Etta May has performed on Oprah, Showtime and MTV as well as alongside Blue Collar Comedy icons in a CMT documentary series. Before she heads to Portugal, Gibraltar and spots all throughout the U.S. she will be at Park Theater Friday night headlining The Southern Fried Chicks’ top-grossing country comedy tour.
In addition to European tour dates coming up soon, May has performed in England, Belgium, Scotland and Australia, but when asked what kind of exciting or exotic location she prefers she blurted out “McMinnville” without a second thought. She has had comedy specials on CMT and appeared along with the Blue Collar Comedy tour boys in a documentary series on that network enshrining her as country comedy royalty - quite fitting for “The Reigning Queen of Southern Sass” as she’s been called.
May says she actually prefers small-town crowds. In a small town, as she says, there’s not much to do anyway so people are more likely to head downtown to “go see the lady in Polyester make us feel better about ourselves.” As for whether those in Belgium and other foreign locales even get the references, she points out that her spot at the Comedy Store had people falling out in laughter just at the sound of her voice and her accent. Meanwhile in New York, she was taken for a bag lady. As far as the reception in LA, the idea that they were just laughing at her accent may be her exercising humility because LA’s premiere entertainment magazine, Variety lauded how she “snatched the show from seasoned veterans” at the Comedy Store Reunion. Among those “seasoned veterans” at the special were legends like Robin Williams and Richard Pryor. As May pointed out, it could have been the Angelenos were bowled over from the accent alone, but don’t let the elastic waistband fool you, May is no slouch when it comes to comedy!
It’s not just Europe as far as far-off venues May has played. She says she has been asked to perform in places like Australia and Canada which have their own variety of country people. May also opines on the deep philosophical questions in life like the difference between being white trash or redneck. White trash folk, as she explains, differ from rednecks in that “rednecks have jobs and a truck. White trash have food stamps, a bus fare and chain smoke.” As far as performing for Aussie crowds, May notes it’s nice to perform for a crowd composed primarily of Scots-Irish prisoners as many country folks already appreciate the finer points of three hots and a cot on occasion.
Etta May, or “Minnie Pearl with a migraine” as she refers to herself, will be accompanied by The Southern Fried Chicks featuring Sonya White who has been featured on specials on HBO, Comedy Central and “Stand Up Nashville!” The show also features Mia Jackson, a recipient of the “Critic’s Choice, Best Stand-up” by Atlanta Magazine. She was voted “New Face to watch” by Just for laughs Comedy and has appeared on Comedy Central, NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” as well as HBO Max. Leslie Norris has previously appeared in a DryBar Special “Outstanding in Her Field” as well as The Tonight Show and TBN’s "Huckabee."
Jodi White has been featured on Nick at Night, “Mom’s Night Out,” “Stand Up Nashville Live” on the Circle Network and Ridiculousness on MTV.
Tickets for Friday night’s show are available for $30 and $45. You can buy tickets to this and other Park Theater events at https://www.mcminnvilleparktheater.com/tickets/.
