{"product_id":"home-club-up-and-comers-and-comebacks-at-acme-comedy-company-9781681343167","title":"Home Club: Up-And-Comers and Comebacks at Acme Comedy Company","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA story of hard-won successes, staggering failures, and unlikely redemption, \u003ci\u003eHome Club\u003c\/i\u003e shows how a soft-spoken Chinese immigrant and his small Minneapolis club changed comedy and kept the lights on.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore the sold-out crowds, world-famous performers, and national prestige, Acme Comedy Company was in trouble. Too much debt and too few customers. A product no one wanted in an economy where everyone struggled. Then it all changed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHome Club\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of Acme and its owner, Louis Lee, who came from China to Minnesota as a teenager and worked his way from busboy to club owner--only to watch it all come crashing down. Acme Comedy Company was his chance to redeem himself, and he spent years hustling, negotiating, and sometimes cutting corners just to keep it afloat. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, Acme is one of the most iconic comedy venues in Minnesota, and one of the most respected in the country. It launched the careers of some of Minnesota's biggest comedians, including Mitch Hedberg, Maria Bamford, and Nick Swardson. But it also courted controversy by unapologetically booking comics who weren't always considered \"safe.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHome Club\u003c\/i\u003e is about failure and redemption, the tension between art and business, and the incredible story of how a soft-spoken Chinese immigrant and his 300-seat club in a Minneapolis basement became a home for a new generation of comics and fans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-13712471\"\u003ePatrick Strait\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Minnesota Historical Society Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.35h x 5.43w x 0.87d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781681343167\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1681343169\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HUM\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HUM021000\"\u003eTopic | Regional \u0026amp; Cultural\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-BIO\"\u003eBiography \u0026amp; Autobiography\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-BIO005000\"\u003eEntertainment \u0026amp; Performing Arts\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-PER\"\u003ePerforming Arts\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-PER015000\"\u003eComedy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePatrick Strait has been a comedy-beat reporter for \u003ci\u003eCity Pages\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Growler\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThrillist\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eFunny Thing about Minnesota . . .: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Twin Cities Comedy Scene\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Minneapolis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Minnesota Historical Society Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48460289442029,"sku":"9781681343167","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/files\/img_8ea4b46d-4efd-4e4a-8d23-a2cc31daefdf.jpg?v=1753662921","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/home-club-up-and-comers-and-comebacks-at-acme-comedy-company-9781681343167","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}