Its the reunion many fans of comedy thought would never happen. After years of well-known animosity and creative differences, comedians Richard Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong better known as the stoner duo Cheech & Chong have picked up the peace pipe and are back out on the road, performing old favorites and new classics for the 420 generation.
According to Chong, its just like old (high) times.
It wasnt difficult at all to get back into this groove, Chong said. What we had to do was, again, take advantage of the situation, and thats what weve been doing. The best part of all this is we dont have to work as hard. We get paid twice as much for twice as less work. Thats always a good thing.
While Cheech & Chong are best known for their marijuana-related comedy, thanks to albums like Lets Make a Dope Deal and movies such as Up in Smoke, Chong believes the duo doesnt get enough credit for bringing non-white comedy to the masses.
What Cheech and I did was we made it OK for brown people to talk about their lives instead of comparing it to the straight white establishment, Chong said. We showed a world where there were brown people, and it was our world, the Cheech & Chong world. In fact, we became an adjective because of it. We werent trying to be white or a gang member; we were just trying to get high and have a good time.
The good times havent stopped. In addition to the tour, the two are currently in the process of coming up with a premise for a new feature film, one that can satiate both artists need for creative control and fulfillment.
Cheech and I, we had our problems. When we broke up, he went on and worked with a lot of directors in major movies like Quentin Tarantino and I had directed all the Cheech & Chong movies, including Up in Smoke, even though my name isnt on it. When we got back together again, Cheech wanted recognition and appreciation for what hes learned over the years, which is normal. Thats one of the reasons we havent done a (new) movie, because as a movie director, its really hard for me to work in other peoples movies. So were still working on it.
Until that time, audiences will flock to see the duo live onstage. Chong said the response has been pretty incredible, crediting it to their comedy not being a show as much as an experience one theyre excited to bring back for Oklahomans who have the munchies for some laughs.
Shit, yeah, I love playing Oklahoma! Chong said. I remember being there right after a tornado, and I wasnt going to come, and the promoter said, Oh, no, youve got to come!
Theyve got nowhere to live, but they still want to come to the concert! So I went there, and I met a couple of fans, and they said, Hey, man. When the tornado hit, we ran in the house and the only thing we rescued were the tickets to see your show. You really have some of the greatest stoners in the world.