Chappelle, Bieber and Kanye sightings abound around Minneapolis over the weekend

The Lotus, Billy's Sushi and Electric Fetus each hosted the celebrities on Sunday around two separate Target Center events.

November 8, 2021 at 4:10PM
Justin Bieber posed with staff at the Lotus restaurant in Minneapolis on Sunday. (COURTESY THE LOTUS/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Celebrity sightings in Minneapolis jumped by about 300% over the weekend, as Dave Chappelle, Justin Bieber and Kanye West all hit the town — and unlike Mick Jagger's debunked recent claims of making the rounds, there are photos and eye witnesses to prove it.

Chappelle brought Bieber to town as one of two surprise guests for his documentary screening and live performance at Target Center on Sunday night. Per Neal Justin's recap of the show, the Biebs came on after the movie screening and a short 15-minute set by Chappelle to deliver four songs and a long jam/medley with a live band. They were joined by Usher, too, who also sang four tunes.

Earlier in the day, Chappelle and Bieber were spotted dining at The Lotus, a rather un-trendy but reliable family-owned Vietnamese restaurant that's been a mainstay near Loring Park for 18 years. The restaurant posted photos on its Facebook page with both Chappelle and Bieber mugging it up with staff members along with the rather understated note that they "had a special lunch" there.

Ever the Prince devotee, Chappelle also went over to the Purple One's favorite local record store the Electric Fetus. Photographer Mathieu Bitton posted photos on Instagram of the comedian holding vinyl copies of both his own new, George Floyd-inspired album "8:46" as well as the recently unearthed Prince vault record "Welcome 2 America." Contrary to other reports, Electric Fetus representatives said they did not see Bieber with him at the store.

As for Kanye, he was in town for a basketball game on Saturday night at Target Center between his newly funded Los Angeles area prep school Donda Academy versus Minnesota Prep Academy. Gossip sites are vulturing in on the courtside sighting at the game because the rapper was reportedly accompanied by a new girlfriend following his divorce from Kim Kardashian. West was also spotted and photographed at Billy's Sushi in the North Loop with new Timberwolves co-owner Marc Lore.

Ye's team — like his new album, named after his late mother — lost the game to Minnesota Prep, which is also winning some extra attention from the match-up. The Minneapolis school has retweeted several of the gossip site reports about the game. It's not clear if Ye stuck around to catch the Chappelle & Friends performance at the arena.

There have yet to be any reports of Usher's whereabouts amid all this. Maybe like Jagger he could just pretend he ordered a Jucy Lucy and a Grain Belt from some local dive.

Correction: Previous versions of this story misstated the winner of the Donda Academy-Minnesota Prep game. The hometown team won 92-86.
about the writer

about the writer

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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