend the inaugural open mike night run by Kevin Albritton and El Roberto, at the “Pizza Blast” in Salida, California. It is a comparatively small room with no indigenous stage or sound system, but when Kevin and his cohorts arranged the place and brought in the sound system, and a happy, attentive crowd filled the place to overflowing, the size of the room was never a downside.

El Roberto started things up, with his irascible style and his luxurious, salon-quality hair competing for prominence. After some cagey wordplay about an encounter with a one-footed homeless man, His El-ness introduced the night's performers, including Anthony K, Tom Bickle, LB Whoo, Pablo, Kevin Albritton himself, Julie Walker and Eric Von Kaufman.

Every comic brought the funny and all performers got respectable laughs, with many doing more than that. With the youth and energy level of the crowd, I was worried that heckling and disruption might be a concern, but there was never a disturbance throughout the show. Who needs a stage when you've got funny comics and a crowd that is ready to laugh?

I asked Kevin Albritton about his first foray into running an open mike and what he hoped to accomplish:

“I've been getting rusty as a comic, and I'm sure others have as well, for the simple fact that there are no more open mics in town. We lost both the Guru and Hero's this year. Recently we got the Clarion on Mondays and so I hope my open mic on Wednesdays will also pick up some of the comedy-slack.”

With a few open mikes in the Modesto area, including Jax on H on Tuesdays and The Queen Bean on Sunday nights, the area has certainly suffered its share of losses recently, including those noted above. An additional open mike can only be a good thing. Seeing as how open mikes come and go (and sometimes stay for a good long time in between, thankfully), I wondered aloud to Kevin what he would try to do differently, to set his creation apart:

“Well since it will be a small venue, I want to create a tighter community for comics who truly care about the craft and want to get funnier together. I don't think you get that at some of the bigger open mics in the bay area, it's pretty do-it-yourself out there... Which is also good, but I want to create a supportive vibe around here.”

With the open mike at Pizza Blast open to all ages, Albritton expressed high hopes that “the comics will really strive to be more funny than tasteless.” Last Wednesday night, it seemed that Albritton's wish was granted; every performance I saw (although admittedly I had to leave a little before the end) was reasonably dignified. Poets and street performers might save themselves the trip, though – for now at least, only comics and musicians are welcome to perform. Contact Kevin Albritton with any questions.

Wednesday night's open mike at Pizza Blast in Salida is not a big room by any means, but their beer specials and quality pizza offerings made for as natural a stomping ground for local comedians as I can imagine, and also drew a down-to-earth crowd that was warm and ready to laugh. Throw in the accessible location, the lack of a cover charge and the earnest, funny hosts, and you might call this “The Little Open Mike That Could!”

Kevin Albritton's Open Mike Info:

Cover Charge?:
No

Where:
Pizza Blast
4525 Broadway # A
Salida, CA 95368-9417
(209) 543-1499

When:
Every Wednesday night at 8pm

What?:
Nothing.

Okay Then?:
Okay.