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Tailgate Party

Larry the Cable Guy

Comedy Central · 2009 · 75 min

A stadium-sized Fourth of July gig in the heart of Nebraska.

Larry the Cable Guy scales his act up to college football proportions for a Fourth of July gig in his home state. Performing for over 50,000 fans at Lincoln, Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, he brings his trademark sleeveless flannel and rapid-fire rural complaints to a venue usually reserved for the Cornhuskers. The size of the crowd gives the performance an unusual echo, turning standard premises about the economy and family life into an unlikely arena spectacle. He leans right into his demographic, noting early on that the local Wal-Mart finally has a chance to restock its shelves since everyone in town is at the show.

Filmed in 2009, the performance was touted as one of the largest stand-up audiences ever recorded in North America. At the time, the comedian born Dan Whitney was riding a sustained wave of commercial success following the Blue Collar Comedy tours and multiple gold albums. The material sticks to the established playbook with bits on male enhancement, global warming, and a “hot dog whisperer”. It functions less as a tight theatrical hour and more as a large-scale festival event, cementing his status as a commercial force in late-2000s heartland comedy.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Switching from Dodge to Ford

    Announces he switched vehicle makes because Ford did not ask for government bailout money.

  2. Madder than... similes

    Uses a barrage of colorful comparison tags such as being 'madder than a two-finger cripple trying to return a text message' or 'madder than a piano player in a marching band.'

  3. Meeting Hillary Clinton

    Jokes about his personal encounter with Hillary Clinton.

  4. Drinking and fishing

    Jokes about drinking, fishing, and combining drinking with fishing.

  5. Husker Hat Encore

    Encore routine performed wearing a Nebraska Huskers hat.

How it plays

Tone
Country comedy, irreverent, broad, and punchline-driven.
On stage
Stereotypical redneck character with a pseudo-hillbilly Southern accent, relying on trademark catchphrases like 'Git-R-Done'.
About
tailgating, automobiles and trucks, prostate exams, male enhancement, global warming, marriage and relationships

What the critics said

Met with mixed to critical reviews; critics pointed out an overreliance on 'madder than...' similes and described the one-liners as mediocre and hit-or-miss, though fans responded enthusiastically to the familiar high-energy routine.

In the room: Massive, stadium-sized crowd of over 50,000 enthusiastic fans celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: amazon.com, en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org, imdb.com, allmusic.com, thecomicscomic.com, countrymusicpride.com.

Backstory

Filmed on the Fourth of July in his home state of Nebraska at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's football stadium, making him the first comedian to perform at Memorial Stadium.

Details

Released
Taped
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Runtime
75 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Ryan Polito
Honors
Reached #1 on U.S. Billboard Top Comedy AlbumsReached #19 on U.S. Billboard Top Country AlbumsReached #71 on U.S. Billboard 200
Topics
Before
Morning Constitutions (2007)
After
Remain Seated (2020)

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