You know the drawl. You know the words.
We say, "Git-R-Done"; you say, "Larry the Cable Guy."
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REDNECK HUMOR: Larry the
Cable Guy brings his particular
brand of redneck humor to the
Convocation Center April 19.
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Comic Dan Whitney — yes, Larry has a real name that's not Larry — has used his down-home sense of humor to make Larry the Cable Guy one of the most successful comic personas of this decade.
Larry, who'll perform at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center April 19, headlines a diverse collection of winter/spring events that includes comedy, music, competition and commerce.
Convocation Center Assistant Director Marcy Szabo strives to offer as wide a variety of options as possible, and the variety here can't get much wider. Across the span of two weeks in April, the Convocation Center will host both Larry the Cable Guy and the Tiara Girls Prom and Princess Show.
Whitney, who claims he was born in the back of an El Camino during a Foghat concert, grew up on a hog farm in rural Nebraska. In 1988, he left his job as a bellboy at the Ramada Inn to make a living making people laugh. He's happy to be called a redneck and has honed a common-sense brand of comedy that leaves room for neither racism nor political correctness.
A veteran of Evening at the Improv, Comic Strip Live and the "Bob and Tom Show" on radio, Larry's career took off when he joined Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour in 2003. His first CD, "Lord, I Apologize," came out in 2001 and stayed in the Top 20 for two consecutive years.
Here's a look at the Convocation Center's upcoming entertainment offerings:
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CHRISTIAN MUSIC: Casting
Crowns, along with Leeland and
John Waller, will perform
Christian music during a
concert in the Convocation
Center Feb. 15. |
Casting Crowns with Leeland and John Waller, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15: Led by youth minister Mark Hall, the Georgia-based Casting Crowns started out as a student worship band before catching the ear of Sawyer Brown lead singer Mark Miller. Miller was struck by the message and straightforwardness of Hall's lyrics. Through Miller's musical contacts, Casting Crowns became the flagship group of Provident Label Group's new Beach Street Records.
"I want to shake people up and help them see that Jesus is not a religion, and God is not a book," Hall told Christianmusic.com. "You can't pray to a book and you can't draw strength from an idea or standard. If there's no relationship with Jesus as a person to you, you're in trouble. It's about life, not religion. It's about relationships, not books."
Opening acts Leeland and John Waller both join Casting Crowns on The Altar and The Door tour, which started last fall and runs through May 19.
Leeland, a five-member progressive Christian group from Texas, draws on influences like Travis, Coldplay, David Gray and U2 in its latest album, "Opposite Way."
Waller, former front man for the group According to John, is one of the newest artists on the Beach Street Roster. A talented singer-songwriter, he's considered by many to be one of the best-kept secrets in Christian music.
Tickets are $18-$78. For more information, go to: www.castingcrowns.com, www.leelandonline.com , and www.johnwallermusic.com.
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STATE FINALS: The EMU Convocation
Center will serve as the venue for the
MHSAA girls' high school basketball state
championships March 6-8. |
MHSAA Girls Basketball, March 6-8: Catch the culminating games in the march to No. 1 when the best girls high school basketball teams in the state come to the Convocation Center for three intense days to compete for the state championship. Class C and D semifinals will be played March 6 at 1 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. Class A and B semifinals follow the same schedule March 7.
March 8 is a day of championships, with the Class D final at 10 a.m., Class A at noon, Class C at 4 p.m. and Class B at 6 p.m.
Semifinal pairings are:
Class C: Whitmore Lake regional winner vs. Battle Creek Central regional winner, 1 p.m.; Gaylord winner vs. Mt. Pleasant winner, 2:50 p.m.
Class D: Traverse City West winner vs. Negaunee/Sault Area winner, 6 p.m.; Lansing-Eastern winner vs. Rochester-Oakland Univ. winner, 7:50 p.m.
Class A: Lansing-Eastern winner vs. Oxford winner, 1 p.m.; Rochester-Oakland University winner vs. Ypsilanti-Lincoln winner, 2:50 p.m.
Class B: Houghton Lake winner vs. Jackson winner, 6 p.m.; Linden-Lake Fenton winner vs. Zeeland West winner, 7:50 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for two games, which includes parking.
For more information, go to http://www.mhsaa.com/sports/gbb/index.htm
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MR. ROBOTO: High school robotics teams from
the U.S. and Canada will compete in the FIRST
Robotics Great Lakes Regional at the Convocation
Center March 26-29. |
FIRST Robotics Great Lakes Regional, March 26-March 29: High school robotics teams from the U.S. and Canada compete for a chance to go to FIRST Robotics national championships in April. Pioneer, Huron Washtenaw Technical Middle College, Plymouth-Canton, Chelsea and Ypsilanti high schools all sent teams last year. Working with mentors in engineering fields, students design and build robots to complete a task. They then compete against other teams and the clock. Everyone builds their robots within a six-week timeframe using a common set of rules and a stock kit of parts. Teams also are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and ability to overcome obstacles. EMU has hosted the FIRST Great Lakes Regional since 1998.
Admission is free. For more information, go to http://www.greatlakesregional.com/
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PROM PREPARATION: Find
out what you need to
know to prepare for prom
and other teen highlight
events during the Tiara
Girls Prom and Princess
Show April 6 at the
Convocation Center. |
Tiara Girls Prom and Princess Show, April 6, 3-7 p.m.: This unique expo showcases a vast range of local vendors, covering every aspect of planning that prom, Sweet 16, Quinceanera or other special social events. Talk with hairstylists and makeup artists, fashion designers, photographers, party planners, DJs and more. For girls 14-19 and their parents, it's one-stop shopping, and a chance to take advantage of on-site discounts and specials. Games, prizes and spring break planning add to the festive atmosphere. To register, go to www.tiaragirls.org.
Larry the Cable Guy, April 19, 8 p.m.: Larry brings his unique brand of redneck humor to Ypsilanti as part of a four-month, 40-city tour. His latest movie, "Witless Protection," opens Feb. 22. The veteran of "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," and the voice of Mater in Disney/Pixar's "Cars," calls it by far the best work he's ever done. Other recent projects include the DVDs "Morning Constitutions" and "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road."
Tickets: are $43.75 and available at the EMU Ticket Office; call 487-2282; or go to www.emich.edu/convocation
For more information, go to
www.larrythecableguy.com
