Discover ... the Best of Lodi, the Delta and the Mother Lode

Lo (ho, ho, ha, ha) di

No matter the age, Lodi's sense of humor is as diverse as its citizens

Wayne Kildall is rarely short on a smile or a quip. In fact, the Lodi resident has compiled a list of jokes over the years, which he keeps in a file that measures a couple of inches.

It's part of his schtick. Now in his early 80s, the chaplain is known around town for his jokes.

"A mother wakes up her son and says, ‘Hey son, you gotta get up or you'll be late for church,"' Kildall says.

"The son says ‘I don't want to go to church for two good reasons. I don't like them and they don't like me.' His mother says, ‘I have two better reasons why you should go: You're 59 and you're the pastor."'

Ba-dum-bum.

Kildall is just one amateur comedian in a town full of them. But how do you characterize the collective sense of humor of Lodi as a town? What makes Lodians laugh? What makes them cringe? And might Lodi be the laugh capital of the valley?

"The community definitely has a sense of humor and it's not biting or nasty," said Lodi City Councilman Bob Johnson. "If anything, it's sometimes self-deprecating. A lot of people in Lodi will take the time to make fun of themselves and keep things light and lively."

Johnson says humor can be a welcome respite, especially during tense moments at City Council meetings.

"Some people will say I'm too loose, but if you're having a difficult conversation at City Hall, a little bit of humor takes the edge off."

Retired City Manager Tom Peterson agrees. He remembers the constant banter, the back and forth, that went on between Lodi employees during his staff meetings.

"You had to roll with the punches. The staff were universally very quickwitted and didn't hesitate to trade subtle barbs," he said.

He remembers being ribbed about the schedules for the shirtsleeve sessions, which he would publish several weeks in advance. As he continuously received new items to add to the schedules, it became difficult to tell one week from the next.

"I started putting schedules on different colored paper, but it finally came to the point where employees said, ‘Just call us when it's our turn.' They had some fun at my expense," he smiled.

It kept the atmosphere light, despite the often weighty nature of the tasks at hand.

"I always said that local government is a serious business but nowhere does it say that you can't have some fun while you're doing it," Peterson said.

But what about professional comedy in Lodi? Just ask Mark Armstrong. As the general manager of the Grape Festival, he is responsible for booking all of the comedy talent at the fair each year.

"Family oriented comedy works best, nothing off color. That can get you into some trouble," Armstrong said.

Armstrong still remembers the backlash they received when they let Chris Karney, an escape artist and comedian from San Francisco, loose on the stage.

"He did get off color and it was uncomfortable. Most people left. Some people came to the office to complain about him," said Armstrong, who always consults with comedians prior to the show about their language and material.

But fair comedians including Jeremy the Juggler, Jonathan Lopez of Jonathan's Amazing Magic Show and Nashville-based Johnny Counterfit have successfully worked the circuit.

"I've been doing this for 25 years and I never try blue or bathroom humor," Counterfit said. "I keep things appropriate for all ages."

Comedian "Chicago Steve" Barkley, who has performed at Movie City Grill and Bar, said it was a great place to play. People were out to have a good time.

"In San Francisco, audiences have an almost defiant attitude like ‘Make me laugh,"' said Barkley, who is based in Walnut Creek. They're more forgiving in Lodi and will let you play around and try new material, he said.

Material like his schtick about flying: "When I fly, I'm not that worried about terrorists. I'm more afraid of drunk airline pilots. We've had six different examples of airline pilots attempting to fly planes while legally drunk. And what does Congress do? They vote to arm the pilots. That's what we need. Drunk pilots with weaponry," Barkley said. "That will put you on a train or bus for the rest of your life."

Vino Piazza in Lockeford has been hosting stand-up comedy nights since last year. The rules here are pretty simple: Adult humor is fine but the language must be kept clean. Karyn Litchfield, owner of the Olde Lockeford Winery, also suggests keeping mum about politics.

"We find that seems to work," said Litchfield. "A couple of years ago, there was a comedy show that was put on by another winery and the comedian was really foul and really anti-Republican." The show bombed.

What Litchfield enjoys most is when comics work in a little local humor.

"We had one comic that was really kind of funny, who was commenting on the wonderful Christmas decorations at Vino Piazza. He said, ‘You walk in and you've got the big momma reindeer, the daddy reindeer and three baby reindeers ... and then there is the T-Rex,"' laughed Litchfield, pointing out that he was referring to the fossil and mineral display at the Olde Lockeford Winery.

According to University of Pacific communications professor Alan Ray, local humor is funnier than national or international humor because people are tied to the target more directly.

Ray has researched humor in popular culture and notes that common targets including villainous people, places or things like an evil politician, a polluting company or a dangerous park will make people laugh. Jokes about foolish people, places and things, like Cal Trans workers, the DMV or taxes will also make people laugh. The familiarity is what resonates.

But Lodi comedian Kevin Young warns there is one thing you don't want to do: make fun of Lodi.

"Instead, you want to try and make fun of other towns outside (of Lodi) that will make your crowd know you appreciate them," Young said.

Young opts for comedy that stems from his own life, including material about his failed relationships and the dating scene.

"I'm becoming tougher on what I look for in a woman: I want someone with a good sense of humor, intelligence, and well, I have Cingular so if she has Cingular, it's free to talk," Young said.

Ba-dum-bum.