If I could sum up the last year and a half in one sentence, it would probably have to be: “expect the unexpected.” (To be fair, “I hate it here” and “truth is ,I’m tired” would also work but for the sake of this piece, the former fits way better. )
You see, the last 15 months have been a lot. Everywhere you look, you read, hear, or see something you’ve never seen, heard, or read before. This sentiment rang especially true on Sunday night for Foo Fighter fans in New York City when comedy legend Dave Chappelle showed up for a surprise performance, according to HuffPost.
Leading the band and crowd in Radiohead’s “Creep,” Chappelle was introduced by Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl in Madison Square Garden’s first full-capacity concert since the pandemic first began to shut things down last March.
The day before, Chappelle debuted his documentary Dave Chappelle: This Time This Place, during the closing night gala at the 20th annual Tribeca Festival at Radio City Music Hall. Per CBS News, the documentary follows the comic’s rural Ohio cornfield standup series. It also chronicles “Chappelle before his first appearance, the considerable safety precautions taken (including Chappelle and others wincing at a swab up their nose), their battles with the local zoning board, the protest and pain that followed the death of George Floyd, and, ultimately, the profound benefits of comedy and community.” Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, and Chappelle’s Show favorite Donnell Rawlings also made appearances in the film.
Much like the Madison Square Garden show, the Tribeca premiere also saw a full-capacity, fully-vaccinated audience and marked the first time the iconic New York venue had been opened since its closing at the start of the pandemic.
Immediately following the screening, Chapelle also treated fans and festival-goers to a hip-hop concert, deejayed by DJ Clark Kent and featuring A$AP Ferg, De La Soul, Fat Joe, Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, Redman, and Talib Kweli.
“I love New York City. I made my name in New York City,” Chappelle told the crowd. “I met my wife in New York City. I had two of my three children in New York City. I am proud to be the opening night of Radio City.”