On Thursday, August 26th, The Funny or Die Oddball Comedy Tour came to the Comcast Theater in Hartford, CT, with Dave Chappelle as the headliner. Chappelle’s performance got off to a rocky start, as there was an intermission before he came on stage, and he was not formally introduced. This left fans scrambling to seats to catch the twenty-five minute segment that some had paid upwards of $300 to see. Chappelle entered the stage to resounding applause. Chappelle waited patiently for the cheers and applause to end and this is when the rift between the comedian and the fans began. Some fans would not stop the cries of “We love you Dave,” and “I’m Rick James!” Chappelle started his routine, and some of the fans began to interrupt, frustrating the comedian.
Chappelle’s “Meltdown”
According to show-goers, it was about ten minutes in when Chappelle stopped trying. Chappelle didn’t go out an angry screaming mess, like some other heckled comedians before him. Instead, he kept it cool. He sat on the edge of the stage and lit up a cigarette. As he sat, smoking and waiting for the audience to quiet down, one of the fans handed him her book. Chappelle then digressed from his routine, beginning to read excerpts from the book. While the author of the book, Mama Mack, was in her glory, some fans were not so thrilled. “C’mon Dave!” many shouted, further frustrating the comedian. Fans said that Chappelle began to talk about how he only had to stick around for twenty-five minutes to get paid, and said he was going to buy gum with the money he got from the show, and spit it out after two chews. According to some fans, this is when the booing started. According to others, Chappelle leaving the stage is what prompted the booing.
This has created a firestorm on the internet, with some fans supporting Chappelle in his frustration, and others criticizing him for the disappointing performance. Fans that attended the performance and those that merely read about it on the internet alike seem to have something to say. Supporters and critics argue vehemently in comment sections of articles and on social media sites such as twitter. It seems that there has been no change in the tour, however, and Chappelle will still entertain as part of the show.