Sunday, March 05, 2006
Thank You Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle lives out in the small farming town of Yellow Springs Ohio, just a couple of minutes from where I live. He had a live show just a few days ago, sort of like his homecoming, and according to my coworkers it was one of his best. Most people who live here have had 'Dave' sightings around town, and yesterday was my first. My son and I were at the mall when we spotted a small crowd outside of a store. When we walked up to see what was going on I spotted Dave buying some stuff at the counter. Ironically instead of feeling star struck, I actually felt bad for the guy.
I remember reading an article in Time about his stay in South Africa, and how nice it was for him to be able to go to the mall out there and nobody noticed him. Instead, here he was in his hometown and he couldn't even buy a video game for his son without being swarmed by a bunch of teenage idiots shouting "I'm Rick James Bitch."
Yes, he's a celebrity and the crowds are all a part of the deal when you're rich and famous, but I've seen enough interviews with the guy to know that he's no Tom Cruise or Denzell... he's just a really laid back guy who lives on a farm in a small Hippie town and happens to be really funny. Whereas I have no sympathy for the actors out in Hollywood I still see begging for any and all attention, Chappelle just wants to live like the rest of us.
So I spent the last day thinking about the situation and feeling bad for the guy, and by chance I ended up going to the movies with a friend and seeing 'Block Party', Dave Chappelle's new movie about a party he threw back in Sept 2004.
Two words about the movie.... Freak'n A.
Yes it's funny, but it's not about Dave and it's not a stand-up routine. It's an actual block party where the audience paid nothing to see some of the best musicians of Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B. If you're a music buff who loves Jazz and Urban rhythms, and you have any knowledge about the history of Rap, this movie will be one of the best you've seen in years.
Even if you're not into Rap, this movie illustrates what makes this country what it is. It takes an ethnically diverse audience and subjects them to one of the greatest 'melting pots' of music (Jazz, Caribbean, Rap, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock) that I've seen since watching old clips from the Monterey Jazz Festival when the greatest Jazz musicians would all jump on stage together and jam for an hour.
If you love music, you'll love this movie.
Thank you Dave Chappelle. Thanks for the movie, the music, and the laughs. For once I didn't regret spending 8 bones to watch a movie. You proved once again that you are indeed an ordinary guy who got lucky in life, yet you never forgot where you came from and how you got there. You definitely gave back on this one.
As for the mall, it's a bummer Chappelle can't even walk around his own town without being swarmed by a bunch of morons with pimples and camera phones.
Then again, you're Rich Bitch! You can hire some folks to beat the crap out of all of those idiots. The entertainment value alone would make it worth the cost of a few body guards.
posted by El Capitan at 12:32 AM
3 Comments:
Jake Silver said...
I may see this movie after all, even though I'm no Dave Chappelle fan by far.
But your review makes it sound very interesting.
Melinda said...
I plan to see the movie and I was kicking myself that we didn't get a sitter & make it to the show this past week.
It is sad you can't always just be anonymous, even if your hometown.
said...
Okay, I am confused. I live in yellow springs and we don't have a mall? Are you meaning Fairfield commons at Beavercreek? When he is in town (yellow springs) he is rarely bothered by fans and townie's give him his space.
8:38 AM