CCU Friday Night Open Mic

Comedy Corner Underground is back in a basement at Whitey's Old Town Saloon, 400 E. Hennepin Ave., with its open mic running Fridays at 10 PM. It's a late-night spot for comedy in Minneapolis, and it's free to get in.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because CCU spent about 20 years at its original location before that space closed last August when the landlord wouldn't renew the lease. Owner Bob Edwards spent some time looking for a new home—17 venues, by his count—before landing here. He describes the basement at Whitey's as a close match to the old room, with the same low ceilings and acoustics, and it holds about 65 people. It's a bar floor, so you'll be close to the stage, and the night is 21+.

The basement has already been hosting comedy under local comic Ronny Sharts, and Edwards plans to keep him running the shows. That means the night stays in the hands of someone who knows the room and the local scene, rather than starting over from scratch. It's an open mic, so you'll see a mix of comics working out new material and regulars who've been around the city's comedy circuit for a while.

It's a late one, starting at 10 PM on Friday nights at Whitey's Old Town Saloon, 400 E. Hennepin Ave. Admission is free, and the room is 21+.