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Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo

Brad Paisley, Nate Bargatze, John Heffron and 3 more

Netflix · 2017 · 63 min

A country superstar shares his stage with five working stand-ups.

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Country star Brad Paisley steps into the role of a variety show ringmaster, bringing a handful of his favorite stand-up comics onto the stage at Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville. Filmed during the 2017 Wild West Comedy Festival, the hour-long showcase operates under a simple premise: Paisley plays self-effacing host, trades a few barbs, sings some lighthearted parody tunes, and then hands the microphone over to a lineup of touring pros.\n\nThe stand-up slate includes Nate Bargatze, Mike E. Winfield, Sarah Tiana, John Heffron, and Jon Reep. Each comic gets around eight minutes to work the room, occasionally keeping Paisley on stage to act as their straight man. In the show’s best sequence, a deadpan Bargatze gently tears into Paisley, requesting his hit song “Letter To Me” before repeatedly interrupting the live performance to complain that it sounds nothing like the recording, only to finally admit he has never actually heard the song.\n\nWinfield also scores with a bit analyzing Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” calling the country star “gangsta” for writing a tune about choosing a fishing trip over his girlfriend. Paisley eventually steps back out to duet on the track. There are also brief, slightly random cameos from David Hasselhoff and Reba McEntire to round out the television-friendly packaging.\n\nCritics noted that while the hour plays things relatively safe, Paisley’s willingness to be the butt of the joke keeps the atmosphere friendly and unpretentious. The format succeeds largely because Paisley is comfortable sharing the spotlight with the people who actually do this for a living.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Director's Cut Song Rewrites

    Paisley sings altered 'unreleased' versions of his hits, turning 'She's Everything' into 'She's Almost Everything' and working Donald Trump's infamous quote into 'Celebrity'.

  2. Beauty and the Beast Controversy

    Paisley mocks anti-gay outrage over the live-action remake, remarking that a woman being with a beast is bestiality and joking that coming from West Virginia, he finds it normal.

  3. First Cousins

    Paisley performs a song parody joking about an illegal romantic backseat encounter with his first cousin.

  4. Dramatic Reading of 'I'm Gonna Miss Her'

    Mike E. Winfield breaks down Paisley's hit song about choosing fishing over a relationship, calling it 'straight gangsta' compared to real-life tough decisions like choosing between paying Netflix or buying lunch.

  5. Single Life in Her 30s

    Sarah Tiana contrasts her unmarried status with her married male peers, explaining that she cares more about eating cake than impressing dates, while also roasting Paisley's shirt.

  6. Hidden VHS Porn Tape

    Jon Reep recalls discovering his father's secret 1980s porn tape with his brother and getting the whistling theme song stuck in his head.

How it plays

Tone
Lighthearted, irreverent, and good-natured with low stakes.
On stage
Self-effacing, cheeky, and willing to be the butt of jokes while trading barbs with comedians.
About
country music, marriage and relationships, dating in one's 30s, pop culture, family and regional tropes

What the critics said

Critics viewed the special as a harmless, low-stakes hybrid of country music concert and comedy showcase where Paisley played it safe, noting that while it might not linger in memory, Paisley proved to be an amiable host willing to laugh at himself.

In the room: The first taping crowd initially seemed disgruntled when comics interrupted Paisley's music concert, requiring producers to brief the second audience on the format.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, billboard.com, vulture.com, decider.com, rollingstone.com, rottentomatoes.com.

Backstory

Filmed across two sets at Zanies in Nashville during the 2017 Wild West Comedy Festival, blending Paisley's musical humor with stand-up sets and guest appearances from David Hasselhoff and Reba McEntire.

Details

Lineup
Brad Paisley, Nate Bargatze, John Heffron, Sarah Tiana, Mike E. Winfield, Jon Reep
Released
Taped
Zanies Comedy Club, Nashville
Runtime
63 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Jay Chapman
Topics

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