Still ‘rocking it’: Carrot Top to perform Friday at Fantasy Springs
Carrot Top never imagined doing a residency in Las Vegas when he started his comedy career during the late 1980s. The city was built on lounge acts and performers such as Elvis Presley, The Rat Pack and Wayne Newton.
A run in Sin City for many performers during the ‘80s and ‘90s was a sign they’d basically peaked, but were nostalgic enough for a long-term run in one of the Strip’s many hotels. But things have changed in recent years as the city has attracted a broad international audience and become an entertainment capital. From U2 at the Sphere to Shania Twain at Planet Hollywood, there are hundreds of shows on any given night.
In 2024, Carrot Top (Scott Thompson) celebrated 18 years at the Luxor, and his residency was recently extended through 2030.
“I enjoy doing it, and people still come to see me. If one of those things stops happening, I’ll leave, but people are still coming and I’m rocking it,” Thompson said.
Carrot Top will perform on Friday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
Carrot Top’s comedy style works well for a residency
Comedians often perform the same jokes at each show for several months, but Carrot Top does prop comedy and uses objects to tell a story. Many of his jokes reflect the news cycle and celebrity culture, which becomes harder as news cycles and celebrity culture come and go at an increased pace.
This has become an advantage, and he seizes the opportunity to keep his shows fresh.
“People notice that and appreciate it. I’m current, whether it be the State of the Union address that just happened, and I already have jokes about it. The Super Bowl was also here (in Las Vegas).
There are things you can always keep fresh, and there’s the generic kind of observational humor I also work on a lot of the time,” Thompson said.
Even though Carrot Top doesn’t pick a side in national politics, he isn’t afraid to include jokes about both parties. He did what he described as a “horrible impression” of former president Donald Trump boasting about various things.
“Some guy (in the audience) wanted a beer and I said, ‘I’ll get you a beer if you want a beer.’ Then, (in his Trump impression) ‘You know, I made beer, there wasn’t beer before I made it, just cocktails,’” Thompson said.
‘I’m in my own little world’
As comedy has evolved over the past decade and comedians like Kevin Hart and Dave Chappelle have moved into bigger venues, Carrot Top said he’s in his “own little world” and doesn’t have time to look for new comedians. But he has appeared on many podcasts, including “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“I had more fun because I got to tell my life story and (Rogan) was loving it. He said ‘Many people want to know where this guy Carrot Top came from and how did this happen?’ Joe was very interested in all of it,” Thompson said. “I enjoy doing podcasts because the format is so different than what I’m normally used to doing on other shows. I just performed on the TV show “Live! With Kelly and Michael” and when you go in, it’s a different kind of thing.”
He will appear in the third season of ‘Hacks’
In addition to his residency extension and touring schedule, Carrot Top will appear in the third season of the HBO series “Hacks” premiering in May and had a role in the 2023 film “Don’t Suck.”
“There’s always things in the works, and we’re trying to do a comedy special. That’s what’s so fun about this job, I didn’t know I was going to get extended until recently. I just take my little journey and don’t try to overthink it. Maybe I’ll be in another movie next week or maybe I won’t, who knows?” Thompson said.
Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.