GRAND RAPIDS — Minnesota comedian Mary Mack is headed north to inspire laughter in Grand Rapids and Bemidji this weekend, Feb. 24-26.
Mack, who describes herself as a hybrid of Minnesota and Wisconsin with a severe cheese dependency, has performed all over the country and on television, radio and podcasts as well as in animated programs on Fox and Hulu.
Mack joined the Area Voices program on KAXE Friday morning to discuss how she started in comedy, why the Northland provides so much fodder for her sets and her changing experiences as a woman over two decades in the industry.
“The fun part about a live show is you don't necessarily know what's gonna happen out in the crowd,” Mack said. “Somebody could drop a drink, a light could go out or you know. So it's all a part of live performing and you just have to be able to go with the flow.”
Mack took an uncommon road to the comic world. Her comfort with crowds came with performances with her Nashville-based polka band, when she told stories between songs.
"We were really bad because a lot of people weren't real familiar with polka music. Like, they hadn't grown up making 50 bucks at a Rotary gig, getting addicted to it," Mack said. "So I had to stall for time in between the songs, and I'd tell stories. So pretty soon people said, 'Well, we really like the stories better than the songs.
"So I thought, 'Wow, I can just do this. I can just talk. And I don't have to help carry the drum set or anything."
See Mack at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday at Rapids Brewing in Grand Rapids or at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Rail River Folk School in Bemidji. She will also perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Roso Theatre in Roseau. Joining Mack are special guests Danielle Thralow and Patrick DeGeest. A surprise guest will also take the stage in Bemidji.
Visit marymackcomedy.com for ticket information and to give Mack suggestions on where to find good food while she’s visiting the area, at her request.
“I always like getting the local suggestion for good places to eat,” she said.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
