Dave Chappelle has two types of followers. There are the ones that want to watch him plunge into hot water and see how he swims his way out. Then there are the fans who worship him as a master storyteller who alternates between truth and hyperbole, leaning toward whichever one gets the biggest reaction.
Saturday's performance at Xcel Energy Center, his first official show in St. Paul, had just enough to satisfy both.
Chappelle, who turned 50 last month, had plenty of gasp-inducing material aimed at a variety of targets: Muslims, Michael Jackson, the physically disabled, Indian-Americans and Lil Nas X.
He said he was done making jokes about transgender people — "it wasn't worth the trouble" — and then proceeded to unload a few bullets that were left in the chamber.
The bits, taken out of context, could trigger more outrage like the kind he faced last summer when First Avenue canceled his appearance at the last moment and forced him to move to the Varsity Theater, where protesters mixed it up with the ticketholders waiting to get in.
But in concert, it's clear that Chappelle is just having fun. His most vicious lines were almost always punctuated with a little-kid grin and his slapping the mike against his thigh. A few times, he jogged around the square stage like he had just swiped some candy with every intention of returning the goodies to the store.
Chappelle has had more memorable appearances in the Twin Cities.
A decade ago, he did a 12-show marathon in Minneapolis that concluded with a basketball game and pancake dinner. After a 2021 screening of his documentary at Target Center, he surprised fans with a mini-concert featuring Usher and Justin Bieber. He's also popped up in smaller venues in the area to test new material.
