Comedian Dave Chappelle gave a bizarre performance last night during his appearance at Zo's Summer Groove Comedy Show at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, the yearly charity event put on by ex-Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning (and that we regrettably had a ticket giveaway for).
The former Chappelle Show star was distracted by the audience to the point that he was berating fans for recording him and not telling any jokes. At least this wasn't a night when he was planning to take back his standup endurance record from Dane Cook by performing for more than seven hours.
The antihilarity was documented on CNN's Roland S. Martin's Twitter account, where he noted, "He got texted four times during his show and actually checked them." We have Martin's hilarious tweets -- including a couple that address Chappelle interacting with him from the stage -- posted last night and some not-very-fun-to-watch video of the awkward scene.
From Roland S. Martin's Twitter:
This Dave Chappelle set is bizarre. He's spent more time going back & forth with one audience member, & pretty much stopped telling jokes
One woman just yelled, "Can you tell a joke so we can enjoy ourselves!" He got texted four times during his show and actually checked them
I'm just not understanding what threw him off. He's complained about folks videotaping his set, yelling out loud. I don't get it
"This crowd is as serious as hell," he says. Dave, we're trying to figure out what we've listened to for the last 25 minutes.
Chappelle says this is a "test of wills." He keeps saying "tick tock" & he has "nothing but time." He's just staring at the crowd & sighing
"As shitty as the show is, I can't wait to explain this on CNN." Dave Chappelle complaining about a guy taping his whole show
Then Dave started talking to me, asking if I was putting this on CNN. Yes, from the stage! He's been on stage 46 minutes & told one joke.
He kept saying "I respect your work." And then said, He'll send me a tape of his better comedy work. This is a trip!
One of Chappelle's folks told me he hates hecklers, and that totally threw him off. And every little thing that happened just took him off
I'm talking to other folks & they say Dave is a very cerebral comic & folks felt the audience became invasive into his comedy.
And here's what the whole set was apparently like. "Glad I didn't wear a suit -- that would've been embarrasing," Chappelle says, while hecklers peppered him with insults. As he left the stage, D.L. Hughley remarked, "Y'all can do better than that -- give him some, Dave Chappelle." Perhaps part of that was directed at Dave himself.
Follow County Grind on Facebook and Twitter: @CountyGrind.