After several months and a multi-million dollar construction project, Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena will welcome the first of many entertainers to amuse the masses in Midtown on April 5: Daniel Lawrence Whitney. If that name doesn’t send buyers to the box office in droves, it’s probably because Whitney is more recognizable when inhabiting the persona of his alter ego, Larry the Cable Guy.
“Larry” has found fame through a raw brand of redneck humor that has cemented his place in blue collar comedy. One of his most famous jokes includes, “I’m happier than a tornado in a trailer park,” which he used in his role as a gap-toothed pickup for Disney/Pixar’s Cars.
Being the first act to sell tickets at Chaifetz Arena might seem a challenge, but if one of Larry’s many catchphrases is any indication, he can “Git-R-Done.” Attempts to contact Larry’s management to find out exactly what “R” means in this context were unsuccessful.
Jeff Fowler, vice president of University marketing and communications, said that he is excited for the “extremely popular” comedian to usher in this new era for the University, adding that Larry the Cable Guy’s performance will set the stage for the diverse talents that will utilize the venue in the coming months.
Larry the Cable Guy was booked through Global Spectrum, an organization that will work with SLU to manage the arena. General Manager Darius Dunn described the upcoming year as an “inaugural-season celebration” that would bring musicians, comedians and various other acts that will appeal to several different demographics.
Students who wince at the idea of shelling out the ticket price of $42.75 to see the latest in trucker hat and overall fashion need not worry. Fowler said that several future events spearheaded by the University-funded Student Activities Board and directed specifically toward the student body, and students’ smaller wallets, are “in the works” and could take place as soon as the last weekend in April.
Aside from student entertainment, arena management will continue to book acts geared toward the entire city, in order to pay the construction debt. “Chaifetz Arena was not paid for by students’ tuition,” Fowler said. “It needs to generate revenue” by attracting and booking talent through Global Spectrum.
Andrew Bush, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, was less than impressed by the arena’s opening act. “It would take a lot more than Larry the Cable Guy to get me to go to the first event at the Chaifetz Arena.”
It is the comedian’s style that bothered Bush. “To me, he’s really gimmicky and kind of childish. I wouldn’t enjoy it,” he said. Bush said that higher profile acts and lower admission prices would do more to draw him to the 10,600-seat arena.
