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@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 loc