Cheech and Chong Tour to Light Up Stages Soon

Cheech and Chong buzz stoners and stoner comedy fans once more with their talk of reuniting for a planned comedy tour, "Hey, What's That Smell?" According to the tour's promoter, Live Nation, the duo are expected to take audiences to new highs with a series of comedic stage performances, beginning at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia on September 12, 2008. Despite reunion plans having been foiled before due to feuding antics of these aging "peace loving hippies", it appears this reunion may see a kick-off. Tickets go on sale August 8 at 4:20 pm at livenation.com.

In today's cinematic culture of Harold & Kumar style stoner comedy, will Cheech and Chong prove themselves the kings, or will their comedy seem tired and irrelevant? The duo feels their comedic antics are still culturally relevant, and will test this theory as the world watches.

Cheech and Chong were staples of my entertainment and amusement when I was younger. Though I was not a stoner, I had many friends who were... and Cheech and Chong made me giggle like I had been smoking the wacky weed myself. One of my favorite movies as a young teenager was Up in Smoke, where Cheech and Chong drive across the Mexican border in a van made entirely from marijuana. With the FBI hot on their tales, they searched constantly for the best high. Who can forget "The Man" telling Pedro to "MELLOW OUT MAN!" in the throws of his panic over accidentally ingesting too much acid? This line was, of course, followed by his sincere attempt to help his friend "melllow out" by telling him to chant "oooohhhhmmm...oooohhhhmmmm...." Caring friend, the man. "Isn't that better?" he asks, before waving his hands and growling monster style in his face suddenly. Who hasn't had friends like that? Even poor Pedro, after a pot-induce processing delay, had to laugh and admit the humor in the prank.

Never will I forget the humorous scene where "The Man" hands Pedro a burrito sized fatty of a joint, and after Pedro brags about how he could smoke the whole thing, takes a few tokes, and asks, "How's my driving, man?" The answer? "I think we're parked, man."

Today with the "War on Drugs" marijuana is looked upon as a much more evil vice than when Cheech and Chong reigned supreme kings of comedy. On one hand, the glamorization of pot might make many moms and congressmen uncomfortable. That being said, obviously, there are still just as many stoners around, who have friends, and most of them are making flicks like Harold & Kumar and Pineapple Express successful and mainstream comedies. Is the time right for Cheech and Chong's return? There is not time like the present to find out. I look forward to seeing the chemical dependency, errr, chemistry these two share on a stage soon. According to their schedule, the doobie duo will be appearing near me in November, and I intend to be there. We shall soon see if Cheech and Chong are more than the stuff of cult classics, but rather, a national treasure of entertainment in the bleary eyes of a new generation of stoner comedy fans.