Dave Chappelle Toronto Review (Winter Garden Theatre, 08/22/12)

"I'm Ripped Bitch"

 

Update: I'm not sure how Dave Chappelle (famous for his crack smoking character Tyrone Biggums) got Rob Ford's number but at the time of his surprise performance in Toronto he had two requests for his handlers; to get in a workout (part of his evident health kick) and to meet the mayor Rob Ford.  Now this was well before anyone in Toronto caught any inkling that Ford himself smoked crack, would lie about it and then later admit to it unabashedly making him the constant fodder of American late night comedians for months on end.  Ford recently dropped out of the mayor's race due to Cancer treatment but was re-elected shockingly as a city councillor.

(With a very strong hyper-local opening set by Gilson Lubin, DJ Future The Prince ceded the stage to his employer Drake for a low key 40 minute barely proficient DJ set. Both stayed for the remainder of his set onstage facing the audience.  Dave's material was strong with more formed Obama Ohio material hitting well early on.   Longer themes of fidelity, celebrity, ludicrousy prevailed throughout the poignant set laced with moments of thoughtful joy.  Other material skewed heavily cerebral and analytical and didn't play as well in the Poughkeepsies.  With the two previous nights sets clocking in around 75 and 82 minutes Dave blew the high water mark clocking a full two and a half hours of stage time.  Albeit the last half hour of his time, having blown well past any contractual or audience expectations, Dave decided to take a question and answer 'press conference' from the audience who peppered him with a cavalcade of groan worthy celebrity boot licking, awkward Canadian cultural masturbation, countless questions about 'The Chappelle Show' and the experience of filming it and does he miss it and basically time machine type bullshit that visibly wore both Chappelle and the audience down to a fine little black nub.)

(l to r: Dave Chappelle, Hon. Mayor Rob Ford)