Inside Nate Bargatzeâs whirlwind trip to Tuscaloosa between Chicago gigs
Comedian Nate Bargatze squeezed in a trip to Tuscaloosa between standup gigs last weekend, and he gave fans an inside look at how he pulled it off (including a police escort straight to the ESPN set) through his official YouTube channel.
On Friday night before the Alabama-LSU game, the Tennessee-born Bargatze performed at set at the Chicago Theatre before waking up and leaving the city around 7 a.m. in time to make the picks down south.
“We’re leaving Chicago for ‘College GameDay,’ Bargatze said while walking to a private plane. “You fly down to Tuscaloosa. I’ll do the ‘GameDay’ picks, and we will come right back. Land around 1 [p.m.], and then we have two shows tonight, 4 p.m. Chicago first show.”
READ: Who is Nate Bargatze, the ‘College GameDay’ celebrity picker for Alabama-LSU?
We then see Bargatze and his team flying on the plane before they’re in an SUV surrounded by cops while crossing the Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard bridge (with the Tuscaloosa water tower in the background of the backseat window).
“A giant police escort in Tuscaloosa just to go pick LSU,” Bargatze jokes, drawing a laugh in the car.
We see some footage of Bargatze outside the “GameDay” set, taking a photo with a young fan on the sidewalk of the Quad right across from Lloyd Hall on the University of Alabama campus. Despite his comment in the car, Bargatze picked the Crimson Tide, as did the rest of the ESPN panel.
But it was in and out, with the vlog quickly cutting back to Bargatze having a nap on the private plane heading back to Chicago for the pair of standup shows. “I got a couple of naps,” he tells the camera. “I feel good. It’ll be a long day, but you know, it’s fun. Who am I? Nobody. So let’s do it.” We then see him back on the Chicago Theatre stage thanking the crowd to end a busy weekend.
Watch Bargatze’s video recap here or above.
MORE: Alabama, LSU fans salute Pat McAfee, Livvy Dunne, Connor Stalions at ‘College GameDay’
And as his star continues to rise in the mainstream conversation, the popular standup comedian continues to draw flummoxed reactions from fans not yet familiar with his work.
Bargatze is one of the most popular standup comedians in the world right now. He’s also a clean comic, meaning his jokes and routines do not feature any profanity, making him extra appealing to comedy fans of all ages. You can see his specials on Amazon Prime and Netflix. He’s currently on tour of North America.
He is actually a Vanderbilt fan. He said in the announcement of his then-upcoming appearance, “I get to go represent Vanderbilt. Anchor down, baby.” Bargatze’s wife Laura is from Huntsville. The two married in 2006 and have one daughter. According to People, the two began dating while both working at an Applebee’s in Tennessee.
He’s appeared on “Conan,” “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,” but you’ve likely seen his standup work on Comedy Central or specials on various streaming services and social platforms. Bargatze also recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” during the show’s 49th season.
You can find him everywhere online including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. You can stream his most recent special “Nate Bargatze: Hello World” on Amazon’s Prime Video. You can stream two specials on Netflix, “The Tennessee Kid” and “The Greatest Average American.” He also appears in the Netflix standup comedy series “The Standups.”
Bargatze is currently on “The Be Funny Tour,” which will hit Southern states like Georgia and Tennessee in November and December. He’ll even make a stop at Legacy Arena in Birmingham on May 11, 2024. Learn more on the tour page of his official website.