Ever the trailblazer, Dave Chappelle has proven it’s possible to host a safe outdoor music festival in the middle of a pandemic. As BrooklynVegan points out, Chappelle celebrated Fourth of July by holding a mini music festival in the cornfields of Yellow Springs, Ohio on Saturday night. As recounted by comedian Cipha Sounds, the six-hour event kicked off with standup comedy from Michelle Wolf, Tiffany Haddish, Michael Che, and Chappelle himself. Questlove then provided the soundtrack for a fireworks display with an all J. Dilla DJ set. The evening concluded with live performances from Erykah Badu, Common, and Talib Kweli, interspersed with appearances from Chappelle and Jon Hamm. All of the evening’s participants were tested for coronavirus prior to taking the stage. Meanwhile, the 400-per...
Dave Chappelle is one of the first major entertainers to ease back into live performances since the pandemic, but he’s doing it cautiously. The renowned comedian has been hosting a series of impromptu intimate outdoor shows in Ohio called “Dave Chappelle & Friends: A Talk with Punchlines”. The sets are invite-only, limited to roughly 100 guests each, and subject to social distancing enforcement. The two shows that have taken place so far (on June 6th and June 8th) were held outdoors at the Wirrig Pavilion in his hometown of Yellow Springs. According to Dayton.com, attendees wore face masks the entire time — custom ones designed with a large “C” were also available — and were spaced out on the lawn in front of the makeshift stage. Those in the audience described the nature of the c...