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Surprise! Chris Rock Spends Birthday with Adam Sandler in Cincinnati, Sings About 69ing an Astronaut

The comedians shared the stage during Sandler's comedy tour stop at Heritage Bank Center.

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click to enlarge Chris Rock (left) joins Adam Sandler during Sandler's comedy tour stop at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on Feb. 6, 2023. - Photo: twitter.com/joverton34
Photo: twitter.com/joverton34
Chris Rock (left) joins Adam Sandler during Sandler's comedy tour stop at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on Feb. 6, 2023.

When you're a comedy star and multi-millionaire, there's only one place to spend your birthday: Cincinnati.

Comedian Chris Rock may or may not have been thinking that when he joined fellow comic Adam Sandler at Heritage Bank Center on Feb. 6, but fans appreciated the move nonetheless. Sandler started out as the night's draw, but attendees said that Rock – whose birthday is Feb. 7 – was his own bonus gift.

Sandler was in town for an extension of his latest tour that began in October. During the shows, the veteran actor and comedian typically performs both standup and music, and Rock and fellow Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider helped with that in Cincinnati. The trio sang Sandler's song, "Station 69," which tells the story of two astronauts who "accidentally" end up in compromising positions while in space.
Some Cincinnati fans had already expected Schneider, who frequently ends up in Sandler's films, but many were surprised to see Rock, since the comedian was on his own tour and had just completed two nights in Norfolk, Virginia.

The night also included a tuneful tribute to Sandler's close friend and former Saturday Night Live co-star, the late Chris Farley. During a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sandler said that the song – which he'd debuted while hosting SNL in 2019 – remains emotional because of his continued connections with Farley’s family.

Sandler was part of a popular SNL cohort in the early 1990s that included Farley, Rock, Schneider, David Spade and Tim Meadows. His characters like "Canteen Boy," "Opera Man" and "Gap Girl" made the show essential viewing for people of a certain age, and his skit songs "Lunchlady Land," "Thanksgiving Song" and "Hanukkah Song" were staples on morning radio shows and in high schools. The show launched Sandler and his friends into the film world, where he became a bankable star in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer.

But the guy who compelled us to laugh at fart jokes is even more of a force now. Theatrical film and TV offers have continued over the decades, but Sandler has turned his sights largely to streaming. Through a major deal with Netflix, Sandler's company Happy Madison Productions has produced a number of top-rated family hits and adult comedies.

Even legitimate arts influencers are recognizing the Sand Man’s many talents. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Sandler would receive its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a ceremony this May. Previous recipients include Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal and George Carlin (The organization recently presented actor/producer and former Mason student George Clooney with the Kennedy Center Honors).

Sandler received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.


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