Bill Burr, dubbed “the undisputed heavyweight champ of rage-fueled humor” by Rolling Stone, will be bringing his signature stand-up performance back to Nashville. His third show at the Ryman Auditorium will be on April 20 and 21.
“I know that being a moron got me here,” Burr said, “so I’m going to effortlessly be the same guy.”
Burr started his stand-up career in 1992 and has been going strong ever since. Previously inspired by the styles of Eddie Murphy and George Carlin, the unrelenting effort of guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and the wise words of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Burr now draws perspective from parenthood as well.
However, becoming a father presented a new set of creative difficulties. While writing his new set, Burr faced writer’s block. After being so involved with raising his daughter, he realized that he was falling behind on current events.
“I was just like, ‘Why don’t I have any ideas?’ And then I thought, ‘Oh, I know why, it’s because I have a kid now, and rather than paying attention to political stuff and what’s going on in the world or even just sports, I’m watching like Vampirina and Muppet Babies,” Burr said. “I was too lost in being a dad there for a second so I had to poke my head out of the ground there and get a little caught up, which I did, and then the jokes came and I was able to do them through the eyes of someone who was also watching Vampirina.”
That’s not to say that Burr approaches the realm of dad jokes. He still spits out his controversial ringers.
“I actually find this time to be one of the most fun times I’ve ever had as a comedian because there is nothing more fun than having overly sensitive people come out to a comedy show,” Burr said.
Burr finds amusement in pushing the envelope on what he can say, especially in an environment where comedians can take so many creative liberties.
“There’s so many things that you can go up there and say that need to be said, and if that doesn’t work you can just act like an idiot,” Burr said.
Bill Burr, along with his two openers Paul Virzi and Dean Delray, will be “bringing that vibe to Nashville” in their Ryman shows. Burr is confident that each night will be a “wall-to-wall killer show” and looks forward to returning to Music City, where his last special Walk Your Way Out was filmed. Tickets can be bought here and start at about $70.
If you want to hear Bill Burr perform from the comfort of your dorm, four of his sets are available on Netflix, along with his animated series F is For Family, and his Monday Morning Podcast, which is released twice a week, can be found on iTunes.
Reporting and writing assistance by Avery Muir.