Brent Butt is visiting Lethbridge this month for two separate events, which in Canadian terms is a “two-fer.”
Not only will the creator of Corner Gas, stand-up performer, screenwriter and author be awarded a University of Lethbridge honourary degree, but he’ll also headline a comedy show fundraiser Sunday in support of the student food security program, Food For Thought.
Butt joins acclaimed writer David Robertson, former ULethbridge Chancellor Charlie Weaselhead, conductor Kirk Muspratt and community advocates Bernadine and Toby Boulet as distinguished honourees.
In terms of how Butt was even considered for an honourary degree is anyone’s guess. But he believes his name was floated forth by some people that know him and are familiar with his work. “To my surprise, I got a call saying everybody was on board.”
“In relation to a body of work the Board seems to think benefits people, so I’ll take it,” he jokes. “From a career of being a greasy nightclub comedian to being in the TV game, it’s not something I ever expected to happen, that’s for sure.”
Though he no longer goes out on tour for long stretches at a time these days, Butt says he still does a number of shows every year.
When starting out on the comedy circuit, sometimes he’d go out on the road for a month at a time, but he doesn’t do that anymore. “I try not to be away from home. I try to do max five days. A lot of what I do is in and out like one and two-day runs and back home for a bit.”
Live-wise, Butt says fans can expect “a middle-aged guy talking and trying to be funny.”
“That’s the crux of it. That’s the meat and potatoes of the endeavour. One of the things I love about stand-up is I don’t know what I’m going to talk about. I know how I’m going to start, but the rest of the night is dictated by how the crowd is responding to what material and what paths are getting good response or what is sort of flat. You navigate your topics based on this one-sided dialogue you’re having with the crowd. I’ve been doing stand-up for 37 years. In my tickle trunk of material, I probably have seven hours of material. If I was able to remember it all,” Butt explains. “You pull from the grab bag based on how things are going. It’s what I still love about stand-up.”
As for fundraising events, Butt does a number of those each year, but he doesn’t really change what he does. “It’s just a matter of who is benefitting from the revenue brought in. In terms of what I do, I just do my stand-up whether it’s a hard ticket theatre show, a corporate event or a fundraising event – I just do my thing.”
“I want to put on the best show possible. If I start trying to tweak it, tailor it and massage it based on what it is, I’m going to get away from what it is that makes me half decent at what I do. I just focus on being funny, trying to do a strong show and everything else takes care of itself.”
Butt says he’s always been a fairly proud Canadian. “I’m not somebody who has been overly nationalistic, but I’m quick to throw on the jersey when we’re playing hockey against Russia, the United States or Sweden.”
“I always wanted to make my career here. I did a little foray in Los Angeles for about six months when I was in my twenties, but it never felt right, and it never felt authentic. I wanted to tell my stories here. I wanted to be on TV here. I wanted to do my live shows here.”
Corner Gas, Butt adds, built his dream, “which was to make a show in Canada that took place in Canada and didn’t hide that it was Canadian, but was shown around the world. Corner Gas has been seen in 60-plus countries. We shot it in Regina and just south of Regina in a town called Rouleau. That was always the goal.”
“That’s why my production company is called Sparrow Media because a sparrow is a bird that can survive without flying south. That’s always been my touchstone. Anytime I sign a cheque from my Sparrow Media account paying a bill to somebody, I see that sparrow and it reminds me of what the goal was and what I was able to make happen,” says Butt.
Currently, Butt is working on his second novel and is also writing the second episode of a new TV series he’s going to pitch. “If I’ve ultimately liked what I’ve written. I’ve written a pilot episode, and I like that. It’s a little bit of a departure. It’s a dark supernatural comedy.”
Butt says the response to his first novel Huge blew him away. “I really enjoyed the process of writing a novel after 25 years of writing nothing but scripts. Writing a novel is liberating in a way. It’s a lot of work, it’s a ton of work. You’re not as structured. There isn’t much of a format. A little more free running.”
With Sunday’s show, special guest Charlie Demers is one of Butt’s favourite stand-up comedians and a good friend. “A blast to work with and a blast to listen to. If you’ve never seen Charlie, make sure to come out and take note. He’s a great comic.”
The U of L will present Butt with an honourary Doctor of Laws at a ceremony May 30.
The comedy show fundraiser kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Yates Memorial Theatre. Tickets are available online through the City of Lethbridge Ticket Centre.
