Lizz Winstead's New Year's Eve shows in Minneapolis are always special. But her two appearances at the Parkway Theater this weekend also celebrate the fact that she started doing stand-up roughly 40 years ago at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop, the first step in a journey that would lead to co-creating "The Daily Show" and helping launch Air America Radio.
The anniversary was marked at Saturday's packed show with video messages from some of her famous friends, including Sarah Silverman, Margaret Cho, Lewis Black, Rosanne Cash, Michael Stipe, Rachel Maddow and Jon Hamm.
None appeared live onstage. But there was a surprise at the end of the two-hour set with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan delivering with a proclamation from Gov. Tim Walz. Flanagan got into the spirit of the evening with an obscenity-laced message to Adam Carolla, who Winstead had referred to earlier in the evening as a "living troll."
"I'm going to get in so much trouble," said Flanagan, who delivered her tribute with a veteran comic's timing.
Winstead, 62, shared behind-the-scene stories from the past four decades, from how a wardrobe malfunction while hosting a First Avenue contest led to finding to a boyfriend to how she managed to insult Donald Trump during an interview for "The Daily Show."
But the majority of the show was a year-in-the-review through the eyes of a die-hard liberal, which meant nonstop skewering of familiar targets like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Trump.
The jokes weren't that different from those you've already heard over and over again on late-night talk shows. Winstead's need to vent often took precedence over her desire to get laughs. These days, she spends more time running Abortion Access Front than working comedy clubs, which explains why she had to rely heavily on notes.
But the audience didn't seem to mind. They came for liberal bonding, not belly laughs.
Winstead, who splits her time between Minnesota and New York City, appeared genuinely touched after a final round of video messages and Flanagan's cameo.
"Thank you for listening to me speak my piece," she said, choking back tears.
Winstead will be performing again at the Parkway at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at theparkwaytheater.com.
