Kigali will Thursday, May 30, become Dave Chappelle's next stop after an unforgettable standup comedy performance in Kenya on Wednesday night.
The American comedian's performance in Kigali came as a surprise to many who rushed to buy tickets, no matter how much (Rwf200,000) they cost, only to realize that the event was already sold pout just few hours after organisers announced it.
He could enforce a strict 'no-phone' rule at host venue Kozo Kigali, where revelers will have their phones locked away, with rule breakers facing ejection from the event. The same applied during his performance at Punchline Comedy Club in Nairobi.
Dave Chappelle's stand-up specials cover a wide range of tones, tackling absurd topics, topical issues, and serious matters with ease, making him as one of the most controversial comedians the world of comedy has ever witnessed.
In no particular order, The New Times looks at Chappelle's top performance that left fans yearning for more.
Deep In The Heart Of Texas (2017)
Runtime: 1h 6m
Also known as Dave Chappelle: Live at Austin City Limits. This Netflix stand-up special aired in March 2017 and served as much-needed therapy as the world started to spin out of control. The performance addressed the rise of racism with a series of anecdotes concerning awkward interracial encounters, before moving on to parents of today and the growing list of celebrity scandals.
Deep In The Heart Of Texas is another fearless stand-up performance from Chappelle as he unapologetically tackles serious topics like racially motivated police shootings and the threat of ISIS in a thought-provoking and hilarious way. Interestingly, the special was filmed years before it was released, leading to a number of bits that felt oddly dated. However, along with his other special from 2017 titled The Age of Spin, Chappelle won a Grammy for the special.
The Age Of Spin (2017)
Runtime: 1h 7mins
The Age Of Spin - a.k.a Dave Chappelle: Live At The Hollywood Palladium - was released alongside Deep In The Heart Of Texas and featured a more focused take on similar grounds. It was a more polished and energetic performance that continued to signal his comeback. After addressing the mounting problems caused by his own generation, he holds a mirror up to the next, lest they end up crafting a similar hell for themselves.
The performance featured meditations on the rapid evolution of humanity and technology and his struggle to keep up. Given that audiences have been watching Chappelle perform as the beloved comedian for years, it is interesting to see him acknowledging that he is feeling out of touch but turning it into more funny material. However, the highlight of the special is Chappelle's description of his various run-ins with O.J. Simpson.
8:46 (2020)
Runtime: 27mins
Fans can't be blamed for not knowing what to expect when Chappelle announced he would be doing a private outdoor show in June 2020. Just a few weeks after George Floyd's tragic death and several months after the start of the pandemic, it was an uncertain and scary time. Chappelle acknowledges how strange the situation is during the slow start of his performance but quickly reminds everyone why the special is called 8:46 - a reference to Floyd's manner of death because of police brutality.
It's an unconventional stand-up performance, with more moments of jarring seriousness interspersed with jokes to punctuate the absurdity, fear, and anger around racism and gun violence. Though Chappelle's opinions can often cause controversy, this is a perfect example of how commanding, intelligent, and powerful he can be while on stage, regardless of how many laughs he is getting.
For What It's Worth (2004)
Runtime: 1h
2004's For What It's Worth was Chappelle's second official stand-up special, the long-awaited follow-up to his 2000 special with HBO. This full-length special aired on Showtime and was performed in front of a crowd at The Fillmore in San Francisco, during his TV show's run. He had already mastered the art of stand-up and cemented his winning style by 2004, but Chappelle still came to this special like a man with something to prove.
It is interesting to look back at his older sets how, seeing the difference between the confident and perhaps arrogant comedian he is today, and the hungry and scrappy comedian he was then. It is hard not to enjoy the older version more as Chappelle has a terrific energy and wackiness that was replaced with self-seriousness later on. It is also a more intimate set with a crowd of little more than 100 people, yet Chappelle commands the room nonetheless.
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Killin' Them Softly (2000)
Runtime: 57mins
After nailing his half-hour spot with HBO in 1998, they gave Dave Chappelle a full-length special in 2000. Killin' Them Softly was a powerhouse comic performance for the time, with Chappelle working a multi-racial crowd before thoroughly exploring the more unspoken race divide without rubbing anyone's nose in it. Even before Chappelle's Show's Prince and Clayton Bigsby sketches catapulted him into mainstream stardom, Chappelle had already created one of the greatest stand-up specials at the turn of the century.
Despite being gone for years, Chappelle obviously hasn't lost his quick wits and incredible ability to make taboo topics laughable. It would be easy to say it's Chappelle at his best, but he continues to outdo himself. It's only a matter of time before a new special dethrones Killin' Them Softly as the best Dave Chappelle stand-up performance.
Tags: Dave Chappelle, Comedy
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