We don’t and won’t know the full story until probably next week, but something happened with Dave Chappelle last night at a Hartford nightclub and it wasn't good. Apparently he was set to perform at the Funny or Die Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Tour when he asked the crowd to quiet down. Then things got ugly as some people in the crowd started to push back on his request.
From NBCConnecticut.com:
Chappelle, who was headlining the Funny or Die Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Tour, was on stage at the Comcast Theatre in Hartford for just a few minutes, when he suddenly stopped his routine and said the audience was making too much noise, one witness said. For the next 25 minutes, he sat on a stool, read from a book, told the crowd he was still getting paid and then eventually walked off the stage, a witness said.
Wait. What is happening with Dave Chappelle in Hartford tonight? Can anyone clear up?
— KelleyLCarter (@KelleyLCarter) August 30, 2013
Everybody hates Dave Chapelle now. I dont. People were not heckling the other comedians
— Mike Wellman (@mikewellman88) August 30, 2013
Chapelle tried to work through the yelling, and he told people he wasnt telling any jokes until they quieted down. And they didnt.
— Mike Wellman (@mikewellman88) August 30, 2013
Apparently this went back and forth for a while until Chappelle decide to just leave. Crap like this, is why he left in the first place. After the success of his Comedy Central show proved to be more than he bargained for, he turned into something of a recluse. He’ll show up at a random club and do a stand-up bit, but he hasn’t done any national tours, HBO comedy specials or movies.
For fans of his genius, who fear stuff like this might convince him to disappear for good, this is unfortunate. Now, more than ever, we need the insight of smart people to help the masses navigate through this time in history. That we might be denied this, because some douche factory in Hartford let this happen, is not cool.