@North Bar emerges as a worthy venue for comedy

Located on an unassuming block of North Avenue just west of the Kennedy Expressway, @North Bar can be easily overlooked. Between its barely off-the-beaten-path locale and the Googlephobic name, it’s not surprising if you’re unfamiliar with this hidden gem, which regularly hosts shows from innovative and experimental touring stand-up comedians, like local headliner Jeff Scheen (September 29), Comedy Central’s Geoff Tate with Emma Arnold (October 15) and Junior Stopka of Last Comic Standing (October 17). 

Jim Weber, @North Bar’s manager, is a longtime comedy fan, with roots in the early 2000s Minneapolis rock scene, managing pyrotechnic-addled rockers Detroit, whose over-the-top stage shows and comedy-savvy fanbase helped land them spots playing alongside then up-and-coming comedians like Sarah Silverman, Todd Barry and Nick Swardson. Weber was an early champion of commingling DIY-leaning bands and comedians, regularly booking a mix of both at a variety of venues, from rock clubs to warehouse spaces. 

His cred as a savvy comedy fan is undeniable: He was a regular from 1993 to 2007 at Minneapolis’s Acme Comedy Club, known among comics and fans as one of the best clubs in the country. He also happened to attend summer camp as a child with twin comedy duo the Sklar Brothers, with whom he collaborated to book underground comedy shows at a variety of venues in Minneapolis. 

Since Weber became the manager of @North in 2013, the bar quickly developed a reputation among touring and local comedians alike as a welcoming, albeit nontraditional, venue.

In 2014, about nine months after they opened, @North Bar hosted a near-capacity show featuring the cultishly adored musical comedian Henry Phillips. “That’s when I knew we had something,”says Weber. “I started reaching out to a ton of comics after that.” A recent highlight came from Rochelle, Illinois native Daniel Van Kirk, who sold out the room with a multimedia blowout of a show, featuring videos, character sketches, and stand-up. “It fucking killed, man,” says Weber with a grin.

 “I see a ton of potential in @North,” says Dan Friesen, host and producer of the critically acclaimed showcase The Comedy Evening, which relocated to @North after its former home base, the Ace Bar, shut down. “Quality and legitimate supportiveness rarely intersect, and I think that’s what we’re seeing here. I’m really excited to see what happens as the bar’s reputation as a home for good comedy expands. It could really become something amazing.”