There's nothing 'Minnesota Nice' about comic Chad Daniels on stage

The comedian rose to the occasion of graduating to Woman's Club of Minneapolis.

November 27, 2017 at 7:40PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Photo courtesy of Mystic Lake Casino

Chad Daniels may still live in his hometown of Fergus Falls, but "Minnesota Nice" isn't in his comedy vocabulary. At his Saturday performance at Woman's Club of Minneapolis, a graduation party of sorts after decades of headlining at the more intimate Acme Comedy Company, Daniels confirmed that he's the Twin Cities' strongest local comic with an hour performance full of politically incorrect observations that were more reminiscent of Louis CK than Louie Anderson.

Some of his deliberately off-putting lines: "I admire psychopaths a little bit." "I get ISIS." "How in the world do people have sex with their own children?"

Daniels punctuates much of his most shocking material by getting defensive about the audience reaction. "This is the best," he said after sacrificing his kids' reputations, despite the fact that the were watching from the wings. "I'm causing divorces right now."

Truth be told, the audience didn't groan as much as Daniels acted like they did. They appreciated a local hero's caustic sense of humor, even if it counters state stereotypes.

Daniels' withering wit is also showcased in the upcoming Acme documentary, "I Need You To Kill," which starts streaming Dec.5 on various platforms.

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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