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LAist Interview: Bobby Slayton, The Pitbull of Comedy
Listen to the interview here:
Bobby Slaytonis an icon, he's been doing stand-up for 30 years, everyone in the industry knows him, and generations of us have grown up on his comedy. At his live show the crowd gets warmed up with a video of practically every single well-known American comic, from Don Rickles to Robin Williams, giving props to Bobby. I've been listening and seeing Bobby Slayton perform for 25 years, listening to him on the SF radio station "The Quake" when I was a pre-teen and sneaking into the Punchline, the stomping grounds of Whoopi Goldberg, the Amazing Jonathan, Bob Saget, Ellen DeGeneres, etc. to see his act. When you're growing up the best thing you can hear is someone who sees bullshit and calls it what it is, and if there is someone who has always consistently done that, that person is Bobby Slayton.
You might not be a fan of stand-up but you've seen or heard Bobby Slayton as: the TV Show Host in Ed Wood (for you artsy fartsy Tim Burton fans), Leonard Cornfeathers in Family Guy, or in last year's Oscar winning blockbuster, Dreamgirls, as the comic in Miami. Slayton's performance in Dreamgirls was the only true and honest reference to the racism that existed in the early '60s in that entire movie which seemed to be more focused on the costumes and backstage antics than anything anything as real or inspirational as Bobby's performance.
Bobby Slayton doesn't pull any punches - he will go after any topic or anything his audience presents and he'll go after you if you give him an excuse to. He's a busy guy, booked solid 5 days a week in Vegas at the Night Owl Showroom in the Hooters Casino. Why Hooters? Because he can do anything and say anything he wants to there - and with him there you have a perfect excuse to go there for something in addition to their fantastic Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and other obvious delights.
Bobby Slayton has a new CD out, "Built for Destruction", but you can get to his catalog via bobbyslayton.com Also, it should be noted that he will be performing on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday of New Year's Eve Weekend at the Punchline in San Francisco, so if you are heading that way for the holidays, or if you know folks up there, I would check that out since he is in Vegas most of the time - the Punchline is a great club and a great place to see comedy up close.
Bobby is a Los Angeles denizen and commutes from LA to Vegas every week(!!) - we got to ask: what does he like about LA? We also got his take on what's going on with comedy today, and how crummy plagiarist comics deserve some kind of cosmic retribution; they may fill stadiums and have TV shows now but there's a special circle of hell reserved for them. For being a pitbull, Bobby was a very patient subject and was very cool to accept this interview. Check out his website for show dates and CDs and the next time you go to Vegas, and we know you go, checking out his show is a requirement.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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