Lewis Black Retiring From Comedy, Announces Final Tour
All good things must come to an end, and as Deadline reveals, legendary comedian Lewis Black has announced his retirement from standup comedy. With nearly four decades of jokes told in his one-of-a-kind voice, the funny man will be ending his visits to towns across North America and Europe in what he’s dubbed the Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour. The news comes just one month before his current tour, Off the Rails, closes out in December.
Lewis Black’s Final Comedy Tour Kicks Off In 2024
Not planning to rest for very long, Lewis Black will be hitting the road for his final batch of shows following the holiday season in January 2024. Planning to travel to as many places as possible for his final hurrah, the tour will run well into 2025 with tickets going on sale Friday, November 17. Essentially, this is a call to action for all those devoted fans of the performer who have yet to see him on stage, as well as those jonesing for another opportunity to see the comedic magic happen right before their eyes.
A Focus On Writing
Just because he’s letting the curtain close on his standup career, that doesn’t mean that Lewis Black will be bowing out from the entertainment industry as a whole. Instead, the performer plans to focus more time on his writing skills, planning to pen both a new play and a book. His recognizable voice will also still be heard on his podcast, Rantcast, with Black continuing to bring audiences his hottest takes on the world around him.
While Goodbye Yeller Brick Road is being billed as Lewis Black’s grand finale, he says that there’s a possibility of seeing him in one-off shows in the future. Like all the greats of rock n’ roll, if there’s a big enough demand – and a high enough cash reward – chances are, the comedian will take the stage again down the line.
COVID Saved His Career
Lewis Black also says that while some may be shocked by his big reveal, anyone who’s been paying attention should know that the retirement announcement was only a matter of time. In fact, it would seem as though we’ve been lucky to have him around for all these years as he chalks up the last few tours as a COVID-19 response, commenting that without that isolated year during the pandemic, he’d have been retired for years.
Lewis Black On Comedy Central And HBO
While he had been crushing the mic at standup events for years prior, Lewis Black’s career really took off during the mid-90s thanks to appearances on networks like Comedy Central and HBO. With plenty of specials under his belt, the comedian’s style was in a league of its own, as he blended vein-popping rants with jokes.
Lewis Black And Voice Acting
Outside of his solo comedy, Lewis Black has also been featured both in voice and live-action in a slew of films and TV shows. From The Brak Show to Madoff and SpongeBob SquarePants, you’ve likely heard Black’s voice backing some of your favorite characters. Most recently, it was announced that the entertainer would return to the world of Pixar and Disney in Inside Out 2 to reprise his role as Anger.
If you haven’t seen Lewis Black on stage and it’s on your bucket list, now’s the time to catch the comedic genius before it’s too late. With what sounds to be a lengthy tour, Black will likely be coming to a city near you over the next year.
