Louis C.K. Held a Surprise Show To Help Out a Club in Need

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Earlier this week Louis C.K. announced he would be performing a surprise pop up show at Acme comedy club on Tuesday night, for only $25 a ticket with all proceeds going to benefit the club which has been dealing with some legal problems that could force the club to lose its home after 25 years.

Back in May, a concerned comedy fan from Minneapolis created a change.org petition to save Acme Comedy Company, bringing the club’s plight into the national spotlight. The club, located in the popular North Loop neighborhood of the St. Anthony’s Falls Historic District, is a staple of the neighborhood and a beloved destination for comedians from all over the country. The club’s livelihood, however, is being threatened by a development plan that would put a luxury apartment building in the neighborhood, eliminating 130 parking spots and drastically effecting the club and other local businesses.

“I have owned and operated Acme Comedy for nearly 25 years. I love the substantial growth that I have seen in the North Loop and welcome new neighbors openly, but the bottom line is this proposed apartment complex will drive my guests away,” said Acme owner Louis Lee in a news release. “The people who want to see comedy and see shows at Acme Comedy Co. here will no longer come because the parking situation will be a nightmare.”

The petition got a lot of attention at first, garnering over 3,700 signatures within the first 72 hours. Since then, however, it’s only pulled in another 2,200 signees and is still 1,600 signatures away from its goal of 7,500. While fans and comics alike have expressed their support for the Acme, the club is still in hot water.

https://twitter.com/tomsegura/status/734860258338734081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In an effort to help out Acme, comedian Louis C.K. arranged a surprise show at the venue on Tuesday night. The show, which took place at 10 p.m., was a last minute arrangement by C.K. that immediately followed his sold-out performance at Minneapolis’ Target Center. At $25 a person, the tickets flew from the box office before most people even knew the event was happening. The show sold out almost instantly, and C.K. promised to donate all of the proceeds from the night directly back to the club. C.K.’s generosity here is awesome, and also not particularly surprising, as he’s given glowing reviews of Acme and Lee in the past.

While this show didn’t solve Acme’s problems outright, it certainly helped to bring the club’s plight back into the public eye and put a little much-needed money in the club’s pocket. Here’s hoping that fans and comics will be reinvigorated and come together to save this historic establishment before it’s forced to shut its doors and relocate entirely.

If you’d like to sign the petition to keep Acme Comedy Company in the North Loop, click here.

[H/T] Bring Me The News 

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler
Bill Tressler
Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.