When Larry the Cable Guy and Blue Collar Comedy hit it big about 20 years ago, Larry the Cable Guy wasn’t popular, he became a phenomenon.
Out of nowhere, a Nebraska-based stand-up comic named Dan Whitney — a respected comedian on the circuit thanks to his clever redneck character with a thick accent and jokes that somehow make stereotypes hilarious — was a household name.
His phrases like “Git R’ Done” was not only on T-shirts and lunchboxes, he was arguably the funniest — and youngest — of the four Blue Collar Comedy troupe that also featured Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Ron White to the point that his stand-up albums sold hundreds of thousands of copies, he was tagged to star in a bunch of his own films including “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector” and “Delta Farce” and he was even the star of his own Comedy Central roast.
You really know you made it big when Disney/Pixar asks you to voice one of their main characters, which is exactly what Larry the Cable Guy did for “Cars,” its sequels, its videogames and animated specials as Tow Mater, a rusty blue tow truck who sounded exactly like the character Whitney made famous.
While things have calmed down a bit for Larry the Cable Guy, he’s still a huge star, and he brings his latest “Git-R-Done Tour” to Atlantic City 9 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the Tropicana Showroom with a brand-new set, a recent comedy special behind him and another “Cars” spinoff — “Cars” Lightning Racers” — set to debut on Disney+ and Disney Junior next year.
Larry the Cable Guy took the time to talk to me about his career, what to expect at the Tropicana and have some laughs together.
Yes, he’s as nice in real life as he seems to be on stage.
And that’s certainly part of his allure.
Our interview started with a popular clip about guessing a large woman’s weight at a county fair.
LARRY THE CABLE GUY: That’s a true story, by the way. That was at one of the fairs. It’s like the roller-coaster, you know. My kids always want to go on the roller-coaster, and I’m like, “I don’t know why anybody wants to go on a fair roller coaster. You know, they put that roller coaster up in an hour in the parking lot. It doesn’t seem to be too safe.” Well, I got on there, though, and it went upside down and everything, and I almost threw up. I got mad at the guy running it. I said, “You didn’t tell me that thing went upside down!” He’s like, “It’s not supposed to!”
How about a water park? You ever been to a water park? It’s like everybody at Walmart with bathing suits on.
SCOTT CRONICK: Great to talk to you, sir. You got the “Get-R-Done Tour” coming here, but on the ticket site it says “An Evening With Larry the Cable Guy.” It makes it sound like you’re going to come out with candles and an acoustic guitar or something.
LTCG: Well, we like to make it sound as classy as possible. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m two years shy of 40 years in the business … five of them actually successful. It’s been awesome. I like crowds. I’ve got great crowds. I’ve had good crowds from the time I’ve done it. They love to laugh, have a good time. I’m an old-school type. I’m still doing the same style: Just fast-paced, quick-hit, bada-boom one-liners. That’s my favorite stuff. I have a good time out there. I love making people laugh. I’m looking forward to coming back to Jersey.
SC: And Jersey’s been great for you. One thing you’ve always said is that when you started, you thought your comedy was going to be kind of niche, but it has spoken to everybody everywhere. Does that ever cease to amaze you, that no matter where you go, whether it’s Jersey or Nebraska or Los Angeles, that it’s relatable no matter where you are?
LTCG: Absolutely. I mean, there’s not one place that I don’t love going. I will say, when I first started doing it, I was definitely amazed at how the crowds were turning out up in New Hampshire and Connecticut and Maine and New Jersey. It’s like Foxworthy says, you get anywhere out of a major city, there’s rednecks everywhere. It’s just been great. I love my fans. I don’t know, I feel like a good connection with them. I’m a normal person just like anybody else. I just have an odd job. I love to go out and make people laugh. It’s a lot of fun.
Now, Jersey holds a special thing in my heart because Jersey is the only place where I performed — I always throw out my camo hat after the show — and Jersey’s the place I threw out a camo hat about 15, maybe 20 years ago and two guys went up to grab the hat, and one guy jerked it out of his hand, and my hook went right through his thumb.
