There are currently few artistic pairings as consistently awesome as the occasional duo of Dave Chappelle and John Mayer.
On the latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show, Mayer—who's also been known to ax-sling with Dead & Company from time to time—delved a bit further into how their creative partnership works, and why it's an artistic win-win for them both.
"I gotta say, I've always wanted to be a stand-up and it didn't work very well for me," Mayer said on Tuesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Don't worry, I have a good thing going otherwise, but advice to anybody that's struggling as a stand-up comic: One of the best things you can do is just stand next to Dave Chappelle on stage, if you get the opportunity. He's such a great guy to set up for jokes. He goes up and he's better at what he does than anybody is at anything they do. That's why you go and see Dave. He's a great comic, but you're also watching someone just nail something."
Comparing the process of watching Chappelle perform to the same appreciation he has for remarkable athletes, Mayer affirmed that "greatness" in general is what he likes. "I watch Dave and I listen to the comedy and I laugh, but I also clap because I go 'How does someone's brain do that?'" he said. "And then all I have to do is say, like, two funny things and people walk out going, 'Those guys were hilarious!'"
All told, Mayer added, Chappelle can bring a crowd together like few others whether he's doing stand-up or sliding into a Radiohead cover. "He's one of the greatest leaders of a room I've ever seen," he said.
Mayer also jokingly lamented the Emmys' failure to nominate his Instagram "show" for an award and performed his underrated banger "New Light," which notably features a friendly zebra in its official video. Catch clips of those moments above.
