"Sean of the South LIVE" - A Review

A delightfully entertaining and laugh out loud funny show, "Sean of the South LIVE", played to a full house at the historic Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday, September 21st,2024. Similar in style to Lewis Grizzard, Jeff Foxworthy, and Rick Bragg; Sean of the South is the stage name of the columnist, novelist, and country musician, Sean Paul Dietrich - a

Southern writer who was born in Missouri during the third quarter of Coach Paul Bear Bryant's farewell Liberty Bowl.

Describing himself as Sean, who is from the South, and who does nothing but "run" his "mouth", the first half of "Sean of the South LIVE" centers around Sean of the South doing some stand up comedy while accompanying himself on the fiddle, the banjo, and the guitar. With the bulk of his humor focusing on his experiences growing up in a home in a small town with a staunch fundamentalist Baptist mother who, as he puts it, went to church every day of the year so they wouldn't have time to drink beer.

The second half of "Sean of the South LIVE" features Sean Dietrich with his "The Grand Old Optimists" band as they play tunes that they performed at the Grand Ole Opry. And Sean

continues displaying his multi-talented skills as he pulls out the accordion and sings songs ranging from Hank Williams Sr. to classic hymns and some Cajun tunes.

The author of several short story collections such as "Sean of the South: Whistling Dixie" and some novels such as "Stars of Alabama" and "Kinfolk", Sean of the South also writes a daily

blog that is read by an estimated 125,000 people and has a sizable podcast following. With some of his upcoming performances in November and December including collaborating with

"Three On A String", an Alabama based musical group featuring Bobby Horton.

At times it seems like Sean of the South, who is forty-one years of age, is too young to have had some of the experiences he relates such as the only show they could watch on television

besides a televangelist being watching The Lawrence Welk Show and being such a huge fan of the Hank Williams patriarch. However, since he grew up in a small town it lends credibility to his early childhood experiences hanging out with his cousin, who according to his mother, wasn't always the best influence on him. And with his unassuming and pleasant demeanor coupled with his very observant and descriptive narrative, it is easy to see why Sean of the South's commentary on life in the American South is so popular. With his show, "Sean of the South LIVE" making for a fabulous evening out.

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.