Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: "Torpedo" Is A Dud, Charlie Sheen Bombs At Radio City Music Hall
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 9, 2011
Modified Apr 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 7
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 9, 2011
Modified Apr 9, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night Charlie Sheen made his triumphant return to New York City, where just six months ago he was reborn, naked and frothing at the mouth in the Plaza Hotel. