Dave Chappelle on Pioneer Square turnout: 'Oops!'
01:22 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 15, 2009
By ERIC ADAMS and PAT DOORIS, Kgw.com
PORTLAND, Ore. -- "Dave Chappelle in town .. free @ Pioneer Square @ midnite."
That was the message on the tweets of Portland Tuesday as word spread of a free, impromptu performance from comedian Dave Chappelle, a comic icon akin to Richard Pryor for those who grew up with Comedy Central.
Raw: Dave Chappelle in Portland
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Chappelle's publicist on Wednesday told KGW that the comic "would do it all over again," but a bit more organized the next time around. The comedian knew his little spur-of-the-moment standup had grown unruly when KGW Newschannel 8 anchor Joe Donlon asked about it Tuesday evening at a coffee shop.
"Oops! Obviously I didn't expect that kind of turn out," Chappelle said of the overnight turnout, which drew thousands by any estimate.
Chappelle said he told four people at the gym that he'd seen a stage set up in Pioneer Square and he thought it would be fun to tell a few jokes there.
He also may have told one person at the Local 35 clothing store.
By twilight Tuesday a crowd of young faces had begun to coalesce at Pioneer Courthouse Square. A few hours later, thousands were hanging out, all self-organized via social networking, text messaging, Facebook updates and Twitter. Photos: Share Chappelle photos
Portland Police shut streets down around the Square and called in backup from other precincts.
Just when people thought Chappelle was a no-show, the "Chapelle Show" host took the "Noon Tunes" stage around 1 a.m. with nothing more than a microphone and a small, portable sound system.
Chappelle cracked a few jokes -- he thanked Portland police for not arresting him and talked about Nancy Reagan.
He estimated the crowd at between 3,000 and 4,000. Most couldn't hear him -- there wasn't a sound system set up since it was an impromptu event -- and he himself couldn't believe so many people showed up.
"Put your clothes on, please," he asked of many who were climbing around the Square naked.
Many in the crowd said they couldn't see or hear the man they'd waited for, but no one seemed to care, and there was little if any disruptive or criminal behavior, according to police reports.
"We were at a bar, we got a text message that Dave Chappelle was gonna be here," one fan told KGW.
"I heard from word of mouth and believed it," said Adam Roberts.
"You look around and you can see the kind of pull Chappelle has, especially among youth," Chance McDowell said.
There's no official estimate of the number of fans that turned out, since Chappelle did not organize an event with the city.
Police Bureau spokesperson Mary Wheat said one supervisor estimated 2,500 people but no one knew for sure.
Wheat said police escorted Chappelle to his hotel afterward.
"Chappelle did not expect such a large response and appreciated the assistance the Portland Police provided," she said.
A few people were reportedly hurt climbing on structures around the square, dispatchers said.
There were no arrests or citations issued, Wheat said.
Chappelle was in Portland to visit a few friends after a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park fell through, according to publicist Carla Sims.
The comedian was lying low somewhere in the metro Portland area on Wednesday. His publicist was not going to tell a single soul where he might be.
