It's not a stretch to call Dave Chappelle a comic genius, though he didn't show it in last Thursday's second show during a three-night run at The Fillmore Detroit.
Angry ticket buyers complain on social media that his act was terrible and he seemed wasted and out of it after performing earlier that evening. Some want a refund.
"We didn't get what we paid for," Heather Becker of Auburn Hills posts on the downtown theater's Facebook page. "Such a waste of time and money." (More comments below.)
"He slurred and swayed through random questions that were screamed at him," a Detroit woman posts on Facebook. "And for the few jokes that he did actually tell, he repeated two." .
TMZ reports:
According to multiple people in the crowd during Thursday night's 9:30 show at the Fillmore . . . a seemingly wasted Chappelle took the stage an hour late (mostly due to the crowd still being seated), and told very few jokes. Instead, he sat quietly smoking, rambling and slurring his speech.
In this video you can hear someone in the crowd yell, "Let's hear some of the act!" Dave responds, "Well sir, it's a little late for that. Right now I've gotta get off the stage because it's 2 in the morning."
The crowd quickly reminds him it was only 1 a.m.
In the New York Daily News Denis Slattery gathers social media gripes and writes: "The usually sharp-witted Chappelle chain-smoked, slurred his speech and shouted at hecklers as he rambled. . . . according to attendees."
These are among Facebook comments, followed by three tweets:
► "Slurred and swayed:" Can't believe Dave Chappelle last night. HORRIBLE! We waited over two hours for him to start the show but he never did. Instead he slurred and swayed through random questions that were screamed at him from the audience. And for the few jokes that he did actually tell, he repeated two -- embarrassing. Fillmore should give this audience a refund!! -- Brandy Kodetsky, Detroit
► "Waste of time and money:" Honestly I'm so disappointed in Dave Chappelle's performance last night if you could call it that. What was supposed to be a stand up comedy turned into something like a press conference with people yelling questions at Dave. I truly believe that the people that sat through last night 9pm show should get a refund. We didn't get what we paid for. Such a waste of time and money. -- Heather Becker, Auburn Hills
► "Paid good money:" Fillmore giving out refunds for that crap show last night? Paid good money to see a comedy show, not Dave Chappell chatting with audience. -- Jaime Ruzik
► "Worst show:" Just saw Dave Chapelle and it was the worst show I have ever seen. What a disappointing evening. He was slurry and NOT FUNNY at all. What a waste of my time and money. -- Rachel Montgomery, Dearborn
► "Spaced out:" He was drunk and only told jokes for 10 minutes, was heckled quite heavily, and just kind of sat up there spaced out. -- Corey Koser, Toledo
► "No way to defend this:" This guy was beyond wasted. He could not perform that's how bad it was. There's no way to defend this. -- Robert Stapels Jr.
I heard it went on for nearly 3 hours, the whole time he sat up there and drank and chain smoked cigarettes.
Dave Chappelle = biggest disappointment. Showed up drunk and literally told two jokes over two hours.
— Misanthropic Me (@th3madtitan) April 24, 2015
#DaveChappelle's show was awful. No two ways about it. I'm mad I didn't get reimbursed for my ticket. http://t.co/edn7nTmOGq
— Blanche Devereaux (@TLanzzz) April 27, 2015
the most entertaining 2 hour train wreck that I've ever witnessed #chappelle http://t.co/MoQ0T1xYca pic.twitter.com/vYp1kfaU1U
— Shrugs of Anarchy (@KingOfMars) April 24, 2015
Some spectators, who paid between about $50 to about $240, want refunds. A Fillmore representative tells TMZ that the the venue isn't responsible for artists' content.
A rep for Chapelle tells TMZ:
"Out of the 50 shows on the tour, Thursday was definitely not his best set. On the flip side, the incident inspired some additional sharp-witted material and (Friday) he came back with a vengeance."
Chappelle did six shows (two each night) at the downtown theater Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
