by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | February 27th, 2019
Stand-up comedy is traditionally a one-way exchange. Outside of the odd question addressed to a random audience member, the limit of the spectators’ contribution to the conversation is their laughter at the comedy stylings being broadcast in their direction. A talented comedian, however, can seem conversational even within the traditional confines of the stand-up genre.
Take Tom Papa, for example. With an impish grin on his face and a mischievous lilt in his voice, Papa regales…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | February 20th, 2019
The first exposure I had to Maria Bamford’s work was on Adult Swim’s comedy sketch show “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job”. She was informing the audience about how to properly remove cat hair from their clothes with a lint roller before collapsing into an emotional breakdown about her feelings of inadequacy.
“It turns out I’m very skilled at fake emotional breakdowns,” Bamford said. She has a timid voice, is high-strung, yet bubbling with kindness.
In a career…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 17th, 2018
Those who have been reading my articles for a while may remember when I interviewed Zachary Tooker about the Level Two Comedy Club at the Radisson in Fargo. While the club may have unfortunately closed, Tooker has not ceased booking comedic talent for the city of Fargo. His latest contribution is bringing a personal favorite comedian of his to the Cellar at Front Street Taproom, Eddie Pepitone.
Pepitone is not only one of Tooker’s personal favorites, but a “cult favorite” as…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | September 5th, 2018
In the approximately three years I’ve been writing for the High Plains Reader it seems I’ve always circled back to comedian Adam Quesnell. First, I wrote about his farewell show before he set out from Fargo and the comedy scene that he had a hand in creating to Minneapolis. Later on, I wrote about his live recording of his second album, “Despair II: Social Justice Warlord”. And now, I find myself writing about him again as he prepares for an upcoming show at the Cellar in the…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | August 29th, 2018
Not only does the Fargo-Moorhead area have a vibrant music scene, but a burgeoning comedy scene as well. I have had the pleasure of providing coverage for some exciting moments in the Fargo comedy world in the last few years and made some new friends along the way. One of the longer running developments in the Fargo comedy scene is the so-called “Forty Below Comedy Show,” recently I had the privilege of interviewing three of the people involved: Nathan Fulsebakke, Joe…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | January 31st, 2018
Fargo has its share of people who are passionate about stand-up comedy, even if the success of clubs devoted to it has been mixed. Despite the fact we have seen places like Courtney’s Comedy Club and Level 2 Comedy Club close their doors, our comedy scene keeps going. And that, among other reasons, is why people like LA-based comedian Grant Lyon keep returning to our frozen little corner of the U.S.
“I like Fargo,” said Lyon, who will be headlining a show at the Aquarium. “It’s…
by Sabrina Hornung | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | April 12th, 2017
“I don’t have a tour, like, on the back of a sweatshirt,” comedian Paula Poundstone says. “I go out every weekend. This weekend I went out Friday, Saturday and Monday. Mostly it’s Friday/Saturday or Thursday through Friday and Saturday and it goes for a lifetime. It’s not just for a month. It’s an ongoing tour.”
The routine may be tedious for some but for Poundstone it’s well worth the hustle and bustle. “It’s healing, both for me and for the audience. I think you…
by HPR Contributor | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 23rd, 2016
By Bill Lucas
You may wonder about the title. Whenever we hear someone’s opinion I think it is important to know a little about them. We all are offended by many things that are due to our experiences in life. We may be able to sympathize with others, but we cannot empathize with them if we have not walked in their shoes.
Comedy from one person or group towards another is found funny by some and not others. There was a time when Lenny Bruce was vilified because his comedy was filled…
by HPR Contributor | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 16th, 2016
By Ben Haugmo
benhaugmo@yahoo.com
The Spot Panini and Wine in Fergus Falls will be hosting Aimee Klein and her sketch comedy troupe for a night of outrageous laughs and zany fun this coming Saturday.
The driving force that made the show a reality are the characters Klein has invented. The personalities occupying her thoughts have over time become voices that demand to be heard on stage.
“As far as creating the sketch comedy show,” said Klein, “I guess you could say that the characters…
by John Showalter | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 2nd, 2016
I’m going to admit something. I’m a transplant in Fargo, North Dakota, originally from Iowa. I didn’t really know what to expect when I moved here.
Something that continues to surprise me about this city that most people only know from Coen Brothers movies is how much of a burgeoning comedy scene we have here. And perhaps the oldest members of that comedic community are the improvisational comedy troupe LineBenders.
At the very least they are the longest-running professional…
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by Rob Hannahistory@nd.govAs I write this, the beautiful Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site in Jamestown is only partially furnished. But this photo, taken by my one-time colleague Guinn Hinman, caused me to see the…
by Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comTwo teenagers rescued around 20 Koalas from the horrific bushfires in Australia, fitting them in their car.An anonymous donor pays off back taxes for several mobile home residents. Neighbors with…
Thursday, February 6, 6-8 pmFront Street Taproom, 614 Main Ave, FargoThe ND Hemp Association is committed to lending education and advocacy to propel the hemp economy for the state, serving as a medium of resources, news, advocacy…
by Gary Olsonolsong@moravian.eduOn New Year’s Day, I was sporadically listening to Sirius Radio Channel 5 as they did their annual countdown of top songs from the 1950s and cringing at my fading aural memories. This prompted me…
Our Great Leader of the Zombies Is Tilting at Windmills AgainA few days after he was impeached by the House, King Donald admitted to a group of young conservatives attending a Turning Point USA annual summit in Florida he never has…
To say that this year’s Bartenders Battle was the best display of talent in the six years since its creation would be an understatement and a disservice to not only the bartenders who made it into the competition, but also the…
I am a voracious reader of anything culinary and a subscriber to several culinary periodicals. I like to hang onto them as I find it hard to throw away these culinary nuggets of information with their adventures to distant lands. …
by Jill Finkelsonjsfinkelson99@gmail.comDeb Jenkins returns for a 23rd year of celebrating Fargo’s Women- and their music. The story is old news now, Deb tells me over the phone as I ask her- how did this start? 23 years ago, she…
The death on March 29, 2019 of Agnes Varda concluded a career perpetually in bloom. The legendary artist and filmmaker, unmistakable in later years under her wonderfully cartoonish yet delightfully chic two-tone coiffure, was 90…
“Surrealism permeates--there’s a legacy there with contemporary art where they’re still trying to capture or convey something that can’t quite be fully understood without the existence of that thing that you can’t fully…
by Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader spoke to Act Up Theatre board member Jackie Shaw, about the fundraiser "Kabaret for Kaleidoscope" at the TAK Music Venue.High Plains Reader: How did the idea for this show come…
Stand-up comedy is traditionally a one-way exchange. Outside of the odd question addressed to a random audience member, the limit of the spectators’ contribution to the conversation is their laughter at the comedy stylings being…
Perched along the banks of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers and tucked up into the surrounding hills, Pittsburgh’s 90 distinct neighborhoods are connected by more bridges than Venice. Commuters and travelers enjoy…
Every Thursday evening during the month of June, Mara Solberg is inviting people to come out and try Yoga on the Farm. It is a unique yoga experience that was born from an idea that was proposed to Solberg.“I’ve been with Red…
by HPR Contributor
by Devin Joubertdevinlillianjoubert@gmail.comIt’s that beautiful time of the year that’s filled with seasonal decorations, sparkly lights, warm family gatherings, and delicious feasts. I love everything about this time of the…
by Karen Andersonkartcone@gmail.comCongratulations to the Fargo School District for opening up a discussion regarding today’s students as covered in the January 7, Barry Amundson article “Social, emotional learning a forefront…
