LAUGHTER makes everything better, even the economy. What better way to get through the middle of the week than take in a comedy show. So I headed over to the San Jose Improv on Wednesday to check out Big Al's Big Ass Comedy Show.

The house was packed, and most of the comedians were really funny. The crowd was hyper from the two-drink minimum, and a few hecklers tried to get in a word, but they were quickly shot down. Overall, the patrons were laughing along with the comedians as they made fun of themselves and life in general. The most memorable part of the evening was a semistriptease performed by a very large man—I almost fell out of my chair.

Wednesday nights seem to be more for locals. Sure there is a headliner, but the earlier standups usually hail from around the valley and the Bay Area. There is also a good and rapid mix of comedic styles. If one comic bombs, the next one comes off like the next Jay Leno.

I talked to Butch Escobar, a comedian and bartender at the Caravan, who puts together Butch Escobar's Unfiltered Underground, also on selected Wednesdays at the Improv, and asked him why he does it. "I'm an attention person, I'm an attention whore. When you kill, it's exhilarating, It's better than sex."

The Improv

62 S. Second St., San Jose; 408.280.7475

The next Butch Escobar's Unfiltered Underground is on Wednesday, May 27, at 8pm. The next Big Al's Big Ass Comedy Show features Melinda Hill and takes place June 10 at 8pm.

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