SLO Comedy Festival will return to the Performing Arts Center (PAC) with its “Best of the Fest” show on Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Harold Miossi Hall.
The show features the best performers from the entire four-day event, as chosen by audience members from Saturday’s show, according to the PAC’s website. The lineup will be announced at 4 p.m. on the day of the show.
The SLO Comedy Festival runs Feb. 22 – 25 with 40 comedians from around the country performing at 10 venues in Arroyo Grande, Avila Beach, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
Industrial engineering senior Mat Salud is one of the 40 comedians performing.
“I submitted a five-minute tape of a show I did last summer and fortunately, it was good enough to get me in,” Salud said. “I’ve been on the festival’s local showcase for the past two years but this is the first time being officially selected as part of the ‘Funny 40’ doing multiple shows throughout the weekend.”
Salud began his comedy journey in 2013, but it did not always come naturally.
“I’d bomb a set and, knowing my material was bad, I wouldn’t do another one until like a month or two later after coming up with new jokes that would also bomb,” he said. “It’s not until I transferred to Cal Poly that I accidentally stumbled upon SLO’s incredibly vibrant stand-up scene that I made it a point to try and get up on stage every night that I can.”
While Salud is currently working towards finishing his degree in industrial engineering, he ultimately hopes to pursue comedy.
“I just want a day job that’ll finance me doing stand-up in the evenings; I don’t care what that is anymore. Stand-up is my life, I do it because I need to, and if I can make a career out of it, so much the better,” Salud said.
While he never considered himself as an extravert, comedy allows him to break free.
“On stage, I finally get to take a break from being the wallflower I usually am outwardly, but it’s also the occasion for me to show off what’s going on in my internal world without restraint,” Salud said. “On stage in front of perfect strangers, for some reason or other, I feel home.”
The show will consist of seven acts performing 12-minute sets. View the full list of comedians on their website.
Theater arts junior Casey Reichenthal heard about the show through her major.
“As a theater major, I am really excited to go to the show,” Reichenthal said. “There is definitely a lot of overlap between comedy and theater. A lot of the same skills are required for both professions.”
While Reichenthal focuses her talents on musicals and plays put on by the theater department, she said she is still excited to show support for the festival.
“I don’t know a whole lot about comedy. But it is a great learning experience to see other people perform,” she said, “It is also a great opportunity to make connections with people who share the same interests. The more connections you make, the more successful you will be in this field.”
The show is recommended for ages 18 and up. Tickets can be purchased on the PAC website for $39.