by Steven Sanchez

The Latin Comedy Jam, featuring Willie Barcena and company, will be providing many laughs at the Tower Theatre in Fresno on Saturday, April 14. Rounding out the roster is Gilbert Esquivel and Johnny Sanchez.

“The city of Fresno can expect not only one but three headliners on this exciting night of comedy. All three headliners have unique styles that fit their hilarious personalities,” says Willie.

A veteran of comedy for twenty years, Willie Barcena holds the record for having the most appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno for any Latino comic with twelve. He served as the host for Sí-TV’s comedy showcase Latino Laugh Festival – The Show with an hour special on Comedy Central, Showtime, and one on Netflix titled The Truth Hurts. Gilbert Esquivel has made appearances on BET’s Comic View and ABC’s Laugh Out Loud while receiving praise from George Lopez referring to him as an elite Latino comic. A familiar face during his tenure on the last two seasons of FOX’s MADtv, Johnny Sanchez also provided voice work to the Oscar winning animated film Happy Feet.

All this experience, three headliners on one bill, will lend itself well to a night of hysterical laughter particularly since the comics already have a familiar liking to the Central Valley. “The audience there is very open minded, receptive, and always showing up with a great attitude and ready to party,” declares Willie.

They will be providing a Hispanic flavor to their jokes sounding off on topics such as politics, religion, race, family, and relationships. Relatable subjects to people from all walks of life. Willie informs that, “The comedians on the Latin Comedy Jam aren’t afraid to take the risk on stage and tend to thrive in challenging matters such as these. It’s all worth it when they get to tell an audience something clever, honest, and most of all funny!”

Especially with the way how the world is right now, comedy is a good reason to spend a night out and forget about the troubles taking place around the country. “Comedy is important now more than ever because the world is changing! When times change, the people tend to overreact. As comedians, their job is to have the audience reflect on the society they live in today and laugh at it,” instructs Willie. “They believe that if you’re able to understand it from a funny perspective, it’ll be easier to get through the hard times.”

The doors open at seven and the show starts at eight. You can purchase tickets through the Tower Theatre Fresno website or the box office during their open hours.

Steven Sanchez is a film graduate of UNLV. He’s a filmmaker, writer, photographer, and music manager. Obsessed with movies, comic books, and rock ‘n’ roll. A football fanatic, big fan of the Oakland Raiders. Enjoys reading and collecting vinyl records. If there’s a rock show in town more than likely he’ll be there. Loves his grandma’s home cooked meals. He has a twin sister and most people call him the pretty one. You can learn more about Steven on his YouTube channel and on Instagram @stevensanchez5807 photos and videos.