It’s hard to believe it’s already been three years since Tim Dillon was last at The Wilbur. Over the course of those years, however, he has only continued to level up in the industry and, in some ways, achieve somewhat of a status of “royalty” amongst his loyal fans. Now as he returns, he’s ready to make his most up-to-date decree, and dish out a new dose of judgment amongst his kingdom.
With his latest visit to the city kicking off tonight (February 14) at the legendary Tremont Street venue as part of his American Royalty tour, Dillon couldn’t be happier about coming back. For starters, he has four shows on the docket (the fourth being a benefit show of sorts, with proceeds going to support the New York native fixing his pool at home), and within those four shows, he has the immense pleasure of performing for what he considers to be one of the very best comedy crowds in the world, and he’s not just saying that because the shows are selling really well.
“I just love Boston. It’s one of the greatest places to do comedy because it has a lot of smart people, and a lot of stupid people, and those are the ingredients you need to make anything good,” Dillon tells Vanyaland. “You need a mix of intelligent people and idiots, and that mix is so prevalent in Boston, and that’s why I say it’s probably my favorite place to perform. It’s the perfect incubator for comedy.”
When it comes to the name of the tour, the term “American Royalty” admittedly didn’t mean too much to Dillon when he first put it out there, as he originally wanted to name it something else, but was thwarted by an overarching threat of copyright infringement. Even now, it still may not mean all that much to him, but he does like the idea that it points to a sort of tongue-in-cheek, post-apocalyptic idea that we are in the end times of humanity, and serve as our own kings and queens.
As far as what audiences can expect from the hour in terms of subject matter or delivery this time around, Dillon is promising a resolve to some heavy issues weighing on society at the moment in ways that you may not have guessed.
“It’s almost entirely dance, with very little talking involved,” jokes Dillon. “There’s a lot of improvisation where I basically try to solve the Middle East conflict through modern dance. That’s what people should expect, so if someone bought a ticket or is planning on buying a ticket to one of the shows, just know that it will be an hour and a half of me acting out the story of Israel and Palestine through dance. If that’s not for them, then don’t even come. It’s what needs to be said.”
Following the success of his first one-hour special, A Real Hero, which landed on Netflix in 2022, Dillon has continued to ascend into the upper echelon of modern comedy with his spastic yet well-articulated diatribes on current events. Although that approach has proven to be effective in getting the attention of both his current and prospective audiences, Dillon has taken things in a bit of a different direction with this show over the course of the last year and change – but that’s not to say it’s any less potent.
In fact, Dillon feels like this slate of material is actually funnier than what made up his last finished product, as it delves more into the realm of “silly,” rather than the intensity of darker and more serious topics.
“I don’t really know that the [previous] special inspired this new show, directly or indirectly, but I’m just lucky enough to be able to go out and do stand-up about things that I think are funny, and people enjoy it. I also think the world has gotten more stupid and sillier since I did my last hour, so this hour is a bit sillier,” says Dillon. “Last time, I covered a lot of serious topics because we were dealing with COVID and riots, and so many other things, but now we’re dealing with some issues that are just sillier or more trivial. This show is more fun and less intense, for sure.”
Having filled up the time since his last stop in the city with a plethora of new opportunities, including a role in Eli Roth’s 2023 holiday slasher film Thanksgiving, and the chance to flesh out a few other projects still in the works, Dillon is ready to be back in Boston to eat up all the love the city has for him – and perhaps a cannoli or two in the process.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Bova’s bakery. That place is just amazing,” says Dillon. “Bobby Kelly told me about it, and quite frankly, it’s been his best advice he’s ever given me.”
TIM DILLON: AMERICAN ROYALTY :: Wednesday, February 14 to Friday, February 16 at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: Showtimes vary, $49 to $89 :: Advance tickets