Valentine's Day weekend in MLPS

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on February 17th, 2009

We returned to the Joke Joint in Minneapolis (technically, Bloomington, MN) this past weekend to perform at the Joke Joint and we must say that proprietor Ken Reed has made some tremendous changes since the last time we were there 11 months ago.

It’s in the Ramada Mall of America (the Native American decor at that hotel is a spectacle to behold!), and recently, Reed persuaded the hotel management to move the performance space into a larger, adjacent rectangular space sunken three or four steps below the old space– and the difference is amazing. (Hotel management refers to the area as “Lower Totem!”)

We’ve had a great time at the club in the past, but this weekend was a joy– packed houses (Valentine’s Weekend Special Appearance By The Married Couple! See MLPS City Pages hit here.)– and the new stage, seating and lighting makes for a carefree standup experience for audience and comics alike. The crowds were thrilled. (There’s something about moving folks from a funky, irregularly-shaped, makeshift room into a box with perfect dimensions– it’s transformative and it makes the shows improve in ways that are hard to quantify.)

And the indigenous Minneapolis/Minnesota/regional acts are many and varied and dedicated. Reed takes great care in providing a friendly zone for the comics that are up-and-coming. And the Joint is also hospitable to comics that are established. The Sunday open mike was well-attended and the acts ranged from newbies to established features to established headliners.

Of course, it’s also a blast to wade into a market that has a higher-than-average SHECKYmagazine readership– we marinated in the SHECKY fandom (it doesn’t take all that much)– and we also sat in on the Sunday afternoon workshop.


The Male Half poses with visiting pro Isaac Witty (newly re-located to Los Angeles and in the Twin Cities for some private parties) on Sunday afternoon at the Joke Joint.
(Photo Credit: Ken Reed)

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