Funny Thing about Minnesota.: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Twin Cities Comedy Scene

Before the Twin Cities established themselves as a hotbed for stand-up comedy, producing some of the biggest names in comedy history, the local scene consisted of five guys in a basement bar doing their best to make people laugh.

The birth of Minnesota stand-up traces back to the 1970s and five people who paved the way: Scott Hansen, Louie Anderson, "Wild Bill" Bauer, Alex Cole, and Jeff Gerbino. The "original five" got their start performing in a Minneapolis dive bar called Mickey Finn's, and together they led the charge in establishing one of the most vital and vibrant comedy scenes in the country. They opened clubs and comedy stages across the Cities, brought the nation's top stand-up acts to town, and inspired future generations of ground-breaking comedians―from Lizz Winstead and Joel Hodgson to Mitch Hedberg, Fancy Ray McCloney, and Maria Bamford. But like any artistic passion that rises quickly to become a mainstream phenomenon, the comedy scene eventually was fractured by bloated egos and an influx of money and drugs―until a second wave, led by the nationally renowned Acme Comedy Club, helped bring comedy back to the forefront in Minnesota.

Decades later, the impact of these early comedy pioneers lives on through television, movies, clubs, and countless stand-up acts who followed their path. The way they carved that path―well, it's actually a pretty funny story.

Patrick Strait moved to Minneapolis in 2007, and a year later he began writing for City Pages, where he was (at that time) the only writer regularly covering local comedy, including profiles about up-and-coming comedians, unique events, major club shows, and start-up open-mic nights. He has served as the regular comedy-beat reporter for City Pages, The Growler, and Thrillist, writing more than fifty stories a year about all aspects of stand-up comedy in the Twin Cities. Beyond the major clubs (Acme, House of Comedy, Joke Joint), he covers trends such as the growth of and breakthrough of Black and other comedians of color, an increased focus on diversity, and the cooperative nature of the local comedy scene that has helped it to continue to grow and thrive. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two children.