Cheech & Chong at the Tent
Long before Cheech Marin co-starred in TV’s “Nash Bridges” and several decades before Tommy Chong was a guest star on “That ’70s Show,” Cheech and Chong were two of the biggest comedy stars of the ’70s. The cannabis kids hit it big with “Big Bambu” and other comedy albums and “Up in Smoke,” among other popular movies.
America’s favorite drug duo, Cheech and Chong, brought their Get It Legal Tour (their second reunion tour since 2008) to the surprisingly smoke-free Cape Cod Melody Tent on July 11.
Tommy Chong’s wife, Shelby, opened the show with some drug humor and provided some support when the duo needed an extra voice. Some of her material was a bit past its freshness date (Michael Phelps’ bong photo; Sarah Palin’s view of Russia), but she also had some funny lines.
Shelby claimed smoking pot makes food taste better. “I know because Tommy thinks I’m a fabulous cook,” she said.
She and Tommy have two sons. “Tommy has got both the boys into farming. It’s not that big of a farm. It’s the size of a closet.”
After her 10-minute solo routine, Shelby introduced Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong and asked them some questions she’d collected from the audience.
Someone asked which was which, and they pretended like they weren’t too sure. Chong recalled being awakened in the middle of the night by Shelby saying, “Cheech, Cheech – Chong will be home any minute.” He shrugged and added, “I was halfway down the driveway before I realized I’m Chong.”
The pair used the classic “Dave’s Not Here” routine as a starting point for a newer skit showing Dave getting busted. It wasn’t as funny as the original material, but it gave the two a chance to revisit some favorite themes: the pleasure they get from marijuana and their frustration with anyone who wants to suppress what they see as a harmless substance. “It’s the little green flower that gives us the power” is one of their mottos, and they say they find support in the Bible, where God is referred to as “the most high.”
The duo devoted about half the show to musical bits, which featured appearances by some memorable characters: Basketball Jones, Blind Melon Chitlin and Alice Bowie. Cheech is limited as a vocalist, but he can sing well enough to get the punchlines across.
Chong, on the other hand, is a decent musician, as he proved in the role of ancient blues singer Chitlin. In the ’60s, Chong was part of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, a group that signed with Gordy Records, an offshoot of Motown. Chong co-wrote “Does Your Mama Know About Me,” which was a hit for his group and later was recorded by Diana Ross & the Supremes.
Between some impressive blues riffs on the guitar, Chitlin shared some of his life philosophies. “When you’re blind, there’s only two kinds of women: those that smell good and those that don’t. I love them both,” he said.
Many of the funniest lines, especially those by Cheech’s alter ego Red (from the movie “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie”), are too R-rated to appear here. While the pace wasn’t as relentless as on their old comedy LPs, there were plenty of laughs over the course of the night. Whether or not Dave was around, it was good to have Cheech & Chong here.