Stand-up comedy brings
big laughs west of the river

Patrick Strait
Contributor

It’s Friday night and a packed crowd is in stitches for comedian Maggie Faris.
This isn’t surprising. Faris is one of the funniest comedians in the Twin Cities, and the audience is hanging on her every word. What may be a surprise, however, is that the show is happening right in the heart of downtown St. Paul at Laugh Camp Comedy Club.

For years, St. Paul has been the best kept secret in Twin Cities comedy. From legends like Louie Anderson and Josh Blue – St. Paul natives who always made it a point to return to their hometown – to a new generation of comics, clubs and open mics, St. Paul has always had an amazing comedy scene, and it’s having a bigger resurgence than ever.
Bill Collins has owned Camp Bar on Robert Street for more than 15 years. Originally, the club focused mostly on drag and cabaret shows. But when Joke Joint Comedy Club, which had established itself as the A-club of St. Paul since 2007, closed shop five years ago, Collins decided to pick up the torch with the rebranded Laugh Camp.

“Stand-up always did well at the club, and it motivated us to start doing it full-time,” said Collins. “Now we have comedy fans who are regulars at the club. There are faces I see almost every week. Those people are golden to us.”

In addition to bringing in local favorites like Faris, Robert Baril, Jeff Pfoser and others, Laugh Camp has been bringing in national headliners every weekend, showing off the quality of comedy St. Paul locals can see in their own neighborhood.

“We’re investing in bringing in those headliners not to make money, but in hopes of drawing in new people and exposing them to the club,” said Collins.

Now, Laugh Camp is preparing for an expansion that will increase capacity and make way for even more marquee names to see what makes St. Paul great.

“Whenever the comics working the show say, ‘Thanks for supporting live comedy in downtown St. Paul,’ it always gets applause,” said Collins. “We’re not just thankful to have the audience; they’re thankful to have comedy in downtown St. Paul.”

Mid-week laughs
While Laugh Camp may be the premier destination for major league comedy in St. Paul, a new generation of comics are cutting their teeth at smaller shows popping up all over town. Every Wednesday, Elise Cole hosts a comedy open mic at Can Can Wonderland, appropriately called, “Yes I Can Can.”

“We’ve been doing the open mic for the past two years, and we started getting people right away,” said Cole. “The cool thing is that we have an audience. There are people who see the ads at Can Can and come out specifically to watch the comedy show, and every week the audience gets a little bit larger.”

Cole, who initially got her start in comedy after performing at the Moth Story Slam at Amsterdam Bar and Hall years ago, said she set out to create the open mic night at Can Can not just for audiences looking for mid-week laughs, but for aspiring comics working on their craft.

“I try to create an environment that is really supportive of people who want to try comedy for the first time,” she said. “If you have ever thought about trying stand-up, this is a place you should try it at. People who have never done comedy in their lives will get up and do three minutes, and it’s really fun to see.”

The show itself has become a destination for comics from all over the Twin Cities, attracting a blend of comedy newbies and seasoned pros.

“It’s really the only real open mic happening on a Wednesday, plus Can Can is so great and lets us give a drink ticket to anyone who signs up. So, it’s become a fun show, plus a great place for networking and hanging out with other comics. It’s just a good hang.”

Workshop of laughs
Another comedy hang happening on Wednesdays in St. Paul is over at Papa Legba’s Lounge, where comedian Julie Bane hosts a comedy workshop that is free and open to comics of all experiences.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to come work on jokes, or even just practice being in front of a microphone for the very first time,” said Bane.

Though she’s only been hosting the workshop at Papa Legba’s since this past summer, Bane is no stranger to teaching comedy in St. Paul. For seven years she ran the comedy workshop and open mic at Joke Joint, helping to develop a unique option for audiences and comics alike.

“Seeing comedy in St. Paul is different,” she said. “It’s more of a neighborhood feel. People come out just to see a comedy show, as opposed to coming to see a specific comic. Plus, you know you don’t have to worry about parking, it’s easier to drive to. It’s just a different atmosphere.”

Bane said she was excited when Papa Legba’s reached out about continuing the workshop she had been responsible for at Joke Joint years prior, because comedy has been such an important presence in St. Paul.

“There is definitely an audience that prefers the clubs in St. Paul over Minneapolis,” said Bane. “When Joke Joint closed I was sad because it’s where I spent so much of my time, and there were plenty of comics who were very loyal to that club.”

With her workshop, the weekly show at Can Can and the national talent coming through Laugh Camp, Bane said she feels St. Paul has returned to its previous comedy glory.

“There are a lot of great options popping up in St. Paul,” she said. “It’s great to give audiences more options. Some people wonder if it creates competition, but I think any chance for people to get out and see live comedy nearby is a great thing. It’s great for the comics, great for the audiences, and great for St. Paul.”

Patrick Strait is author of “Funny Thing About Minnesota,” from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. The book explores the history of stand-up comedy in Minnesota, from its origins in the 1970s through early 2000s. 

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