For the first time in festival history, Summerfest will welcome a comedy show to its main stage. Dave Chappelle will be bringing a special, phone-free evening to the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, with a brand of comedy that has transformed into honest, from the heart commentary on the state of the world.
While you may be thinking about George Carlin, Lewis Black, or any of the other comedy acts that have played The Big Gig, none have headlined the amphitheater previously, and Chappelle is likely to be a fairly exclusive moment for the music festival. Prior to the pandemic, he had returned to touring, utilizing technology from a company called Yondr to lock audience members’ devices during the show.
That will be the case again on September 11, when fans will maintain possession of their electronics, but can only use them outside of the venue’s main seating bowl at unlocking stations. With the phone-free environment and likely a trademark cigarette on stage, Chappelle will very much keep his statements raw and candid, as seen in his recent Netflix stand-up specials produced from his current hometown in Ohio. While he likely won’t be arrested for reciting “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television,” the spirit of Carlin lives on in Chappelle’s live show, and Milwaukee will have a one-off event that you simply should not miss.
