By Peter Lindblad
Bill Burr has left the building.
Now, it’s Dave Chappelle’s house, as he moves into Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum – where Burr performed on Oct. 8 – for one night only on Tuesday, Oct. 17. It’s still a good idea to heed his classic advice from the “Chappelle’s Show” intro: “Better not bring yo kids!”
An absolute legend, exuding sly, pothead charm that allows him to get away with all sorts of mischief with a wink and a smile, Chappelle subverts conventional thinking with thought-provoking quips and nuanced commentary on a wide range of subjects that occasionally get him in hot water.
Unafraid of courting controversy, Chappelle gleefully pushes such hot-button issues as racism in America, drug use, sexuality and identity, and politics and pop culture – navigating treacherous waters with a likeable ease and a big heart. Not everyone is a fan, however. Cancel culture’s been gunning for Chappelle in recent years.
Still, Chappelle is sure to draw a huge crowd, his artful joke-telling sleight of hand always keeping audiences in stitches, as well as guessing as to where he’s going next. The ride might be uncomfortable, but it’ll be interesting.
The same can be said of the bounty of great comics – including the great Robert Kelly at Madison’s Comedy on State on Oct. 19 – parachuting into Wisconsin this month, ready to entertain the masses. Here’s the pick of the litter:
Meyer Theatre (https://meyertheatre.org/) – Green Bay
Cat & Nat Unfiltered Live (Oct. 27) – Mother’s Day comes early this year, as these besties get real about motherhood, blowing stereotypes of the “perfect mom” to smithereens with funny anecdotes and spot-on observations. Raising kids is no joke, although they do find a way to wring uproarious comedy out of parenting hardships, as evidenced by their #MOMTRUTHS videos, a best-selling book and their iHeart Radio podcast, among other productions. Visit https://catandnat.ca/ for more on the pair, and check out some of their podcast episodes here: https://catandnat.ca/catandnatunfiltered
Overture Center (https://www.overture.org/) – Madison
Nurse Blake (Oct 27) – Get your shots of healthcare humor from Blake Lynch, aka Nurse Blake (nurseblake.com), who’s itching to stick crowds with needles full of laughs, regaling them with trauma center tales from the front lines of the medical community. Live skits, real interactive stories, and videos are the stuff his sold-out tours are made of, as he’s also created a popular nursing conference, an app providing free continuing nursing education courses and authored a children’s book called “I Want to be a Nurse When I Grow Up.” Get a load of his hilarious videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@NurseBlake
Skyline Comedy Club (https://www.skylinecomedy.com/) – Appleton
Jamie Kennedy (Oct. 20-21) – Like Chappelle, Kennedy (https://jamiekennedy.com/) has graduated from sketch comedy to stand-up sensation. His TV show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” – featuring skits galore – was a smash hit on the WB network in the early 2000s, with Kennedy’s memorably moronic portrayal of clueless Malibu rapper Brad “B-Rad” Gluckman, as “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” a screwball masterclass in silliness. He’s appeared in serious films such as “The Three Kings,” “As Good as it Gets” and “Enemy of the State,” but he’s back to his old comedic tricks. Read about his wild path to stardom in his autobiography “Wannabe: A Hollywood Experiment.” Here’s Kennedy at work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Y0i0Ix2Xo&t=38s
Bradley Symphony Center (https://www.mso.org/support/symphony_center/) – Milwaukee; Orpheum Theater (https://madisonorpheum.com/) – Madison
Chelsea Handler (Oct 26, Bradley Symphony Center; Oct. 29, Orpheum Theater) – “Revolution” is in the air, or at least it was in 2022 when Handler (https://www.chelseahandler.com/) released her critically acclaimed Netflix comedy special of the same name. Known for her refreshing honesty and unfiltered sarcasm, Handler is a riot, unassailably smart and satirical in riffing on pop culture and sex and able to roast anybody on command. She hosted E!’s entertaining and groundbreaking “Chelsea Lately,” as the only female late-night TV talk show host around, and she’s written six books – plus, she has a funny podcast called “Dear Chelsea.” Here she is in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jPcLMTPrCw