by Neil W. McCabe

A Texas transplant to Somerville hosted The Somerville News’ Friday Night Comedy show Aug. 6 at Union Square’s Toast.

When she took the mike, Erin Judge said she was sorry that she was obviously not the regular host, Baratunde, who is the August comic-in-residence at Harvard Square’s Comedy Studio.

Judge then made a pose similar to Baratunde’s in his publicity photo, which she said was taken at Sear’s Portrait Studio.

To kick the night off, Judge plumbed the cultural differences she experienced having grown up in Plano, Texas, going to school at Wellesley College and living in Somerville.

One of the differences between the Northeast and Texas is the approach to serious problems, she said. “In the Northeast, you throw money at problems. In Texas, we throw beauty queens.”

Then in a Southern pageant winner accent, Judge looked in at the audience. “This is Miss Plano, and I am concerned about our heroin problem.” Later, Miss Plano admitted that she admires how heroin addicts manage to keep their weight down.

Judge said she could not help notice that a DeBeers diamond commercial used the slogan: “Make a declaration of dependence.”

“Which is also Step Two for Alcoholic Anonymous,” she said.

The first comic up was Nate Johnson, who was a troupe member of the Walsh Brothers’ legendary Great and Secret comedy Show.

“Nate is adorable. I have done sketches with him and we have great chemistry,” Judge said. “His facial expressions and personality are priceless.”

Johnson told the audience that he and his girlfriend were into role-playing. Their favorite scenario involved police officers. “I play the rookie and she plays the seasoned veteran.”

It works out great, unless he makes a rookie mistake and ends up behind a desk doing paperwork, he said.

The next comic was Tom Dustin. “Dustin is dry, vulgar and hilarious,” Judge said.

Dustin began his set by revealing that he always resented stores named large men, like the Big and Tall store.

He always wanted to have a store named for someone like himself, he said. “Like the Short and Skinny and Suspiciously Feminine store.”

Large men always have great nicknames, he said. “Big Guy, the ubiquitous Tank and the tricky Tiny.”

Those monikers do not compare to his own nickname in high school: Pussy.

Dustin said he got some advice on women from his father. “Try to find a girl like your mother.”

“Now, I am looking for a chain smoking 50-year-old with false teeth, who refuses to have sex with my father,” he said.

The headliner for the night was Chris Tab.

“Chris Tab makes an audience love him no matter what,” Judge said.

Tab began by describing how things he accepted as normal in his childhood look different to him now as an adult. Like how his father drove the family’s station wagon as if he was in Nascar.

“Why was Winnie the Pooh walking around the woods with a shirt and no pants?” he asked. “Very disturbing.”

Tab, who is African-American, said old television shows would be different if there were black characters. For example, on “Gilligan’s Island” they would have episodes about why MaryAnn was pregnant again and where is Mr. Howell’s missing $10,000.

The next Somerville News’s Comedy Night at Union Square’s Toast is Aug. 27.