Dave Chappelle shows to continue starting with a sold-out newly announced show with John Mayer

It’s well-known that Dave Chappelle, our resident A-list celebrity, has been hosting a series of pop-up comedy shows at the Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs this summer.

What’s lesser-known is when the ticket announcements will be made.

For fans who haven’t been able to snag one of the coveted tickets, there has been frustration and disappointment. With the vast majority of concerts and shows canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chappelle’s comedy and music events have been one of the few across the nation that have been able to continue.

Chappelle received permission to host the shows from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine because of strict safety protocols in place. And as of Aug. 6, a zoning variance on the Wirrig Pavilion from the Miami Township Board of Zoning Appeals allow the shows to continue until Oct. 4, 2020.

During the hearing, it was reported that the Zoning Inspector Richard Zopf received 400 letters and 2,000 emails in support of the events, from locals and fans who drove across the country to attend.

The positive effects on the local economy as well as the social benefits were deemed worthy. Chappelle’s team is going to make some adjustments to honor neighbors’ concerns about noise.

Credit: Kevin Winter

Credit: Kevin Winter

Tickets were released at 10 a.m. today on Ticketmaster (now sold out) for a show on Aug. 8. Fans noticed a couple of big changes to this particular show, however.

First, the name of the show, which started off as “A Talk With Punchlines” when tickets were sold on Eventbrite, and shifted to “An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair,” when tickets switched to Ticketmaster, has been changed to “Controlled Danger” with a photo of Chappelle with musician John Mayer.

“Controlled Danger” is the name of a comedy and music tour Chappelle and Mayer did a couple years ago. The show was named after a phrase Chappelle said Mayer once used in a text message about their plans for an evening out on the town.

The duo have been close friends since Mayer, who is known for his pop hits such as “Your Body is a Wonderland,” appeared on Chappelle’s acclaimed Comedy Central series “The Chappelle Show.”

The second thing fans noticed was that tickets, which started at around $100 each and have crept up closer to $150 in recent weeks, were suddenly $250 each, signaling to some the promise of a very special evening.

Credit: Ethan Miller

Credit: Ethan Miller

Despite the ticket price hike, the tickets sold out in minutes. Luckily however, it’s been announced by Team Chappelle today that shows will continue until October 4, 2020, so you still have time to see what’s being referred to online as #ChappelleSummerCamp.

We’ll keep you posted as we hear about more on sales, but we do have a couple tips: tickets tend to go on sale on random days between 10 a.m. and noon. Periodically checking for on sale announcements around 9:30-10:30 a.m. is helpful: https://www.ticketmaster.com/dave-chappelle-tickets/artist/803682

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