Cheech & Chong at The Paramount
The Paramount
Huntington, NY
April 21, 2018
After 50 years, Cheech & Chong continue to delight, amaze, entertain and light audiences on fire. On a cool spring Saturday evening, counterculture icons Cheech & Chong entertained an enthusiastic sold-out house at Huntington, NY’s The Paramount.
Following a short set by Shelby Chong featuring her comedic take on sex, pot, life, love and her 40 year marriage Tommy Chong, Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong (wearing a “Don’t Blame Me I Voted For Cheech & Chong” t-shit) delivered a hysterical set that covered a wide portion of the duo’s comedic repertoire. The set included the customary hysterical costume character sketches, song parodies, humorous stories and basic stand-up comedy. Shelby Chong returned to the stage several times to serve as the emcee and lead the duo into the next skit and/or portion of the performance.
Highlights included: “Dave,” the skit famous for the “Dave’s not here” line; “Me and My Old Lady;” “Basketball Jones;” “Save The Whales;” “Does Your Mama Know About Me;” Chong's Blind Melon Chitlin' singing “Down Home Blues;” Cheech as Alice Bowie singing “Earache My Eye;” “Born in East L.A.,” the Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA” parody and the “Driving Scene from Up In Smoke (their 1978 stoner comedy film).
The show was held on 4-21. One attendee was seen wearing a t-shirt that stated, “4-19. I’m proactive.” One of the best quips of the night alluding to the date was, “Better late than never.” If you don’t understand the meaning and significance, please, by all means, look it up.
It is an amazing thing to realize that after all this time Cheech & Chong are still vital and performing their “classic” and, yes, vintage routines with the same zest, punch, vigor and relevancy that the fans remember and continue to love. Regardless of the passage of time, the short split over creative differences, Chong’s legal and health issues, the comedic geniuses are still a significant draw. The familiar material continues to pack ‘em in and bring back fond memories of a bygone time. Everyone can remember laughing until both their sides and head hurt. In many cases it was because of Cheech & Chong. It still is.
Photo Credit: Christine Connallon
