The comedian’s first stand-up comedy tour in almost a decade will be called Total Blackout. And he promises it will include all-new material, despite the fact that the title stems from a hashtag he started on Twitter, #blackout, prior to hosting this year’s Academy Awards. The awards ceremony was widely criticized due to the lack of diversity among the nominees, a fact that Rock did not shy away from and addressed throughout the broadcast.
Rock made the announcement in a Facebook Live Video outside of The Comedy Store, where he joked that he’s “been a little busy,” hence the long hiatus from doing what he loves. “You know,” he added, “writing Pootie Tang 3 and everything.”
In October, Rock confirmed a $40 million deal with Netflix to release two stand-up specials. Not surprisingly, the first will be filmed during the aforementioned tour.
Rock’s last comedy special was Kill the Messenger in 2008. It aired on HBO, and was a compilation of material from three performances in London, New York, and Johannesburg. Rock received a pair of Emmys for the special, including Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special. His most recent high-profile gig was hosting the 2016 Academy Awards.
You can snag tickets to one of Rock’s tour dates, which will include 25 appearances across the U.S. and one in Niagara Falls, Ontario,Canada, on Live Nation starting Wednesday. The tour will kick off in Durham, North Carolina, on Valentine’s Day (February 14), and will end in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on June 3.
