When St. Louis native and comedian Kathleen Madigan did a show in St. Louis a while back, her family bought out the bar’s Bud Lights and Budweisers.
“Look, they’re not going to drink non-union beer,” she told the bartender. “You’re going to need to get in a car, and go to Schnucks or Kroger, whatever is open, and buy all the Bud Lights that they have.”
Madigan looks forward to performing in front of friends and family again at her upcoming standup show at The Peabody Opera House on Nov. 11 — as part of her national Boxed Wine & Bigfoot Tour.
On Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked to Madigan about her career as a comedian. When it comes to comedy, she said St. Louis and Missouri are often overlooked and misunderstood. But Madigan is changing that by referencing them in her jokes.
“There’s not many [comedians] representative of the Midwest, so I’ll be in charge of that,” she said.
Her new hour-standup special, Bothering Jesus, is streaming on Netflix. Through her comedy, she references her home-state, politics and life experiences.
She maintains a busy tour schedule of some 250 comedy shows a year. She takes a break during the summer to relax at the Lake of the Ozarks.
“It’s a lot of going, but I’m used it,” Madigan said. “This, to me, is normal life.”
To make it out of St. Louis as a comedian, she said it’s all about just taking the risk and trying things when you’re less likely to have major commitments.
“It’s best if you’re young and kind of naive,” she said. “I just got in the car and went out on the road…you just meet other people in your field and you all figure it out.”
Politics & Comedy
With the current political climate, Madigan said it’s a good time for comedy. She said she’s not a political comic, but she still likes to make fun of political figures such as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump “equally.”
“It’s the most interesting year I’ve ever seen in politics,” she said.
Madigan has performed internationally in countries such as Canada, Australia and England. She’s also gone on USO tours, where she performed for U.S. military service members in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. She said there were times when she was unnerved and concerned for her safety, but not frightened.
“You’re on these bases in these war-zones and they’re so appreciative and so happy anybody showed up,” she said.
Madigan was nominated for a 2014 American Comedy Award for “Best Concert Comic.” The Detroit Free Press and PopMatters.com featured her as one of the “9 Funniest Women on the Planet” alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Listen below to Madigan comically talk about being a comedian from St. Louis, MO.
Related Events:
What: Kathleen Madigan’s Boxed Wine & Bigfoot Tour
When: Nov. 11, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103
What: St Louis’ Inaugural Comedy Festival
When: Nov 9-11
Where: Various locations in The Grove
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
