Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo

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.