Remember Comedy Central’s “Chappelle’s Show” – as in comedian Dave Chappelle? Well I saw him doing stand-up this weekend. Let me tell you those tickets were such a coup. I did a silent fist pump when I pressed the “purchase” link at work. I have been waiting for years to see him – ever since he walked away for the $50M show about 8 years ago. Even more surprising, the show wasn’t even advertised. I just happen to see it playing on the theater marquee as I was walking to work one day. Apparently Dave’s been on a 9 (or so) city tour hitting small venues. Yep, this was a major win for the kid.
It was a packed house and I attended a show that had been added on for that weekend. His previous Friday and Saturday shows were sold-out.
The wait was soooo worth it. His material was just as funny as years before and focused on how’s he’s been basically holed up and dealing with his wife and children. True to his style, he still skirts the edge of good taste. And he still delivers long, vivid stories – some of which seemed like he was making up as he went along, but it was still extremely hilarious. The biggest difference was visual. He came out on stage in a grey wife-beater tank and black bucket cap. He had clearly been lifting weights. No more bean pole. His arms could officially be called guns.
So the big question is can he make a full blown comeback? Of course. He’s funny and everyone wanted to see him. If he wants to re-enter the entertainment world, the ball’s in his court. He could have paced around on stage smoking a cigarette and I think a good bit of the crowd would have felt satisfied just being in his presence. It was like seeing an old friend.
There was a point in the show that he looked up at the audience and said “I’m f*cking hilarious.” And he’s right.
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