Here's Your Sign: Engvall Performs Tonight

The past couple of years have been full of highlights for comedian Bill Engvall.
Engvall’s friendship with Jeff Foxworthy led to the release of his debut album in May and a possible role on the Atlanta comedian’s sitcom in the fall. He performed with Foxworthy at the Grand Ole Opry and has met celebrities from Garth Brooks to Troy Aikman.
The Galveston, Texas, native is looking at tonight’s concert in the Dothan Civic Center as another key step in his career.
“I’ve been so blessed with my career,” Engvall said in a telephone interview this week. “Winning the award of best male stand-up in 1992 and doing ‘The Tonight Show’ with Johnny (Carson) were big moments. One of the biggest was when Jeff and I played the Grand Ole Opry. When I was standing on the circle in the middle of the stage where they brought the original stage from Ryman (Auditorium), I said this was one of the biggest moments in my life.
“Another great moment is coming up in Dothan, Ala., when I do my first solo stand-up. I’m so glad it’s in the South.”
The concert, which will be opened by Dothan band Silverado, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $12.50. For more information, call 793-0195.
His pal Foxworthy has the “You Might Be a Redneck” signature line; Engvall has his “Here’s Your Sign,” which also happens to be the name of his debut CD. And like the butt of Foxworthy’s jokes, you don’t want to be one of the unfortunate souls who receives one of Engvall’s signs.
“One of my pet peeves in life is that stupid people drive me crazy,” he said. “I understand mistakes, but it’s blatant stupidity that drives me up the wall, and I think these people should have signs that say, ‘I’m stupid.’
“For example, I went with a friend of mind fishing, and we had a string of bass hanging, and this guy comes over and asks, ‘Did you catch all these fish?’ I said, ‘No, we talked them into giving up.’
“Another time, we pulled into Las Vegas in a RV camp, and it’s 105 degrees at night, and the woman in the office asked if we would be using air-conditioning? ‘Nope, we want our skin to peel off layer-by-layer, so here’s your sign.’”
Other material you might expect to hear tonight will focus on what happens in families with children and with the spouse. There may be some mild language used, but Engvall said he tries to write his act so his own children (10 and 5 years of age) could watch the show.
Mostly, he wants the audience leaving thinking he had them pegged.
Foxworthy was the one who directed Warner Brothers to Engvall, and he is more than appreciative of his friend for helping his career along.
“Every night, I ask God to bless my family and Jeff Foxworthy,” he said. “He’s as excited about me starting my own concerts as I am. We want to get me to where he is, so I can tour with him. We can call it, ‘The Beer Out of My Nose’ tour.”