Chris Maddock is an American

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

from

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He has released two albums and a DVD on Dan Schlissel's

Stand Up! Records Stand Up! Records is an American independent comedy record label founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Grammy-winning producer Dan Schlissel. It has been called "the country's most respected indie comedy label." Stand Up! has released more than 20 ...

, most recently 2020's ''Country Music Legend'', which reached No. 5 on the iTunes comedy chart.

Early life

Maddock is a 1995 graduate of

Stillwater Area High School Stillwater Area High School (SAHS) is a public school located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, United States. It serves as the primary high school for the Stillwater Area Public School District (834), the oldest public school district in Minnesota ...

in Minnesota.

Career

Maddock began performing comedy soon after high school. He has toured frequently across the United States and in Mexico. His comedy is often autobiographical. Maddock was the main host of the long-running show Death Comedy Jam at Grumpy's Bar in Minneapolis from 2003 to 2018. An important local showcase, the event also featured nationally known headliners like Maria Bamford, Doug Stanhope, and Andy Kindler. Maddock and the show are profiled in the documentary ''Death’s Last Stand'', filmed during the final performance. He was named best stand-up comedian in Minneapolis-St. Paul by ''

City Pages ''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a ...

'' in 2014. Maddock is working on a podcast, ''Servitude'', about working in restaurants, which is planned to debut in 2020.

Albums

Maddock has released two albums, 2012's ''Point of Entry'' and 2020's ''Country Music Legend''. Both were recorded live in Minneapolis, at the

7th Street Entry First Avenue & 7th St Entry are two historic music venues housed in the same landmark building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The nightclub sits on the corner of First Avenue North and 7th Street North, from which the venues get their names. ...

and Hook & Ladder Theater respectively. ''Point of Entry'', his debut album, was accompanied by a live DVD, ''Rookie Mistake''. The album was received positively by critics. Ed Placencia of the website ''Comedy Reviews'' praised Maddock for his "great sense of balance" in making jokes about extreme topics without being offensive, but also noted that shock only formed a small part of Maddock's act, which draws on what Placencia called an "endless well" of stories about his life and family. Richard Lanoie of The Serious Comedy Site called it "excellent." Jake Austen of ''Roctober'' magazine also praised Maddock's ability to find jokes in potentially shocking, offensive topics, calling him "very funny" with a "special, wacky twist." ''Country Music Legend'' was released October 2, 2020. The title came from Maddock's ironic way of introducing himself at clubs, but also reflects that he plays guitar on stage to accompany his jokes with music. The stand-up on the album is bookended by two songs performed by Maddock with a live band.

Personal life

Maddock is married and has a son. His grandfather, Red Maddock, is a jazz drummer who performed with the Butch Thompson Trio and on ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...

''. In 2015, Stillwater, Minnesota, mayor Ted Kozlowski officially decreed April 15 as "Chris Maddock Day" in the city.

Discography

*''Point of Entry'' (

, 2012) *''Rookie Mistake'' DVD (

, 2012) *Appears on compilation ''The $4.99 Show (The $9.99 Recording)'' (

, 2013) *''Country Music Legend'' (

, digital album and video special, 2020)

Podcast appearances

*''Brian Oake Show'', Episode 94: Chris Maddock (Country Music Legend) (September 25, 2020) *''KQRS Morning Show'', Guests Guy Snodgrass, Chris Maddock, Rob Heubel (October 9, 2020) *''How Bad Cast'', Chris Maddock's "Point of Entry" (May 21, 2012)

References

External links

Chris Maddock official websiteChris Maddock at Stand Up! Records website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maddock, Chris American male comedians American stand-up comedians People from Stillwater, Minnesota Comedians from Minnesota 21st-century American comedians Stand Up! Records artists 1970s births Living people