Dave Chappelle Proves He's One of the Best at Bismarck Shows

In the early 2000s, there wasn't a bigger name in comedy than Dave Chappelle and then, inexplicably, he was gone. Last night (June 24) in Bismarck, though, Chappelle proved he had never really left.

When Dave Chappelle announced last month that he would be coming to Bismarck to perform two nights of shows, there probably wasn't a person in the area more excited than I was. 'Chappelle's Show' will always be one of my absolute favorite comedy TV shows and Dave is easily one of my favorite comedians. So, to have the opportunity to see him in a venue like the Belle Mehus Auditorium was something I couldn't pass up.

Chappelle performed two shows last night, one at 7 p.m. and one at 9:30 p.m. I had tickets to the late show, though I don't really think it mattered what show I attended. I mean, it's Dave Chappelle!

Comedian Donnell Rawlings, better known as 'Ashy Larry' to fans of 'Chappelle's Show,' opened the show with a hilarious set taking shots at girls taking selfies and his upbringing. If you weren't ready for Chappelle by the time Rawlings had wrapped up his set, you might as well have just gotten up and left the show.

As Chappelle's DJ, DJ Trauma, got the crowd hyped up for Dave to take the stage, you could feel the energy in the room. Sure, comedians come to Bismarck all the time, but not comedians like Dave Chappelle. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you could tell everyone was ready for.

Chappelle walked on stage to a standing ovation, from the front of the house to the back of the balcony, and proceeded to roll through one of the absolute funniest stand-up comedy sets I've ever seen. Hitting on everything from Bill Cosby to life in North Dakota to stories about Kat Williams and Bobby Brown, Chappelle covered it all.

What was even more surprising was his interactions with the crowd. As you walked into the Belle Mehus Auditorium, you were bombarded with signs stating, 'No cell phones, No pictures, No Yelling, No Heckling,' so I was expecting a pretty straightforward comedy show. Instead, Chappelle engaged the audience, asking the black security guard why he was in North Dakota, and offering drinks to members of the audience that he thought deserved better beers.

From the moment Chappelle hit the stage, I was in awe. He commanded the room like no other stand-up comedian I had ever seen before. He may have only been on stage for approximately 90 minutes, but he could have been up there for four hours and the crowd wouldn't have complained one bit. I sure as hell wouldn't have.

So, if Dave Chappelle is coming to your town, by all means make it a point to go and see him. Not only will you not be disappointed, but your body will hurt the next morning from laughing so much.

There are limited seats still available for Thursday night's show at 7 p.m. Do yourself a favor and get tickets HERE.