Fan, Danny Woomer meets with the comedians during the “wellRED Comedy Tour: From Dixie with Love” show on Oct. 29, 2018. Pictured left to right: Drew Morgan, Danny Woomer, Corey Forrester, Trae Crowder and D.J. Lewis. Photo by Tyler Davis.
Comedians Trae Crowder, Corey Forrester, Drew Morgan and D.J. Lewis entertained WCU students and Jackson County residents with personal stories.
Around 400 WCU students and community crowded into Bardo Arts Center to see the stand-up comedians on Oct. 29. Crowder, Forrester, Morgan and Lewis regaled the crowd with raunchy anecdotes and jokes dealing with topics like family, dating, liberal politics and the Southern identity.
As part of the wellRED Comedy Tour, the comedians have made appearances across North Carolina in Durham, Wilmington and Spindale before stopping at Western Carolina University.
Trae Crowder achieved national fame with his “Liberal Redneck” series of viral videos, where he talks about liberal politics from a Southern point of view. Crowder, Forrester and Morgan also wrote a book named “Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta the Dark,” released in 2016. Lewis, fellow comedian and friend of the trio, is joining them on the tour.
WCU student Danny Woomer, 19, enjoyed the comedy routine and partly identified with it.
“I was a liberal in a conservative area growing up. The routine was a breath of fresh air. It was great having an example of how wrong I am about how many people I can relate to.”
Another attendee shared a similar experience.
“I’m a born and raised North Carolina redneck liberal… my mom is marching in Hendersonville right now trying to get people to vote. This is what I am, this is who I am,” Franklin resident, Angela Cole, 52, said.
According to event organizer Stephanie Rowell, the wellRED comedy show was a DegreePlus event for cultural responsiveness. Their hope was that “everyone is able to learn more about the notion of ‘the South’ and the intricacies and nuances of being Southern… and of course we want everyone to have a good time, laugh a lot and get in the spirit for Homecoming 2018.”
