Rock Steady

In the documentary The Black List: Volume One, currently pitching its tent on the film-fest circuit before landing on HBO in the fall, Chris Rock announces the precise moment at which racism in the U.S. will be pronounced a thing of the past: It'll happen when black artists are allowed to "suck" with as much impunity as their white counterparts. It's a typically head-nodding ha-ha-a-ha moment from Rock, who's become as much cultural critic as arena-sized comic ever since escaping the SNL death trap. Surrounded by the likes of Colin Powell and Bill T. Jones and Toni Morrison in the doc, from Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell, Rock's contribution packs even more of a knowing sting—that of the artist who suffered through his own humiliations (Sgt. Bilko, Beverly Hills Ninja) till emerging as the righteously indignant seer doling out the audaciously God's-honest with the easy-to-swallow chuckle. Rock, for whom telling the truth’s more important than getting the laugh, is on the road promoting a best-of—and Barack Obama. And his trips through town have always been more fevered rock concert than stand-up show—that Bronco Bowl nearly a decade ago was as sweltering as it was blistering—100 degrees on stage, a thousand off. The Nokia Theatre's nice—at $45.50 to $75.50, it damn well better be—but Rock'll still find a way to take that sucker down brick by brick. Call 214-373-8000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Thu., March 27, 2008