Cy Amundson was poised to be one of the most talented stars to ever emerge from the Twin Cities comedy scene, a stand-up with Bill Burr’s anger and John Mulaney’s mastery of language. He was being courted by ESPN, MTV and Comedy Central.
And then came the crippling pain.
Amundson’s back problems date back to 2004, shortly after he moved to Minneapolis from his hometown of Worthington, Minn. At first, he wasn’t overly concerned. Those ailments run in the family. But by his early 30s, things got worse. Much worse.
“It would come and go. And then it wouldn’t go,“ Amundson said last Monday at Acme Comedy Co., where he’s performing this week, his first full slate of local shows in five years. ”It moved to my neck. Then my shoulders. One of my knees. It became this thing.“
By 2020, the comic had difficulty brushing his teeth. His wife, Jenna, had to dress him. His bad posture started to affect his once booming voice. Touring became out of the question.
“You get so miserable, it makes you not want to be alive,” he said.
Finally, after consulting with more than a dozen doctors, he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks tissues and organs.
After getting proper medication and moving to Cincinnati to be close to a world-class therapist, he started to feel better, well enough to plan for eight to 20 gigs this year. That’s a far cry from the 40-week schedule most top comics book, but it’s a step in the right direction.