Pauly Shore doesn’t want your impression of “The Weasel” getting in the way of enjoying him now. He’s no longer the California stoner with wild hair. Shore, 37, is grown up and he’s coming to Sacramento State.

Shore, who will be joined by comedians Marc Hatchell and Steve Simeone from his TBS show “Minding the Store,” will perform his stand-up act at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the University Union Ballroom.

“I think the whole Weasel thing was an awesome, unbelievable thing that I pulled off,” Shore said in a telephone interview. “It wasn’t a character, it was kind of who I was.”

Shore initially broke out with his four-year run on the MTV show “Totally Pauly.” He is best known for his goofy characters in the ’90s films “Encino Man,” “Son in Law,” “In the Army Now,” “Jury Duty” and “Bio-Dome.”

While all five films managed to make a combined $150 million at the box office, Shore’s career struggled to move on. In his stand-up act he said he talks what it’s like being pigeonholed in Hollywood.

“Some people get out of it and some people don’t,” Shore said. “Where I’m at right now, obviously, I’m still trying to prove to myself and to the business that there’s more to me than that.”

One of those efforts is the sitcom-reality show “Minding the Store.” On the show, Mitzi Shore hands over the reins to The Comedy Store to her son. The family business has featured some of the biggest names in show business early in their careers, including Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and Jay Leno. Now it’s Shore’s turn to return the 33-year-old Sunset Strip comedy club to prominence.

“My mom is a hardcore Jewish business-lady, stuck in her ways, and me, I’m trying to change things and trying to bring money into the environment, trying to bring a new energy in an older place,” Shore said.

The initial response to the 10-episode first season has been met with a mixed response. It hasn’t tanked, but it hasn’t been the overnight success he was hoping for either.

In January, he’ll know whether the show, filmed between February and June, is picked up for a second season. Right now, it’s wait and see.

“It was hard to grab an audience off of a network that has no original programming,” Shore said. “TBS is all re-runs. They’re trying to establish themselves with original programming. It wasn’t as easy as we all anticipated.

“You go into these projects and you go into this stuff with your open heart, and you’re open trying to do the best thing,” he said. “Show business is tough, man.”

In the here and now, Shore is focused on his stand-up career. It’s a process that he’s continuing to develop. He said he wants to reach the point where he has a solid, punchy hour of comedy.

“It’s almost like working out,” Shore said about fine-tuning on his act. “I know it sounds kind of corny. You just do it as much as you can, and you switch bits around, and you try new things. … When you get on the road, you’re able to think more clearer, not be absorbed with every day (stuff).”

He’s looking forward tonight’s performance. Sure, he’ll talk a little bit about the Weasel, but he’s also going to talk about his beef with President Bush, sex and relationships.

“I’ve been coming to Sacramento for a long time, and the vibe has always been very cool up there,” Shore said. “I’m just happy that I’m still doing it and I still enjoying it. That’s the main thing. I enjoy going on stage and I enjoy making people laugh.”

Tickets are $15 general and $10 for students, and are available through the Sacramento State Ticket Office at (916) 278- 4323 or www.tickets.com.

Nate Miller can be reached at [email protected].