The day after his first comedy special “Get to Know Me” drops on BET Plus, comedian and “America’s Got Talent” finalist Preacher Lawson is bringing his energetic brand of standup to Santa Barbara. On November 22, Mr. Lawson’s Get to Know Me Tour will stop at the Lobero Theatre for a gig that will afford the Santa Barbara community an opportunity to see the 28-year-old comic trying out a new set, consisting of material not seen in the special.
In an interview with the News-Press, Mr. Lawson said he will retire the jokes featured in “Get to Know Me” once the special premiers, just like he did with the jokes he used when performing on “America’s Got Talent” in 2017. Though now the most comfortable he’s ever been when performing on stage, the removal of an hour’s worth of material from his repertoire will add pressure on him to rely on jokes that have not yet been broadcasted and come up with new material. Because of this, he added that audiences can expect some “freestyle” comedy moments from his upcoming set.
Mr. Lawson started his standup career at the age of seventeen, just two weeks before his eighteenth birthday. Known for his high-energy performances, Mr. Lawson said his comedic style didn’t come about through any conscious effort or calculated tinkering, but instead through simply doing what made him feel comfortable on stage. That sense of comfort has only increased throughout his decade of doing standup comedy, and hit something of a zenith when he became a headlining act.
“I don’t think you figure out who you are as a comedian until you’re a headliner,” he said.
Accolades Mr. Lawson has achieved for his comedy include getting crowned as “Funniest Comedian in Floria” in 2015, and winning the Seattle International Comedy Competition in 2016. In 2017, the same year he appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” Mr. Lawson made his TV debut on “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Even when not performing a televised set, Mr. Lawson works completely clean. When asked if not using profanity at all restrains him or makes it harder to tell jokes, Mr. Lawson said it doesn’t because it takes no effort from him to avoid cursing. The comedian credited his mother for this, and recalls only two times she ever used profanity, once when he was eight years old and again when he was eighteen. He’s still waiting for that third time.
“It’s weird for me to go onstage and cuss because I don’t cuss offstage,” he said.
Come 2020, Mr. Lawson said his plan for the year is to “be happy,” which entails going after goals he has set for himself,. These include acting on a sitcom, hosting a show, and appearing in movies. Rather than setting goals with time deadlines, he prefers having long-term goals that can roll over from one year to another, working toward them, and letting everything else take care of itself.
“I’m just going to work toward my goal and everything will fall into place,” he said.Tickets for Preacher Lawson’s November 22 performance can be purchased online at www.lobero.org. The show will begin at 8:00 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre, located at 33 E Canon Perdido St.
