Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Leahy welcomed Chad Prather, a conservative comedian, and his upcoming show at the Franklin Marriott Friday, February 12.
Leahy: We are joined on the newsmaker line by comedian Chad Prather. Chad, welcome to The Tennessee Star Report.
Prather: Hey, good morning you guys.
Leahy: So you’ve got an event this week. A comedy concert this Friday in Franklin at the Franklin Marriott. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The performance begins at 7:00 p.m. Just got some breaking news. John Rich will have a special performance there. But last night I found out cancel culture is coming after you. I’m just going to read your tweet Chad.
And if you can comment. Cancel culture is trying to get me. They hacked the ticket server for my show in Franklin Tennessee this Friday. No worries there though. Just call 615-380-1650 and they’ll get it taken care of. See you this Friday. Chad, what happened there?
Prather: Well, it’s always a big mystery when things like that go down. But they do happen. It’s amazing to me via social media or through ticket links and vendors how those kinds of things happen. And then they’re bold enough to brag about it. We were shut down. I found out early this morning that the ticket link is now back up as of this morning, which is good.
And thank God for good people that work behind the scenes to make those things happen. But conservative voices and conservative comedy and conservative folks are just really being censored in a big big way. It’s really an attack. And so it’s not our first time to see that happened. And probably won’t be the last which to me tells me we’re doing something. We’re not bad folks. We’re just out there having fun. We have a conservative bent in the way, we see the world and see America. And unfortunately, right now that’s just not a good thing to be.
Leahy: Chad Prather you’re guilty of being funny and being conservative apparently. Will you be impeached? That’s the question. (Laughter)
Prather: Probably after the show.
Carmichael: Chad what is the website then since the ticket link is working. What is the website now? Well, what I tell people to do the easiest and quickest is go to Mime. Which is watchchad.com. It’ll direct you right there from the homepage. And so yeah, I’m happy that it’s back up. And you mentioned John Rich being there. And John, of course, another outspoken conservative voice. I’m trying to help that guy make it in the world. (Chuckles)
Leahy: That’s so kind of you Chad. You know, you are a gem. Why did they cancel you? You such a generous person?
Prather: I know and I really am humble too. If these guys that I’m really trying to help come along. But we’re going to have fun. The bottom line, they can’t stop the fun. It’s going to be a big crowd out there. I’ve got the word in my ear and a few whispers out there that other country music stars are going to be there and joining us and if they don’t perform they at least will be in the audience. So you never know who you’re going to see there in Franklin, which is kind of like going to the mall there in Franklin. You never know who you’re going to see.
Leahy: Well we’re excited Chad because this is the first time really in almost a year that we’ve been able to promote a live event. And what a great event. I mean, you’re a funny guy.
Prather: Well, I appreciate you saying that. I’ve been telling people that for years. And not only that, we have the very very funny who was voted 2020s Texas’s Funniest Comic Jesse Payton is going to be with us as well. So I’m telling you, if folks want to get out and have a good time at a super spreader event then they definitely need some join us Friday night in Franklin.
Leahy: Cancel culture is coming after you Chad!
Carmichael: So it’s the Marriott there at Carruthers and Cool Springs Boulevard in Franklin?
Leahy: That’s where it is. And for our listeners, that’s where typically the Williamson County GOP often meets there at that Marriott.
Carmichael: And Chad, pre-COVID, you toured the entire country with your comedy?
Prather: Yes. Well, I’ll tell you what we were fortunate enough to do even during coronavirus is we went from doing theaters to do in comedy clubs that identify as restaurants. So we were able to go into those. We still did about 20 states last year, which Typically, we’re in about 30. So it wasn’t off that much. And folks come out. They have a good time. They enjoy themselves. They take the masks off and they’re sitting at their tables and that way we can see them laugh. And I guarantee you they will be laughing.
Carmichael: Well, that’s that’s good. These are times when people need to need to take time out and get a good laugh.
Prather: Yeah, they do. And I spend most of my time crying anyway sucking my thumb humming Jesus Loves Me in a fetal position under my desk. (Laughter) Those are the times we live in. But no, getting out and being able to laugh and not only that but also around fun like-minded people that just celebrate free speech in America. And that’s a good time. This fellowship is a good time.
