Watch out, men; the ladies are kicking butt

Driving through the country on a clear fall night with the windows down, one will tend to notice something very specific: It stinks.

A myriad of agricultural smells can and will bombard the passing nasal passage.

Lockeford, being a rural community, is no different. However, what doesn't stink in Lockeford are the entertainment venues at Vino Piazza.

Last weekend, the Old Lockeford Winery was host to a recurring event, "Women Who Kick Comedy Butt," presented by Colfax-based comedienne Grace White.

White, who describes herself as an old hippie chick, opens the show and starts off with jokes on everything from dating to the effects of aging.

From there, she introduces Gail Jones, a Lodi "sex therapist," who dances on to the stage to Pink's "Get This Party Started." She expounds the wisdom of her age in a thick southern drawl, while keeping one hand on her hip. Jones can best be described as a country-fried Phyllis Diller.

Jones almost let some R-rated words slip past her lips, but caught herself. She reminded the audience it was, after all, a PG-13 show. Toward the end of her act, Jones let a whopper of a curse come crashing forth and lamented that White wouldn't pay her after that.

Once again, White took the stage (forgave Jones and decided to pay her anyway) and introduced Sue Ferrer.

Ferrer is a short, spunky single mother based in San Francisco. She proclaims her love of bacon and the difficulties of raising an intelligent child.

"I love bacon," Ferrer says. "'If you love it so much, why don't you marry it,' my son replies." Come to think of it, she says, bacon would make a better husband than most men.

A short intermission, then White continues the show by introducing a surprise.

"We're breaking the rules tonight," White says. She brings the first male comedian into the lineup; a first in the history of "Women Who Kick Comedy Butt."

Zorba, an African-American man with the build of a linebacker and no last name takes the stage. From the first line to the last, Zorba keeps the crowd laughing.

Upcoming "Women Who Kick Comedy Butt" shows

3 Blonde Moms — Oct. 21.
Beth Schumman, Robin Reiser, Natalie Gray, Alycia Cooper — Nov. 4.
Grace White, Laura Hayden, Rebecca Arthur, Henrietta — Nov. 18.
For more information on upcoming events at Vino Piazza, check their Web
site at http://www.vinopiazza.com.

"Zorba. People think black folks will name their kids anything. That used to (tick) off my friend Coca-Cola," Zorba says.

After Zorba, Gayla Johnson takes her place in front of the stage lights. Johnson hails from LA, and brings her eclectic comedy with her.

Johnson, an African-American woman, is married to a "caucaucaswhite man." Her act centers mainly around the challenges of an mixed-race marriage, but the combination of her sassiness and impishness pulls the audience into her world and we feel like we're right there with her — all while wiping tears of laughter from our eyes.

White again stands in front of the crowd. She invites them to try the various wines and thanks them.

Walking out into the night air, the smells of the surrounding countryside seemed to have ebbed. Or maybe I was giggling too hard to notice.

Marc Lutz is the Lodi Living editor. He can be reached at marcl@lodinews.com.

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