‘Clean’ comedian Nate Bargatze loves Minnesota — and it loves him back

Whenever Nate Bargatze comes to Minnesota, he seems to break records.

His six shows over three consecutive nights at St. Paul’s Ordway Center for Performing Arts in June 2023 was unprecedented. His grandstand performance at last year’s State Fair contributed to the most packed first Friday in the Great Minnesota Get-Together’s history. And just three months ago, he attracted nearly 8,000 fans to Duluth’s Amsoil Arena, shattering the venue’s previous attendance record held by Elton John.

However, the most impressive local feat comes this week when he takes over St. Paul’s biggest stage. No comedian has ever booked back-to-back nights at the Xcel Energy Center, or Minneapolis’ Target Center, for that matter.

The gamble will almost certainly pay off. Sam Johnson, Xcel Energy Center’s communication and digital media specialist, said early sales indicate it will be the venue’s biggest draw ever for a stand-up comic. Seating capacity each night is around 18,000.

Bargatze loves Minnesota so much that his current Big Dumb Eyes World Tour stops three times in the state, including a Sept. 17 date at Rochester’s Mayo Clinic Arena three nights after he hosts the Emmy Awards.

“I feel like you folks learn quicker than most cities. I think that’s why so many comedians tape specials there,” Bargatze told the Star Tribune in 2023, referring specifically to why he keeps returning to the Twin Cities. “You don’t have to hit people over the head. You follow comedy and appreciate it.”

Bargatze’s appeal stretches far beyond our borders. Since his Ordway stand, he has hosted “Saturday Night Live” twice; his sketches about President George Washington’s misguided visions of America are already considered classics. Last week, his last Netflix special, “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze,” earned two Emmy nominations. According to Billboard, he was the biggest earner of all stand-up tours in 2024, with a gross of $82.2 million.

Habersaat, who will perform Aug. 23 at the Parkway Theater, said he’s in awe of peers who play arenas.

“Stand-up thrives in low ceilings and dark rooms, so being able to translate to that level of audience is something very few modern comics are able to do,” he said. “Bill Burr and [Dave] Chappelle have figured it out, and Bargatze seems to have now as well. It’s daunting to me to consider that scope of comedy.”

Working clean and steering clear of political takes are part of Bargatze’s appeal — it’s hard to imagine him offending anyone — but that’s not the only path to stadium stardom.

Here’s a look at 10 of the most successful comedy acts to play Twin Cities arenas over the past 25 years.

Last huge show: April 18, Xcel Energy Center

Tidbit: He called Minneapolis home for a short stint and recorded his 2010 album, “Thrilled,” at Acme Comedy Co. Owner Louis Lee remains a buddy and important supporter.

Last huge show: April 10, Target Center

Style: Ventriloquist with a family of puppets who have more in common with Don Rickles than Mortimer Snerd.

Tidbit: He has performed at Target Center seven times, the most of any comic in the venue’s 35-year history.

Last huge show: March 23, Target Center

Tidbit: Only Bargatze earned more from touring last year.

Last huge show: Feb. 22, Target Center

Style: Ethnic slurs in his act led to “Saturday Night Live” firing him in 2019, just five days into the job. But he bounced back big time. He has hosted the late-night staple twice in the past two years.

Tidbit: His show this year at Target Center broke the venue’s record for most single-show tickets for a comic.

Last huge show: April 5, 2024, Target Center

Tidbit: When he returns Oct. 24, he’ll tie Dunham for the most Target Center appearances.

Last huge show: Sept. 23, 2023, Xcel Energy Center

Style: The superstar’s ability to switch between shock and sweetness contributes to a rare amount of unpredictability in every live show. You never know when he might linger onstage for a bonus hour.

Tidbit: His 2021 appearance at Target Center was short on laughs, but big on surprises. After screening his new documentary, Chappelle brought out Justin Bieber and Usher for a mini-concert and dance party.

Last huge show: Feb. 9, 2019, Xcel Energy Center

Tidbit: His most high-profile local gig was undoubtedly his four-night stand at the more intimate Orpheum Theatre where he offered audiences the chance to ask questions after his regular sets.

Last huge show: April 21, 2016, Target Center

Style: Her unfiltered approach to sexual topics may now seem conventional, but at her peak she was a stand-out rebel.

Tidbit: That 2016 gig landed on the same date Prince died. She toasted the icon as mourners celebrated his life at nearby First Avenue.

Last huge show: Nov. 18, 2011, Xcel Energy Center

Tidbit: Sales for his 2011 appearance were buoyed by the inclusion of Blue Collar Comedy Tour pals Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. But he’s done fine here on his own with a 2007 gig at Target Center and a 2021 show at Pantages Theatre, which was recorded for Netflix.

Last huge show: Oct. 7, 2000, Target Center

Style: The idea of uniting huge names — Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, D.L. Hughley — led to a wildly successful movie and the most successful tour since Steve Martin was putting arrows through his head.

Tidbit: Their only Minneapolis appearance, in which Adele Givens filled in for Hughley, was the first Target Center show to feature comics.

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” 2008: One of the comic’s earliest champions was O’Brien, who featured him on his NBC and TBS shows five times over five years. In his inaugural appearance, Bargatze, who looked a little too much like former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle at the time, struggled early on, but he eventually won over the studio audience with jokes about dogs that can smell cancer.

Concert at Bridgestone Arena, 2023: Perhaps the only folks who adore Bargatze more than Minnesotans are his fellow Tennesseans. His first appearance at this Nashville venue, where he grew up watching football, attracted over 19,000 fans, setting a record previously held by country singer Morgan Wallen. He later told Jimmy Fallon that he stole one of the Bridgestone chairs. “If I take one of the chairs home, no one can break that record,” he said.

“Saturday Night Live,” 2023: Bargatze doesn’t look anything like George Washington, but his portrayal of the president became an instant classic. In the sketch, Washington stuns his soldiers with bizarre predictions about the future of measurements, language and sports, with a total disregard for race relations. He would reprise the character the following season.

“Big Dumb Eyes: Stories From a Simpler Mind,” 2025: It may seem a little early for a 46-year-old to publish a memoir, but that didn’t stop this collection of essays from debuting at No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. His sense of humor is reflected in the book’s occasional blank pages, included so his readers could take a mental break. “I promise you there will not be lots of big words,” he wrote in the introduction, “because — I’m sorry, ’cause — I don’t like them.“

When: 7 p.m. Sat. and Sun.

Where: Xcel Energy Center, 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul.