‘Liberal Redneck’ Trae Crowder to Bring Laughs to the Lobero in Santa Barbara

“I’m not an activist. I’m just a comedian,” clarifies Trae Crowder, his raspy, deep southern accent emphasizing his position.

Crowder performs under the stage name “Liberal Redneck,” which is very fitting considering that he is a microscopic blue dot in deep-red Tennessee.

“Everybody hears my accent and assumes I’m like a Bible-thumping ultra-conservative. But I’m not, and that’s because they only ever hear this accent saying that stuff. So, I started saying the opposite stuff in this accent to try to even the scales out.”

Crowder credits his father for his “black sheep” views in a Republican stronghold state.

“I was raised by a single father who was really into movies, music, art, and stuff. He was a godless, rock ’n’ roll, dope-smoking, jean-jacket-wearing type of guy. I’m just sort of the way that I was raised to be even though I grew up in a place where that’s not the norm,” Crowder shares.

His juxtaposing political views and his status as a self-proclaimed Southern California transplant are just some of the things that he derives his comedic material from.

“I was also kind of a fat dork as a kid, which meant I was funny,” he quipped.

Growing up in his father’s video store, Crowder’s Video, provoked Crowder’s childhood infatuation with movies. He grew up with dreams of writing and directing films, but as the movie industry became oversaturated, he turned his attention to comedy and television.

Crowder cites a pivotal moment in his life, when he watched Bigger & Blacker by Chris Rock on HBO with his father. But it wasn’t until age 24 that Crowder moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, and started performing open mic at a comedy club called Side Splitters.

Crowder gained traction and received feedback that his jokes were a hit. In 2016, Crowder quit his day job working for the U.S. Department of Energy after going viral for his Liberal Redneck “porch rant” videos.

Since then, he has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin’ Dixie Outta the Dark; appeared on multiple TV shows and podcasts; toured the country three times; developed and sold five scripted pilots; and sold out countless shows. Crowder currently co-hosts the hit podcasts WellRED, Weekly Skews, and Puttin’ On Airs.

Throughout his several cross-country tours, Crowder has yet to perform his comedy for a Santa Barbara audience. “I don’t really know what to expect. Maybe fancy people. People that like red wine and have little dogs. I’m really looking forward to it, though,” Crowder jokes.

Crowder now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. He says he’s grateful for the opportunities that career has afforded him, including meeting legends such as Mel Brooks and Morgan Freeman.

Despite all of the success during his career, Crowder’s favorite part of his job has remained simple. “My priority is to make people laugh and hope that they have a good time. I’m not trying to change the world.”

Those who plan on attending his Santa Barbara show can expect his material to range from heavier topics such as the state of American schools and recent political happenings to lighter topics such as being a dad, having a Southern accent, and a recent trip to the U.K.

Come witness the Southern charm and progressive twang from Trae Crowder himself at the Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St.) on Saturday, January 25, 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at lobero.org/events/trae-crowder/.