"Baskets" is best known in these parts as a comeback vehicle for Louie Anderson, one of Minnesota's favorite sons. But the FX comedy has also been a showcase for Martha Kelly who shines as a perpetually dazed insurance claims adjuster.
Kelly may be based in Austin, Texas, but she's become a draw in her co-star's home state and Tuesday she reiterated that Acme Comedy Co. is her favorite club in the nation. Perhaps that's why the stand-up felt comfortable dedicating much of her act to brand-new material, relying heavily on notes as she riffed on everything from emotional-support pets to the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" films.
Those who come out to clubs to see polished, road-tested acts may cringe at watching a comic using the audience as guinea pigs -- and there were certainly moments that didn't quite work. But seeing someone take material out for a test drive can be a treat for omedy aficionados who enjoy seeing how the sausage is made.
Tuesday's special guest, Emily Galati, also relied heavily on new jokes, including a killer bit she wrote earlier in the day that mused on why Lee Harvey Oswald took refuge in a porn theatre after shooting John F. Kennedy. Galati also did a bit that ripped on Louis C.K., which was particularly brazen considering that "Baskets" was co-created by the disgraced comic.
Galati won't be joining Kelly for the rest of her week-long stint at Acme, but the "Last Comic Standing" vet did say after the show that she has just moved from New York to Minneapolis. Keep an eye out for her.
