Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Thomas Garcia
QCS Senior Writer
Quay County residents will have a chance to enjoy the talents of famous Latino comedians on Sept. 20 as the Latin Comedy Jam takes the stage at the Tucumcari Convention Center.
The comics of the comedy jam have performed in Las Cruces, Corpus Christi, Texas and Flagstaff, Arizona. The Sept. 20 show will be their first in Tucumcari.
“I was driving through from Saint Louis, Missouri, and stopped at a gas station in Tucumcari where the clerks said they had seen our show and wanted to know when and how a show like that could come to Tucumcari,” said Mike Acquisto-Gotti, show producer.
Acquisto-Gotti said he thought bringing the show to Tucumcari would be a great idea and began looking into making that idea a reality. He said he came across a lot of amazing and supportive people.
“Tucumcari has a diverse demographic with some great residents and is the type of place we would love to hold our show,” Acquisto-Gotti said.
Acquisto-Gotti said the main drive of the show is to provide a Las Vegas, Nevada, style show for a reasonable price, enjoyable by all walks of life.
“You don’t have to be Latino to enjoy our show,” said Jerry Garcia, comedian. “All of our topics are universal and all people can relate.”
Garcia said he and the fellow comedians come from diverse backgrounds and are different ages. He said one of his goals as a comedian is to be able to reach out and relate to as many people as possible.
The humor is universal, he said, and the Latin Comedy Jam offers a blend of situational and topical comedy from the nation's top Latino comedians.
There has been a lot of a lot of good feedback about this event coming to Tucumcari, said Mercedes Rudisill, convention center director.
Rudisill said to her knowledge, this is the first time an event like this has been held at the convention center. She said there has even been discussion about possible making it an annual event.
Within the “The Latin Comedy Jam”, we have a family of comics that work year round to keep the show fresh and new everywhere we go. The cast consists of Carlos Oscar “Entertainer of the Year” Dillon Garcia, who was the youngest comic ever to be featured on Comedy Central and who was featured on both seasons of Stand Up Revolution hosted by Gabriel Iglesias.
Other performers include: Johnny Sanchez, who was Lombardo from Happy Feet I and II; Luke Torrez from In Living Color and Space Jam; Jill Michele Melean from MadTV and Big Time Rush; Shayla Rivera, “Latina Entertainer of the Year;” Jerry Garcia, who has been the named the next big comic; Willie Barcena, who has appeared on the Tonight Show 12 times; Steve Trevino; Jeff Garcia; the legendary Paul Rodriguez; and Rudy Moreno who appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond and E.R.
Acquisto-Gotti has appeared in two major films, Three Kings, starring George Clooney, Ice Cube, and Mark Wahlberg; and Any Given Sunday starring Al Pacino, LL Cool J, Dennis Quaid, and Jamie Foxx. Acquisto has also performed with artists including Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and has toured with LL Cool J.
Tickets are available at Bob’s Budget Pharmacy and Tucumcari Ranch Supply or online http://www.TheLCJ.com.