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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Entertainment
Nardine Saad

Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle join forces for California comedy tour

LOS ANGELES — Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle are bringing their joint comedy tour to California for a limited run this winter.

The global film and TV stars, who cut their teeth as touring comics, will co-headline seven more shows, capitalizing on the success of their recent sold-out European arena tour. The new leg begins Dec. 1 in San Diego at the Viejas Arena at the Aztec Bowl. After a stop in Phoenix at the Footprint Center on Dec. 5, Rock and Chappelle will work their way up the California coast.

The Emmy winners will appear at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Dec. 7, SAP Center in San Jose on Dec. 10, Chase Center in San Francisco on Dec. 11 and Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Dec. 12.

They'll wrap the limited tour on Dec. 14 at the Acrisure Arena at Greater Palm Springs in Thousand Palms, according to Live Nation.

"Arguably the two greatest stand-up comedians of their generation, Rock and Chappelle are not just comics, they're good friends who express ranging views while celebrating their mutual respect for each other," the promoter said in a Thursday statement.

General on sale for tickets begins Friday on Ticketmaster.com. As usual, no cellphones, cameras or recording devices are allowed at the shows, and attendees will have to secure their devices, including smartwatches, in Yondr pouches that are unlocked at the end of the show, Live Nation said.

In September, the comedy legends performed a joint show at London's O2 arena, where they both addressed high-profile altercations they experienced onstage earlier this year, as well as the firestorm Chappelle ignited with transphobic jokes he made in his polarizing Netflix special "The Closer."

Rock, lest anyone forget, was infamously slapped by Oscar winner Will Smith onstage while presenting at the Academy Awards last March. Weeks later, when he joined Chappelle for the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Chappelle was attacked by a man who was promptly subdued and taken into custody. (The man was later charged with four misdemeanors.)

The incidents have turned into material for both the "Amsterdam" star and "Chappelle's Show" headliner, with each of them quipping about their respective altercations in later appearances, although Rock has kept pretty tight-lipped about the slap seen 'round the world.

However, during a Phoenix show in August, Rock told the audience that he turned down hosting the Oscars next year because returning to Hollywood's biggest night would be like returning to a crime scene, he joked. (Rock hosted the awards ceremony in 2005 and 2016.) The "Grown Ups" star also said he turned down a post-slap Super Bowl commercial offer.

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