Dusty Slay
A deadpan Southern comic who turns hourly wage work into slow-burn mythology.
2 specials · 2024–2025
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Dusty Slay performs in a trucker hat, oversized glasses, and a flannel shirt, delivering his jokes in a smooth, unhurried baritone. He speaks with an upbeat deadpan—a strange combination where he sounds perfectly pleasant but rarely breaks his flat affect. He paces the stage slowly, letting his setups hang in the air and refusing to rush a punchline. Between bits, he drops his catchphrase, “we’re having a good time,” accompanied by a little wave that functions like a period at the end of a joke.
Specials
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A slow-drawling hour of working-class observations and pesticide sales stories.
Netflix · 69 min
On stage
He sits at the center of the Southern comedy revival, playing to a massive audience that wants working-class standup without the grievance politics. Slay is a regular at the Grand Ole Opry and a fixture on the Nateland podcast, booking theaters full of people who want comedy that feels like a porch conversation but lands with professional timing.
His material draws directly on his past working as a pesticide salesman and waiting tables. The bits work because he refuses to ask for pity. He talks about growing up on Lot 8 of an Alabama mobile home park with genuine affection, treating being broke as a source of strange details rather than a heavy burden. He hides tight writing behind a casual delivery. If the act has a ceiling, it is that his deliberate pacing and repeated catchphrase can feel a bit mechanical over a full hour. The trade-off is a steady rhythm that keeps a room entirely at ease.
Slay cut his teeth in the Charleston comedy scene before settling in Nashville, where his country-music-adjacent aesthetic found its permanent home.
Turning points
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Grand Ole Opry Debut
At age 36, Slay became the youngest comedian to ever perform standup at Nashville's legendary Grand Ole Opry stage, becoming a recurring regular.
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Premiere of First Hour-Long Netflix Special
Filmed at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, Slay's hour-long special Workin' Man premiered on Netflix and sustained a top-20 viewership placement.
At a glance
- Born
- , Opelika, Alabama
- On stage
- since 2008
- Style
- observational, storytelling, blue collar
- Breakout
- Workin' Man
- Influences
- Jeff Foxworthy
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Website, Wikipedia
Fans also like
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Nate BargatzeSlay and Bargatze share a relaxed, grounded Southern observational style and built deep creative chemistry as co-hosts of The Nateland Podcast.
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Brian Bates
Bates shares a collaborative rapport and clean-leaning working-class comedic dynamic with Slay across multiple podcast ventures.
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Jeff FoxworthyFoxworthy serves as a direct cited inspiration for Slay's accessible, working-class Southern observational comedy.
Podcasts
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We're Having A Good Time · co-host
Dusty Slay and his wife Hannah share personal stories, discuss comedy advice, and talk about the Bible.
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The Nateland Podcast · co-host
A comedic discussion podcast hosted by Nate Bargatze alongside regular co-hosts Brian Bates, Aaron Weber, and Dusty Slay.
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Public Figures · co-host
Weekly comedy podcast where Brian Bates, Aaron Weber, and Dusty Slay delve into diverse everyday and historical topics.
A clip to start with
Working After Your Two Weeks’ Notice Is a Sweet Gig - Dusty Slay - Stand-Up Featuring