Brad Garrett is a TV legend that everyone recognizes from Everybody Loves Raymond, but he’s become an irreplaceable part of the Las Vegas comedy scene as well. His namesake comedy club at MGM Grand is an entertainment institution, and it has only become more vibrant and popular with its recent move to a bustling location along the resort’s District area leading to the Grand Garden Arena. Garrett himself is one of the most regular acts at the club (he plays May 12-17), and he’s also one of the biggest draws considering two new high-profile TV gigs.
You were recently honored by the UNLV College of Fine Arts with an induction into its hall of fame. Do you feel like that really strengthened your connection with Las Vegas?
That was very cool, and really nice of them, and a little unexpected for a guy who only did six weeks at UCLA. It’s really an honor. And it felt like it (strengthened that connection). I still can’t believe it; I started here in 1986 and it’s been a good run. I’m very grateful. It’s still my favorite town to perform and it’s been good to me.
Now that your club has really found a groove at its new location, what’s it like for you to return to perform there?
I never take it for granted. I always thought it would be great to be able to open a club and really showcase a lot of new talent, and that’s what we’ve been able to do. There are guys that started at the club 10 years ago and now they have Netflix specials or became regulars on (TV). My relationship with MGM started when they opened their doors in 1993, and it’s just great to be part of this institution in Vegas. And I love the business end of the club. I’ve always enjoyed that part, and since we’ve put in the lounge and started doing music on weekends and we have the MGM folks coming up with different types of unique cocktails, it’s just become a whole place offering much more than just stand-up.
And it remains a great place for the comedians, too, which it always has been at any location. Is the backstage vibe and atmosphere a lot different at this location?
I think it’s the vibe we’ve always had. I’ve always been very hands-on with the comedians and their reps, and we’ve all worked at so many dives coming up in our careers, we wanted to make sure this is a little oasis for a comic who just came back from working a club in Arkansas and now he can have a great room and access to different things in Vegas. But backstage is where the comics always have the most fun, always busting chops and trying to one-up each other. It’s key to the club working, along with—I know it sounds like a cliché—my team. I have a great group of folks … running everything in front of and behind the stage and keeping the comics happy and staying involved.
You have some really cool TV projects premiering this month. Can you tell us about them?
High Desert is coming out May 19 and I’m really looking forward to that, on which I worked with Patricia Arquette and Matt Dillon, and I just finished a role on Bupkis, which is Pete Davidson’s new show where he plays himself with Edie Falco as his mom and Joe Pesci as his grandfather. I played Pesci’s best friend, and it premieres on Peacock on May 4. It’s a really interesting show and Pete plays himself, in his present life, and it’s very autobiographical and very honest.
And in the middle of all those exciting arrivals, you get to come back and play on your own stage in Las Vegas.
I’m still living the stand-up life, all these years later, and it’s still different every night. Fortunately I’ve created four or five different ways to bomb, so it’s really exciting.
MGM Grand, 21+, bradgarrettcomedy.com
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