‘I’m back’: Comedian Bill Engvall picks Minnesota for the start of his comeback tour

When Bill Engvall announced his retirement from stand-up comedy in 2022, he meant it. But after 42 years of churning out sitcoms, being part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and filling theaters on his own, a life of leisure just didn’t sit well with him.

That’s why Engvall is back on the road, starting Friday with a performance at Treasure Island casino.

The 68-year-old comic chatted this past Monday morning by Zoom from his home in Park City, Utah, about the decision to return, working with a young Jennifer Lawrence and how he managed to last so long on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Q: You look like you’re dressed for golf.

A: I’m playing today with my wife. The thing with golf is when you both suck, it’s fun. But when one of you starts getting better than the other, it’s not so much fun. So I’m trying to catch up with her. Now that I’m going back on the road, I’ll have to cut back a little bit on the golfing.

Q: Can we say the Treasure Island gig officially kicks off your comeback?

A: The short answer is yes, I’m back out. In hindsight, I should have just taken a break. I got burned out. But I missed that juice you get from an audience. You also create a lifestyle that’s got to be fed. Nobody’s coming to me saying we’ll take care of your bills. My celebrity recognition factor is way down. Used to be, I could walk into a restaurant and they’d say, “We’ve got a table for you. We’re going to take care of your dinner.” I’m not going to lie. That’s fun.

A: Within six months. At first, I was bound and determined to make it work. Then I caught myself watching “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” That’s when I knew it was time to get back on the road.

Q: Minnesota kicks off a schedule of about 20 to 25 shows a year. But you didn’t completely disappear from comedy since 2022. How many times have you been on stage since you taped your goodbye special (“Here’s Your Sign: It’s Finally Time: My Last Show,” streaming on various platforms)?

A: I’ve done a few. I had a blast a few weeks ago doing a comedy club in Salt Lake City, just to stretch out a bit. I told a friend that I was a little rusty and he said, “Well, it’s like riding a bike.” Yeah, but you got to remember if it’s the front brake or the back brake. You pick the wrong one, you’re going to go over the handlebars.

Q: How do you account for the success of the Blue Collar Tour (with Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy)?

A: It was one of those perfect storm things. We appealed to this faction of people all over the country, good ol’ Americans, from plumbers to doctors to authors. We were clean, which was a big deal for a lot of people.

A: I think we’ve become so jaded. I wanted a throwback sitcom where the kids weren’t smart alecks and the husband wasn’t a stupid idiot. But people even then wanted something a little edgier. You don’t find that out until afterwards.

Q: You still had a decent run. Plus, Jennifer Lawrence playing your daughter. Did you see her brilliance right away?

A: I think it may have been midway through the first season when I turned to the director and said, “We’re going to be writing a show pretty dang quick in which she goes off to college.” I don’t know what ”it" is, but she had it. When she was doing interviews for “Winter’s Bone,” she would thank me. I appreciated that.

Q: Was doing a sitcom always a goal?

A: My goal was just to be one of the best comedians out there. I knew other perks came with that. Sitcoms, albums, writing books. My friend said the only thing left is “Bill Engvall on Ice.” Nobody wants to see that.

A: Let me clarify something. My dancing is not what got me to the finals. The cameras would cut to the judges and they’d all have this look like, “Why is he still here?” What got me to the finals was realizing what the show was, that the audience voted. I played to them. It goes back to me being the neighbor, mowing the lawn. It’s important to me and my fans that, no matter where you see me, I’m the same guy.

Bill Engvall

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Treasure Island Resort & Casino, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Red Wing, Minn.