The ART in FIRE

Sound Tracks
by Aaron Gomes

You’ve undoubtedly heard the famous saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.”  After all, genuine laughter, can at the very least, temporarily curb most any burden.  Laughter gives the body and mind a pleasurable escape from concerns and woes.  Some of the happiest moments in our lives are wrapped up in smiles and laughter.

This July the Cellar Door will broaden Visalia’s entertainment scope to feature some of the nation’s top-name comedian’s right here in Visalia!

Make the month of July your time to get-out with family and friends to laugh, enjoy life, and make some fond memories together.

Friday, July 23
Pot the Vote Comedy Tour
DOUG BENSON
Graham Elwood
Gary Lee
$10, 21+, 9:30pm
The Cellar Door
101 W. Main St., Visalia
tickets: www.ticketweb.com
On Friday, July 23 San Diego comedy-star DOUG BENSON performs at Cellar Door.  Benson is well known for finishing in the top six of the 2007 season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing.

Benson has done hours of television including his own documentary called “Super High Me” based on a joke from his stand-up act. His second “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special premiered in January ’09.

In his typical humorous fashion he even had the nerve to hit on Jennifer Aniston while appearing on the classic sitcom “Friends”, as well as put Larry David in a headlock on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.  Benson can also be seen as a regular character on “The Sarah Silverman Program”.

Benson is also the creator/writer/star of The Marijuana-Logues, a show that’s been a hit (small pun intended) in clubs and theatres from Los Angeles to New York – and drew a bongload of rave reviews. Now there’s a CD, also called The Marijuana-Logues, and a book, The Marijuana-Logues: Everything About Pot That We Could Remember.

In 2006, “High Times Magazine” named him “Stoner of the Year” and in 2009, he successfully made it to all the shows in his thirteen-day Medical Marijuana Tour.

Now Doug has a new CD titled “Unbalanced Load” out on Comedy Central Records and continues to express his love of movies on his “I Love Movies” podcasts.

Other comedians performing that night include Santa Monica comedian, actor and writer Graham Elwood and Visalia’s own Gary Lee.

also…

Saturday, July 10
Ad-Lib Circus Comedy Tour
STEVE HOFSTETTER
Phil Mazo (from The Bob & Tom Show)
Gary Lee
$5, 21+, 9:30pm
The Cellar Door
101 W. Main St., Visalia

On Saturday, July 10 New York’s Steve Hofstetter will bring his comedy show titled “Ad-Lib Circus” to Visalia’s Cellar Door.  In addition to his smart comedy, Hofstetter regularly writes for outfits like “Maxim”, “ESPN” and has a weekly column for “Sports Illustrated”.

Hofstetter has made a number of television appearances, including ESPN’s “Quite Frankly”, Showtime’s “White Boyz in the Hood”, VH1′s Countdown, ABC’s Barbara Walters Special and, most notably, CBS’ “Late Show with Craig Ferguson”.

Other comedians performing that night include Phil Mazo from “The Bob & Tom Radio Show”.  Mazo was one of only ten comedians selected to perform in The New York City Underground Comedy Festival’s “Emerging Comic’s Contest”. In addition to his Bob & Tom Show work Mazo has done plenty of other radio comedy, such as Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s “Raw Dog Comedy” and AOL Radio’s “Comedy Attack!” station.

Additionally, his writing has appeared in the “New York Post”, “Sports Illustrated” and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes.”

Opening the three-comedian night is Visalia’s Gary Lee.

much love,
Aaron