New laughs in Modesto

The comedy was raunchy rather than clean as advertised but the crowd didn't seem to mind at Thursday's opening night of the Modesto Comedy Festival at the Clarion Hotel on Sisk Road.

About 50 people turned out to see AJ Jamal ("In Living Color"), Renee Gauthier ("Last Call with Carson Daly"), R.T. Steckle, Adam Bomb, Sam Bam and emcee Speedy "The Jamie Foxx Show." For a VIP ticket of $30, you could sit on tables at the front. For $20, you could sit on folding chairs in the back. One harried waitress served drinks for an additional charge.

My favorite was R.T., who did a great impression of rapper Snoop Dogg as a third grade teacher and sang a Popeye's commercial as Barry White. He also did a funny riff on his Southern relatives mispronouncing Spanish words.

The same lineup performs in the same location tonight at 8 p.m. Promoter Marquis Greer hopes to bring new comedians out to the hotel once a month. For more information, visit www.modestocomedyfestival.com

- Bee arts and entertainment writer Lisa Millegan