Amateur Entertainment: Twin Cities Open Mic Scene

As the weather gets nicer and Minnesotans no longer need thermal underwear but need a very, very good idea for a date night, open mic stand up comedy shows should be at the top of the list. A true win-win arrangement, where you get a free evening of entertainment (if not a few moments of total awkwardness) and the comics get a live audience, their only litmus test if a joke has a chance or not. Below are a few favorites:

Donut Party!
Wearing all black and bright red lipstick, comedian Rana May, known for her deadpan delivery and make-believe statistics supported by charts and pie graphs, puts on Donut Party, a stand up open mic and showcase. Outrageously hilarious local stand up and sketch comedy star, Chris Knutson, also hosts this evening.
Showtime: Sundays 3-4:30pm
Venue: Grumpy’s Downtown

The Monday Night Comedy Show
Hosted by professional emcee, Andrew Brynildson, this open mic is a great place for comedy wannabes to get on stage. A warm, encouraging crowd helps comics bear their new, rough draft material.
Showtime: Mondays 8pm
Venue:Club Underground at the Spring Street Tavern – NE Minneapolis

The Joke Joint
Lillydale is known for two things: being just south of downtown St. Paul and the Joke Joint. One of the Twin Cities best comedy clubs with regular shows featuring nationally touring headliners, Wednesdays are reserved for professional and amateur comics. Come at 5:30 to participate in the comedy workshop, where comics try rough, undeveloped material and fellow comics pitch their critiques.
Showtime: Wednesdays 8pm
Venue:Joke Joint Comedy Club – St. Paul (Lilydale)

The Comedy Corner Underground
As underground as they come, this hipster, intimate open mic meets in the basement of a bar. A popular forum for the “comic’s comic,” comics are truly uncensored. With no club owner to impress and at times no audience members either (the show goes on if there are two or more in the crowd), comedians are free to test their limits.
Showtime: Fridays 10pm
Venue:The Comedy Corner Underground (Basement of The Corner Bar) – Minneapolis

Free date night! Why aren’t you doing this yet?

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This article was made possible in part with support from the Howard B. & Ruth F. Brin Jewish Arts Endowment, a fund of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s Foundation, and Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council, an initiative of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation.

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