Two of the world’s biggest comedians perform together in a one-night double bill at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater. Jon Stewart and Dave Chappellejoined forces to deliver scathing criticism of President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump, Israel and the audience, resulting in a rousing night of comedy that comes at a very strange time for the country.
It was an eventful start to a night of top-notch comedy at the Apollo Theater. The famous venue, located in the middle of 125th Street, has been the center of creativity and black culture in Harlem and New York for nearly a century. But on Saturday, management and staff had the unenviable task of making sure no one was using their cell phones during the show.
Stewart’s popularity has increased since she returned to hosting The Daily Show (Monday only) was on a roll, delivering candid and highly funny comments about Biden’s debate performance, his candidacy, and Trump’s, well… Trumpiness. And, pressed for time, he cracked a joke about his son, who as a toddler would dress naked, wear a cowboy hat, and purposely smear jelly on himself.
Stewart’s set was the first of two, Biden’s Got off The next day, he will withdraw from the 2024 race. Stewart’s ability to degrade himself while criticizing those in power is unparalleled, and it was on full display onstage at the Apollo Saturday night.
There’s something about the moment Dave Chappelle grabs a microphone, stands (or sits) onstage in front of an audience, and just riffs. Some of the best gags of the night came early in his set, when he describes fame as running up a hill with bullets whizzing by your ears, references Trump’s assassination attempt from last weekend, jokes about Sean Combs saying, “Oh, no! Here comes Puff Daddy,” and rappers. Legal issues This includes charges of assault and sex trafficking.
Topics Chappelle covered included Trump, Biden, fame, an Ohio man; GazaOn the political side, he likened the entire electoral process to an Ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail. He also joked that 2024 will be the first time that white voters feel as hopeless over bad candidates as black voters feel every year. His performance was unpredictable at times, with Chappelle yelling back at hecklers who were unhappy with the comedian.
The night closed with Stewart joining Chappelle onstage for a performance that featured some of his best gags. The two comedians are old friends, and it showed. It also became clear that Chappelle has been relentlessly pursuing Stewart as a potential 2020 presidential candidate. Given the current political climate in our country, he may still be pestering his friend to get in the running.