Twitter and PDX Pipeline are lighting up with rumors that comedian Dave Chappelle is slated to appear at midnight in Pioneer Courthouse Square tonight for a surprise stand-up gig/party/ice cream social/brouhaha. Some are saying it's a sure thing and that they heard it from the man himself, others are saying that the square closes sharply at midnight and, if Chappelle shows up, anything he has planned will be quickly shut down.

Place your bets. I've got $5 on "it's just a rumor, he won't show." I drove past the square about 45 minutes ago. There were a few people and some cops milling about. At a stoplight on Broadway I had to wait beside a pedicab driver wearing bunny ears. Honestly, I think that guy peddling past the square is going to be the most exciting thing that will be happening down there tonight.

UPDATE: I flew downtown at the last minute after a colleague sent me a text message saying that over 4,000 people had shown up in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Dave arrived around 1 AM with a mic and a tiny amp. An impromptu attempt to set up a sound system was nixed once no one could find a place to plug it all in. Watching dozens of spectators stretch a long extension cord across the square was pretty surreal. Altogether, it was one of the oddest and most spontaneous events I've ever attended. Oh, and two people put on a strip show on the top of Starbucks and were promptly taken away by PPD. Photos and a play-by-play from last night can be found over on the blog's Twitter page.

Labels: rumors