If you’re willing to seek out unlikely venues, you could probably see live stand-up comedy in St. Paul seven days a week. I’m certain I don’t know about every show happening, but as a St. Paul native and lifelong lover of comedy, I’ve put together a number of places where you can see stand-up, from the most experienced and skilled performers to folks getting up on stage for their very first time. And if you’ve been considering trying your hand at stand-up, there’s really nothing in your way but your own fears.

Kill It! comedy art.

1. Kill It! Comedian Rana May has been producing and hosting shows under the title “Kill It!” all over Minneapolis and St. Paul for some time. May has put together open mic bunch shows, weekly regular evening open mics, and even combined nights of open mic comedy and karaoke to create “Comedy-oke” shows. All of this is to say that Rana May knows what works and doesn’t work at an open mic.

May knows what new comics need to help them succeed, as well as how to run a show that encourages more experienced comics to show up and work on material. This means audiences can go to a Kill It! show knowing that everyone getting onstage will be doing so feeling supported by the show they’re a part of. There’s really no way to overstress how important that is in creating a successful comedy show.

You can catch the Kill It! comedy open mic at the Chatterbox pub on Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul every Tuesday at 9 p.m. And there’s a really exciting, one-night-only Kill It! comedy variety show at 8 p.m. at the Turf Club on University Avenue on the 15th of February, which will feature musicians, poets and storytellers, as well as comedians.

For details or tickets to the Kill It! comedy variety show, visit turfclub.net/show/2015-02-killitcomedy.

Comedian Paul Oddo, who will be performing at Joke Joint this week.

2. Joke Joint Comedy Club Did you know there’s a comedy club in St. Paul, right along the Mississippi River, that features nationally touring stand-up comedians while also serving as a space for local comics to develop their material and build careers? It’s called the Joke Joint Comedy Club, and if you haven’t yet been there, it’s time that was addressed. New York-based comic Paul Oddo will be performing at the Joke Joint from February 12-14 recording material for his upcoming album. And the exceptionally funny Ohio-based comic Geoff Tate will be at the Joke Joint from February 19-20.

For a calendar of more upcoming shows or tickets, head to jokejointcomedyclub.com. 3. Comedy Fight Club Before heading to the Kill It! open mic on Tuesday, you should take in the 7 p.m. Comedy Fight Club at Golden’s Deli in Lowertown. A true open mic produced by local comedian James King, Comedy Fight Club offers three to five minutes to anyone who signs up. Want to see someone’s first time? Want to see the real tight rope between failure and success that is stand-up comedy? Want an old school Rachel sandwich? Head to Golden’s Deli any Tuesday just before 7 p.m.,fst and you can address all of these wants and more.

For directions, menus or more calendar info, go to goldensdeli.us. Camp Bar open mic poster.

4. Camp Bar open mic and Rick McCloud’s Comedy Cabaret Two shows that I know less about but encourage you to investigate are the Camp Bar open mic that happens at 9:30 p.m. every Monday of the month except for the first, and Rick McCloud’s Comedy Cabaret that happens every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m at Welsch’s Big Ten Tavern.

For details about the Camp Bar open mic as a performer or audience member, head to camp-bar.net/OpenMic. More details on Rick McCloud’s Comedy Cabaret can be found at welschsbigten.com/events.

And if you’re a new comic or considering trying your hand at stand-up comedy, take a minute and read this great post by Keith Bergman called “10 things not to do after your first few open mics.”