Imagine having Dave Chappelle in your living room just talking to you. Just talking. Hearing about his life, his understandings, and its all delivered in laughter. It is a private show.
THAT HAPPENED.
YOU, The Friends of Nightwing showered us in love last night. We had CENTER seats ROW 2 at the Dave Chappelle Show and for a good portion of the show, it felt like he was talking right at us. Right at us. We were the eyes he could connect with in the audience. We were the audience. It was a show for us.
This was TOO much. Seriously. Friends of Nightwing…you hear me?! TOO MUCH. I get it. You have superpowers and can make anything happen, but you are spoiling us now.
The show was hysterical and we laughed. We did.
Who would have thought that was possible in all of this? But we did. How could we not?! It was pure authentic. It was so real in the moment real. And Dave knew this…because he took away our phones. We couldn’t text, we couldn’t talk, we couldn’t document the moment, we could just be in it. And that we were.
We were two “kids” on a date, impossible to think we were celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary. It felt like we just met.
And this was NO ordinary show. It was a “make-up show.” It was a show that happened after the tour ended. This show wasn’t supposed to exist. He was no longer on “tour.” He was “off tour.” And he had nothing to lose, but to have a good time. He had friends in the audience. He would see them and change directions to a joke that they had a connection to. He spoke about his friends. He spoke from his heart and the heart is generally funny.
People have told me recently that I’m “funny.” Never thought of myself as funny, but I don’t think it’s a talent. I think funny is just being aware. And if you are aware, oh my God life is really funny. Have you actually walked down the street and looked at what people are doing? I’ve been doing this recently and seen some wacky shit. Things that people don’t think anyone sees, but I see you:)
I love authentic. At some point I will need to write about installation art. Why I love it. The adventures installation art has put me on. But for those close to me who know. It was like THAT. It felt interactive. It felt fleeting. It felt “ours.”
And I learned. How similar we are. Me and Dave. Never thought about that before! Besides the fact that we both like to disappear in Africa, I never thought we had much in common!
We both are SUPER sensitive and choose to live professions of service. Where people “rate” you.
He kept talking about the New York Times. How they bashed him. At the end of the show he came back out and said, let’s just “hash it out now.” You have a question, ask me to my face. He was protecting himself. I loved it. I loved that he was like FUCK YOU person in the audience that is now going to go on instagram and spread hate, when all I mean is love. The act of laughing is the highest form of pleasure right?
A man jumps up to the mic they put in the audience. He jumps. He is frenetic in his energy. He is a teacher. He has been teaching in the public school system for 26 years. He tells Dave how his jokes fill his day with laughter. And keeps him going. How he came all the way for this show to NY for the first time. How he came to be part of what Dave was creating because without Dave’s voice in the world he doesn’t think he could teach/coach. He had no question. Just wanted to share.
Next question: “I’m a young comedian any advice?”
And Dave sat for 8 full minutes and gave this young soul real advice. Advice that only comes from experience. Advice that only comes from failure.
Next question: “Why don’t you do movies? Why don’t you be like Jim Carey, etc.? We want to see more of you Dave!”
Dave was confused by the question. Someone shouted it again? “Do a blockbuster Dave! We want more.” And he couldn’t have been more sincere. This doesn’t interest him. He is being him. That does not include a motion picture, a dramatic film. He is not trying to win an Oscar. He just wants to make you laugh and in return not make his life hell.
Next Question: Please do 20 minutes more!
And he did. He did 20 full minutes of an already hour long performance of one man speaking.
It was so authentic. It was a memory that only the people in that theater will have. It was art.
But my favorite part of all the parts were the questions. Hands down. I liked hearing what you had to say Dave, I liked your answers. BUT most importantly I hope you hear what THEY said.
They said they LOVE you. It was their chance. It was the time for someone to say “I was offended by this or that,” but that didn’t happen, because we were there for you. Fuck the New York Times.
And that’s how I feel about you all. I don’t even know who you are. “Friends of Nightwing” is that 5 people is it 10? I have zero clue, but I would love to have a standup night with all of you.
Just rotate you all on stage so I can ask you questions, learn from you, and then thank you. A real thank you. One with details, personal ones. Tell you how much you help me like Dave helped that teacher. Nothing scripted (“Levin’s don’t read notes!”) just a chance for me to share with each of you how much you mean to me.
That would be the best.
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