‘Tater Salad’ comedian Ron White is back at Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Jan. 9
From a press release:
It was announced today that comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White, best known as the cigar-smoking, scotch-drinking funnyman from the “Blue Collar Comedy” phenomenon, returns to the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020 at 8 p.m.
Tickets, which are $39.75 and $49.75, plus fees, go on sale this Friday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. and will be available at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the Kirby Center (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m.
For $124.50, the “100 Proof” VIP experience includes a premium seat ticket, an autographed note from White, and an exclusive merchandise item. For $198.50, the “200 Proof” VIP experience includes a premium seat (typically in the first five rows), a photo and meet and greet with White that includes a Q&A, a VIP access pass personally signed by him, an autographed note, and an exclusive merchandise item.
Ron White rose to national fame on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, but with two Grammy nominations, a gold record, three of the top-rated one-hour TV specials in Comedy Central history, a book that appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, and CD and DVD sales of over 14 million units, he has established himself as a star in his own right. Over the past 15 years, White has been one of the top-grossing stand-up comedians on tour in the country.
White has always been a storyteller, relaying stories from the time he was a boy growing up in a small town in the middle of Texas oil country to selling windows for a living in Arlington to performing in sold-out theaters and arenas as a headlining comedian all across the country. For two decades, he lived the life of a struggling comedian, bouncing around to comedy clubs and driving to gigs in his beat-up Nissan pickup truck, to becoming a successful middle act club comic. He paid his dues.
Then, it happened. From January 2000 through March 2003, he performed with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy in the highly acclaimed Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a show that played to sold-out audiences in over 90 cities and grossed over $15 million dollars. Warner Bros. filmed the tour and “Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie” was released as a major motion picture in theaters in 2003, later premiering on Comedy Central as the highest rated movie in the channel’s history.
White’s first solo comedy CD, “Drunk In Public,” was released in November 2003, showcasing the insightful and hilarious comedian, who manages to be both razor-sharp and blunt. Also that year, his first one-hour comedy special, “They Call Me Tater Salad,” earned Comedy Central the highest rated Sunday in its history. The DVD/CD has sold over 2.5 million copies to date and has been certified multi-platinum.
His second one-hour special, “You Can’t Fix Stupid,” was filmed in 2006 at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas. The special aired on Comedy Central to 4.5 million viewers to make it the third largest audience in Comedy Central’s history and the No. 1 show in prime time on basic cable. The CD premiered at No. 14 on Billboard’s Top 200, ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Comedy Charts for nine consecutive weeks, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. White also received a second Grammy nomination that year for the CD “Blue Collar Comedy Tour – One for the Road.”
In June 2006, Penguin Books released “I Had the Right to Remain Silent…But I Didn’t Have the Ability,” debuting on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book perfectly sums up his life and his comedy and is filled with over 80 illustrations by acclaimed artist Mathew Shultz.
As an actor, White appeared in feature films “Sex and the City 2,” “Horrible Bosses” starring Jennfier Anniston and Kevin Spacey, and “Jayne Mansfield’s Car” with Billy Bob Thorton and Robert Duvall. Most recently, he was featured in music industry vet Cameron Crowe and renowned director JJ Abrams’ Showtime series “Roadies,” playing road-tested tour manager Phil in a critically praised performance.
White dishes out his signature brand of cynicism, riffing on sex, celebrity, and the sinister habits of wild geese, in his latest stand-up special, “If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up,” released on Netflix on Oct. 16, 2018.
Audience members at White’s shows might notice a change in the stage setup – while his cigar remains ever-present, he decided to forego his signature scotch drink in favor of a glass of tequila. In fact, he enjoyed the taste so much that he bought the company. Fans can purchase their very own bottle of Number Juan Tequila by visiting taterstequila.com.
Touring nearly nonstop since the Blue Collar days, the masterful storyteller shows no signs of slowing down with a number of 2019 tour dates beginning in January and extending well into the spring and early summer.
