MINNEAPOLIS — Twin Cities-based comedian and comedy impresario Scott Hansen, who influenced several MST3K cast members’ careers, died September 5 at a hospice here of multiple organ failure. He was 66.
“In terms of comedy in Minnesota, Scott is at the top of the list, said Patrick Strait, author of “Funny Thing About Minnesota: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Twin Cities Comedy Scene.” No one did more to help grow stand-up locally.”
In 1981, he selected Joel to be the headliner for the grand opening of his new comedy club, the Comedy Gallery. The move gave his career a boost. He also mentored Frank and J. Elvis.
“I got my start working for Scott Hansen at the Comedy Gallery,” Frank said on Twitter. “I tore tickets, I seated people, I mc’d the shows. Got on stage every night, learned the craft. Thank you, Scott. Rest In Peace.”
Calling Hansen “one of the founders of the Mpls. stand up scene and one-time comedy don of the Twin Cities, Weinstein recalled, on Twitter, that he “first did a set at his club when I was 16 and hundreds after that in his many rooms for the next few years before moving to LA. Thanks, Scott.”
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Obviously I don’t live in Minneapolis, but guys like Scott Hansen are so important to the local life in a city. I play in the Albuquerque Concert Band, an all-volunteer music group, and in non-COVID years we put on 15-20 concerts a year. All the local entertainers who work on music, dramas, comedy and the like, and attract audiences to perform in front of, really help to enrich the life of a city. They give us moments to get together with friends, and to enjoy people working hard at their craft, whether professional or amateur. RIP Scott, and thank you for being one of those people.
In Austin, Texas at about the same time Joel and the rest were budding in Minneapolis the live music was well established and thriving, but standup comedy venues were few and far between. On 6th street you could hear music acts like Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes or Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble on one night and stand up comics the next, but the stand up scene just never took off probably because there was nobody like Scott Hansen there to identify the talent and promote the quality acts. Too bad. Austin could have benefited from the likes of him. RIP
He may not have been directly responsible for MST3K, but it’s no doubt he was instrumental in getting the people who would prepared to do so! RIP