Leahy: You can also call 615-380-1650 to get the tickets. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. It’s Chad and Jesse telling funny jokes, like the ones you’re hearing right now and observations. And John Rich will be performing. So that’s pretty good.
Prather: We’re looking forward to it. Of course, people ask me all the time what’s my favorite city to visit, and of all of ours, and of course, heading into Nashville and certainly the Franklin area it’s a blast. I can’t wait. It’s one of our favorites.
Leahy: Well, of course. And we’re delighted to have you here. You’re from Texas, right?
Prather: 100 percent. That’s right. Well, I tell people I grew up in the state of Georgia had to get away from the family business of meth, and moved to Texas about 26 years ago. (Carmichael chuckles) I’m a country boy. I got a cousin that got arrested at a cockfight for selling chicken salad sandwiches without a food license.
Leahy: (Chuckles) That’s good. That’s clever.
Prather: You can’t get any more country than that.
Carmichael: A little preview.
Prather: I’ve been doing this for the last 20 years and it’s the center of the universe. And we bring some of that Texas humor with us.
Leahy: That’s funny stuff. I’m telling you I like that. Everything is so serious now Chad. It’s so serious and all of this virtue signaling from the left. Oh my goodness. Do you ever have conversations with people on the left? And if so, how do they respond to you?
Prather: Well, I do all the time. You know most of our conversations if you can keep it civil off of social media it’s great. Social media tends to be a vitriolic cesspool of self-flagellation torture. But one of the things that we found is that most people if you cut them, bleed their own version of red, white, and blue and have their own sense of patriotism. And ours just comes from a conservative bent. We want the government to leave us alone.
And I tell people I say one I’m not going to apologize for making jokes and using free speech And I don’t care who you are. I don’t care if you’re gay, straight, Black, White, fat, skinny, male, female, or identify somewhere in between. We’re going to make fun of everybody. And that’s the beauty of it. George Carlin and Lenny Bruce went to jail over this stuff.
And so the last bastion of free speech in America really is comedy and it’s under attack because we have these thin-skinned people who just get offended so easily. So we’re out there doing it. We’re unapologetic and it’s what we do and we have fun doing it. And folks know that we have a good heart and a big heart. And if they can appreciate that they can come to have some laughs with us.
Carmichael: What night is it again?
Leahy:Â This Friday.
Carmichael: Two days from today.
Prather: If we can kind of clean that whether up a little bit so we can get in there. That would be great.
Leahy: Yeah. It’s going to be a little cold here. I think Chad coming from Texas, it’s a little bit warmer down there. Texas in Tennessee, we have such a strong history working together. Of course, Sam Houston former governor of Tennessee went down to Texas and became a governor and senator from Texas. Davy Crockett didn’t have a lot of luck.
Carmichael: We wouldn’t name a city after him so he moved to Texas.
Leahy: What’s your take on the long-term relationship between Texas and Tennessee Chad?
Prather: I think there’s a lot of Kindred Spirits there. I’ve gotten a know, Marsha Blackburn, over the years and I think she’d make a great Texan herself. There’s a lot of similarities that are there. Nashville tends to be that blueberry in the chili so to speak in a very red state. We have our own blueberries with Houston and Dallas and San Antonio and Austin. But that’s okay. Overall we get along pretty well and I always tell people about the city’s is kind of like the ugly sisters in the family. we can make fun of them, but you can’t. I feel there’s a lot of similarities between the attitudes of Tennessee and Texas that get along really well.
Leahy: Last question for you Chad. What’s the bluest city you’ve ever visited performed in and how did they respond to your humor?
Prather: You know, the bluest city I’ve ever been in was Portland, Oregon.
Carmichael: They are pretty blue.
Prather: It’s a pretty blue city in Portland, Oregon. It’s amazing to me how people came to the show almost under the cover of night like Nicodemus going to visit with Jesus so they wouldn’t be seen. And so they showed up though and they couldn’t believe that they actually allowed us through the gates of into the gulag which is Portland, Oregon. So they had a lot of fun and they had a blast. The news articles and the entertainment section of the newspaper were interesting to read in regards to our show. But we still managed to pull some laughs out of there. And conservatives are everywhere. They really are.
Leahy: Chad Prather coming this Friday, two days from today at the Franklin Marriott.
Listen to the third hour here:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Chad Prather” by Chad Prather.Â
