Brad Garrett – Evil Comedy Genius

Last night was the night I went to the new Brad Garrett Comedy Club at the Tropicana for my turn to review it. I can never be seen in public again. I’m sorting through a collection of wigs to pick out just the right one so I can do things like go to the grocery store, for instance. Yes, Brad Garrett got me good and did it in a packed house.

So, let’s start at the beginning. The show started with a pianist singing and playing some popular hits on the piano. The crowd joined in and sang along. At 8pm, Rob Sherwood took the stage and immediately had the audience in his grasp, toying with some, and taking the rest on a journey of hilarity.

I met Sherwood a couple weeks ago and talked with him while my friend and I waited for a show to start. Having never seen him perform, I was anxious to see him on stage. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Usually it takes a comic a little while to warm up to the audience. Not Sherwood. Bang, he was on stage and had everyone going. I will probably spend the rest of today wondering exactly how he accomplished that.

Sherwood was great and was worth the price of admission all by himself, but about 8:35pm, Brad Garrett came out and finished us off.

Again, there was an instant rapport with the audience. He had us all at “Hello,” talking above the microphone which Sherwood left at a height of about Brad Garrett’s belly button. He is a bit of an insult comic, so if you’re easily offended by non-politically correct humor, this show might not be for you. For me, there was only one joke that crossed my line, but the rest of it I found hysterically funny, as did the audience. He had most everyone roaring with laughter, except maybe an old guy in the front row. I couldn’t see the guy, but given what Garrett was saying, he wasn’t laughing. This just made him pick on him more and eventually ended with Garrett offering the guy some cash to go gamble. Of course, he didn’t get up and go.

Then it was one poor soul’s turn that had made the mistake of bringing in his backpack and a bigger mistake of sitting in the front row. He was grilled by Garrett incessantly because he was sure the guy was there to blow us all up.

The audience loved Garrett and laughed hard all throughout the show. Near the end the house lights went up and he took questions from the audience. I hadn’t prepared any questions. The ones I have for him need a different setting to be answered, so I was going to pass and handle those in an interview at some point. Then a guy asked him if he was going to be there on a continual basis. His answer was that he was going to start touring next week. So I thought I’d ask when he’d return to his new club. It was innocent enough, right?

Garrett asked if there were any more questions, so I put up my hand and he asked my name. I said, “Pam.” He looked at me and then he started. Oh boy, did he go. Apparently, now I know, in great detail I know, Brad Garrett thinks I have lesbian hair. He went on and on and on. I thought tears were going to come because I was laughing so hard. I was unable to crawl underneath the carpet to make an escape from what appeared to be an endless bit, so I had to do the next best thing. I had to get that joker back.

He finally let up after what seemed to me to be about six weeks later. He then asked me, “So, what do you do for a living?”

“I review shows,” I said. The crowd exploded with the loudest roar of laughter of the night, and I had thought it couldn’t get any louder. Garrett stood on stage sheepishly and mumbled something about how he was in trouble now! Suddenly, my hair now really works well, because I have such a pretty face that makes it all work. The audience was struggling to not fall out of their seats laughing as he feebly attempted to backtrack every nasty thing he said about my hair. He kissed up as best he could, and while I felt I had returned his favor and one upped his, I was laughing so hard, I just didn’t give a shit anymore about my hair.

The bit went on a bit longer with asking where I worked. My answer of “Vegas With Love” really didn’t help my situation any. Eventually he did get around to my question of when he’ll be back.

“Be Back? I’ll come back right now!” he said, as he started to very, very slowly work his way off the stage, around chairs and headed right towards me with an evil smile upon his face. Nooooo! Oh, my, God, is there no escape hatch under my chair?! I am SO not the person who likes to have all eyes on me in a crowd, and God only knows what this guy might do. He got close but showed some mercy and let me off the hook when he was almost to my seat.

Back on stage, Garrett said he would be back to the club about once a month. Thank you for answering my question.

The show ended after another quick question from someone in the audience. While I was walking back to my bloggermobile, I overheard a guy say that it was the best show he’s ever seen. Another audience member commented to me she felt Brad Garrett was clearly a highly intelligent, quick witted and a brilliant guy. I have to agree. As comedy shows go, these two guys are good, really good. I’m really glad I got to see Brad Garrett and Rob Sherwood perform together.

Now, what do you think? Should I go with the long, brunette wig or the strawberry blond one? Nobody will ever recognize me in the brunette. Maybe I’ll go with that.

Garrett and Sherwood will be performing tonight at 8pm and 10pm and have another 8pm show tomorrow night. Then others will take the stage with shows nightly.

Upcoming headliners at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club:
July 5 – 11: Bob Zany, Jay Malone,
July 12 – 18 Rondell Sheridan, Jennifer Kober,
July 19 – 25:Don Barnhart, Jeff Capri,
July 26 – Aug. 1: Butch Bradley, Ken Garr,
Aug. 2 – 8: Tom Cotter,
Aug. 9- 15: Brad Zimmerman, Vargus Mason,
Aug. 16 – 22: Rob Sherwood, Tim O’Rourke,
Aug. 23 – 25, 29: Mike Saccone, Kathleen Dunbar,
Aug. 26 – 28: Dom Irrera, Mike Saccone,
Aug. 30 – Sept. 5: Ralph Harris, Jimmy Burns,
Oct. 4 – 10: Rocky LaPorte, Dec. 17 – 18: Kevin Nealon, Kivi Rogers.
Brad Garrett will be back formally in September, but will also make surprise appearances about once a month.

Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club
Admission starts at $39
Show time: 8pm nightly, extra Friday & Saturday show 10pm
Tropicana Las Vegas
702-739-2417