Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
“This weekend was a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” the star posted to his Facebook page on Monday. “Thank you everyone who came out to watch the show. I’ve never had more fun performing outdoors! Thank you Dave Chappelle for testing everybody and keeping the town’s economy alive!"
Chappelle and Noah were photographed in Yellow Springs on motorcycles, captioning the moment, "And thank you Jesus for keeping me safe on that bike.
What a night, what a weekend, what a life!"
This weekend was a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you everyone who came out to watch the show....
Posted by Trevor Noah on Monday, September 14, 2020
And what a summer!
Chappelle has been hosting socially distanced comedy shows and music events at Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs since May. The list of celebrity performers and famous guests has included John Mayer, Sarah Silverman, Tiffany Haddish, Common, David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Jon Hamm, Michael Che, Erykah Badu, Michelle Wolf, Donnell Rawlings, Talib Kweli, Louis C.K., Jaleel White, Frédéric Yonnet and more.
Dayton felt the benefit of its world-famous neighbor Chappelle last summer during the star-studded Gem City Shine concert he organized that helped heal the Dayton community after the Oregon District shooting.
Although that event was massive, hosting tens of thousands of people, Chappelle likes to throw small, impromptu events, too.
Before COVID, he was famous for his “Juke Joint” parties at Whitehall Farm at Tecumseh Land Trust in Yellow Springs. Those mini-festivals have featured celebrity musical and comedy guests and audience members like Frédéric Yonnet and DJ Nice, Amy Schumer and Michael Che. The Juke Joints have a concert vibe, with beer and food vendors and a VW bus where you can get your souvenir photo since phone use is not permitted during Chappelle events.
Chappelle also hosted a fund-raiser for WYSO at the Schuster Center last summer.
How to get tickets to Dave Chappelle’s shows
More installments of Dave Chappelle & Friends: An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair are listed at Ticketmaster.com, with dates including Sept. 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Tickets are listed at $235 plus fees for a pair of tickets, parking included.
In a time when most events and gatherings have been canceled, Chappelle has found a formula that works and keeps the fans coming. The entertainer received permission to host the shows from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine because of strict safety protocols in place. A zoning variance was granted to allow the shows to be hosted at the pavilion.
“We are very lucky and thankful to have Dave here in Dayton engaging with the community... He gave people a reason to smile and have hope that maybe we can pull off these kinds of events in our ‘new normal,’” local resident Ashley Pennington wrote to us.
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