Comedy fans at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday night were treated to not just two iconic comics, Chris Rock and Kevin Hart, but also a third -- none other than Dave Chappelle.
As a surprise opener on Rock and Hart's "Only Headliners Allowed" tour, Chappelle was met by boisterous applause from the MSG crowd as he walked on stage to Radiohead's song, "Karma Police."
"Had to sneak my way in here," Chappelle joked according to video shared from the event. The controversial comedian then went on to reference his latest headline-spurring event. Earlier this month, Minneapolis performance venue, First Avenue, abruptly canceled a scheduled performance by Chappelle after facing backlash for the initial booking.
Referencing the venue's decision, Chappelle told the crowd, "despite what you may have read about in the news, I’m OK, and I appreciate the support."
Chappelle then went on to discuss getting tackled at the Hollywood Bowl while performing in May as part of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival. The comedian said that as punishment, he hopes his attacker contracts monkeypox, which is currently on the rise in American cities. Chappelle said, "not that he should die, but his a** should itch for four to six weeks."
Following Chappelle's 20-minute set, Hart and Rock performed their slated comedy show. To cap of the evening, the three comedy legends brought a real-life goat on stage. A nod to the acronym G.O.A.T. -- Greatest Of All Time.
Taking to Twitter to gush about the performance, Hart wrote, "Last night was by far the best moment of my career…I can’t even explain it…I can’t find the words…Just know that last night was the true definition of a “EPIC NIGHT”…I love my brothers more than words can explain. We made history last night!!!"
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