He came backstage, he’s all excited. They brought him backstage because he’s on his way to the doctor. He’s like, “Hey, Larry, I caught your hook right through my thumb. And he showed his thumb. I’m like, “Holy mackerel! At least you’re excited about it.”
SC: Isn’t that crazy? When you reach a certain celebrity level, even when you damage or hurt someone, they’re still happy about it. When you think about that Blue Collar thing and how that hit so strong for you, and that whirlwind, was there a moment that made that thing become the wave that it did?
LTCG: Just the common name of comedians. We were four different type comedians, but we were good friends. We had a good time together.I think people could sense that. It was just one of those things. The timing was just right, and the ingredients of all four of us put together in a pot really just tasted good.I think that was pretty much it. We’re all still real good friends, but that was a heck of a thing. Boy, that’s something to always hang your hat on.The memories of that were so good. I think that was it, just the fact that we were all just pretty much regular folks and regular dudes. We mixed and matched really good in our acts.
Ron and Jeff and Bill were three different type storytellers that were great, hilarious niches in their own mind and in their own way. Then I came along with all my one-liners that tied everybody’s stories together. It was just a good mix.
Nobody tells a story better than Ron White. Bill Engvall told his stories really good in a completely different way than Ron. Then, of course, Jeff. He was the one that was the most famous. He’s like Garrison Keillor. He was the elder statesman. Everybody had something that they brought to the table. It was just fun.
SC: And you were the youngin’ in the bunch, right?
LTCG: Yeah, I’m the young kid in that bunch. Absolutely. I can’t even say I’m young anymore. I’m still the young kid in that bunch. I’m the son of Aunt Bea and Andy Griffith. That’s a kick in the shorts, isn’t it? What the heck is going on? I’m 10 years older than the Golden Girls. I’ll be honest. They were kind of hot.
SC: So, I heard Mater’s coming back. Is that true?
LTCG: (In Mater’s voice) Woo-hoo! We’re doing 60 brand-new episodes. We’re in the process of it now. We’re almost finished with them. I did some of mine a couple days ago. Disney Junior, I think they’re going to come out on. I love taping those. They’re hilarious. They could be played anywhere. They’re funny. Mater in these is hilarious. I can’t wait for people to see them.
SC: Is that the gift that keeps giving back? Also, not only that. I’m sure you have family or grandkids or whatever. That must be awesome, right?
LTCG: That’s the thing about it. My kids have kids. They’ll go out there to the theme park. They’ll hear me talking throughout the whole Cars Land theme park. It’s just a big blessing I got that. That was a lot of fun. I’m the only voiceover artist that actually put on weight to do the character.
SC: Larry, will this be a whole new set on this tour?
LTCG: Yeah, for the most part. There’s going to be a special release on Amazon. It’ll probably be about a third of what you saw on there, mixed with a third of new stuff. And then about a third of me going into the crowd.
SC: Does it get any easier?
LTCG: No. It’s hard, man. But it’s always fun. I constantly get my notes on my phone and any time I think of something funny, I pop it in there. I got tons and tons of stuff on there. I haven’t tried it out yet. Some are stinkers, some aren’t. Some, you just got to throw them out there and see what happens.
SC: When you think of your success and people some might forget you even had some big-screen theatrical releases, do you look back and think what an unbelievable time that was?
LTCG: Every day I pinch myself … every day. There was four of them movies. And then there was two more that went to DVD. That was “Tooth Fairy 2” and “Jingle All the Way 2,” where I took the place of Schwarzenegger.
SC: I didn’t even know that. Holy mackerel.
LTCG: Apparently, nobody else did either. You get that for $2. You know how a lot of DVDs put two in there and one of them will be an alternate ending. Well, in my last two movies, we actually put in an alternate movie.
SC: Thanks brother. See you soon.
LTCG: So, I promise you will laugh and we will Git-R-Done at the Trop!
Larry the Cable Guy will perform 9 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City. Tickets start at $69 and available at Ticketmaster.com and Tropicana.net.
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
