At 8:30 p.m. on the evening of July 25, locals lined up along Fern Street outside The Whistle Stop Bar. Inside, regulars sipped on their drinks at the counter. Some were already sitting in the foldable chairs that the staff placed in rows across a small stage in the main room. The lights were dim, softening the atmosphere with shades of red, which complement the bright orange painting of a train coming straight at the audience from the wall behind the stage.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, stand-up comedians Myles Magallanes and Daniel Delgado, both raised in Mira Mesa, chatted with fellow comic Jordan Coburn outside the venue. Coburn, a Normal Heights resident, sat on a stool next to the door and welcomed attendees, collecting $5 in exchange for a night of laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the best show in San Diego,\u201d a man told Coburn before stepping inside. \u201cWe come every month.\u201d<\/p>\n Riff City Comedy \u2014 a collective of comics and marketers that curate and host local performances \u2014 took over The Whistle Stop Bar in May 2017. Since then, the show brought together national headliners and local talent at the popular South Park hang-out on the last Wednesday of every month, drawing enthusiastic crowds to the bar each time.<\/p>\n Magallanes, Delgado and Beau Hufford are the minds behind the event. Magallanes and Delgado met in middle school and haven\u2019t parted ways since. During the years, the friends nourished their common passion of comedy, which flourished into the desire of stepping on stage.<\/p>\n Now, performing is something they never fail to do after dusk \u2014 around comedy clubs and bars in town, during open mics, or at shows \u2014 which eventually blossomed into an idea of producing their own show. But it wasn\u2019t until they met Beau Hufford that the concept of setting up a regular comedy show in Uptown became a reality.<\/p>\n \u201cBeau [Hufford] is the one who helped us translate what we had in mind into something,\u201d Magallanes said. \u201cHe\u2019s a very alpha person, and Daniel and I respond to that. He\u2019ll get us in line in a way that we cannot ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Hufford lives in Normal Heights, owns an art company and is a branding expert. He ran into the two young comedians while they were all working on local TV talk show \u201cTonight in San Diego,\u201d and their ambitions and aspirations were quickly shared.<\/p>\n When Hufford saw the duo tell jokes, he knew something bigger was going to happen, and decided to pitch The Whistle Stop as an idea for a show.<\/p>\n \u201cI met with Sam Chammas, the owner of Whistle Stop, and he told me they had tried comedy before, but they didn\u2019t really like it,\u201d Hufford said. \u201cHe said, \u2018Don\u2019t expect people to show up,\u2019 but I knew we were gonna pack the house that first month.\u201d<\/p>\n And the first time The Whistle Stop took a chance on the creative trio, comedian and actor Erik Griffin (known for his work in \u201cWorkaholics\u201d and \u201cBlunt Talks\u201d) headlined, delivering an exhilarating performance to a captivated audience. By the end of the night, Delgado said everyone left with a smile.<\/p>\n Now the shows sell an average of 200 tickets every month. According to the creators of the show, local comics, and the bar staff, several elements play into Riff City\u2019s success.<\/p>\n \u201cThe venue is so nonconventional,\u201d said Coburn, who performed for Riff City last year. \u201cIt\u2019s so colorful, and in a local neighborhood. It has a different, unique vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n Coburn said Magallanes and Delgado know how to mix-and-match local comics and out-of-town talent, with the ability to get names that \u201cestablished comedy clubs in San Diego don\u2019t even get.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Coburn, that\u2019s how they earned respect in the comedy community, and why many local performers want to be part of the event.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just see talent,\u201d Hufford added, referencing the two friends. \u201cAnd they just are brave enough to contact these people [comedians] and get them to come down. They are relentless.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous performers include headliners Brody Stevens, Jon Dore, Debra DiGiovanni, Jay Larson and Byron Bowers, as well as local comedians Dustin Nickerson, Zoltan Kaszas, Cameron Frost, Stephen J. Gaines and Tatiana Cwiklinski.<\/p>\n Back to July\u2019s show \u2014 Craig Oliver, main booker for the venue and bartender, stood at the sound booth 20 minutes after the crowds poured in. Oliver has been at The Whistle Stop for eight years. He noted consistency is key in assuring a stand-up show does well at the bar. In the past, comedians who ran stand-up comedy gigs often \u201cfound themselves too busy\u201d to make sure the quality of the acts would always be top-notch. This hasn\u2019t happened with Riff City, confirmed by the high turnout.<\/p>\n Ten minutes later, Delgado is pacing around the room. Both he and Magallanes are about to warm up the antsy crowd with a sketch that they wrote a few hours earlier. \u201cWe work well under pressure,\u201d Delgado said.<\/p>\n Delgado, who calls North Park home, confesses his nerves are always all over the place the night of the show.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s aged me prematurely,\u201d he jokes. \u201cEvery month, I feel like \u2018This is it. This is the month it\u2019s going to be awful.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n So far, however, so good. Folks are cheering. Comedians are ready. And just like that, it\u2019s show time.<\/p>\n South Parkers can catch Riff City every last Wednesday of the month at The Whistle Stop Bar, located at 2236 Fern St. The next show is at 8 p.m. on Aug. 29; tickets are $5 at the door. Visit bit.ly\/Riff-City<\/a> or whistlestopbar.com for details.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Crowd-Shot-1.jpg\")
(Photo by Javier Luna)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Hosts--e1533924752389.jpg\")