Comedian Scott Thompson, better known as Carrot Top, is heading to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Friday, March 22 to deliver his trademark stand-up show, which is more of a full-blown performance that includes trunks full of props, music, videos, and more. He’s known for his quick tempo and hilarious current takes on pop culture, music, and headlines of the day in a continually evolving show.
Thompson literally burst onto the scene in the early 90s landing a spot on the TV talent show “Star Search,” and then really hit his stride after his debut performance on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” in 1992. He went on to perform numerous times on the iconic late-night show, and had the distinct honor of performing on Leno’s final episode in 2014.
Through the years, he continues to bring sidesplitting laughter to audiences at his long-running residency at The Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and regularly performs at various venues around the country to sold-out crowds.
And, despite some in the comedy world throwing shade his way through the years, people consistently sing his comedic praises on social media, often stating how brilliant and hilarious his shows are.
Here are 5 things we learned about Carrot Top during a recent chat with the comedian:
1 –Fellow comedian Gallagher and legendary entertainer Kenny Rogers were both inspirations to a young Thompson. When he was 12 years old, Thompson said his dad took him to see Gallagher who was performing at a Skate and Surf Expo in Melbourne Beach, FL.
“I had never seen anything like it,” Thompson said. “And then I saw him on ‘The Tonight Show,’ and I just knew I wanted to do that.”
His Dad, who was a NASA scientist, also took the pre-teen to see Kenny Rogers in concert which proved to be another pivotal lightbulb moment when Thompson realized that he wanted to perform and connect with people on a grand scale.
2 – The Joe Rogan Experience #1758 which aired in January 2022 was the first podcast Thompson was a guest on, and he was a bit nervous.
“I didn’t know him personally, only through us both being comics,” Thompson said. “I was wondering if he was going to be cool or come after me.”
He said he heard Rogan interview comic legend Gilbert Gottfried and his name came up and they both had great things to say about him so he decided to be a guest on the behemoth podcast, which opened the prop master to a wider fan base.
3 – His eclectic home was built with left over materials from Celine Dion’s compound.
“The developers that built Celine Dion’s house, also built my home,” he chuckled. “So, my home has some of the same tiles, beams and other fun things as her house. I just realized I never sing Celine Dion songs in my home!”
4 – Yes, he has a natural sunny disposition.
“As a comic, you kind of surround yourself with other funny people, so there’s no shortage of laughter,” he said. “So, yeah, I’m pretty jolly!”
5 – He is up on the latest slang with the help of his nephew.
“Someone came up to me and said I have ‘Nice drip,’ so I asked my nephew what that means and he explained it means my clothes have style,” Thompson said. “Rizz means charisma, I know these things.”
Fun Fact: When he first started touring, he only had two trunks full of props and a strobe light. As his popularity quickly grew, so did his production. Before he knew it, Thompson had a team touring the country in an 18-wheeler with 35 trunks full of props.
If you go:
Who: Carrot Top
When: Friday, March 22, 2024
Where: The Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs
Tickets: Start at $29; Free parking
Info: 800-827-2946 or www.FantasySpringsResort.com
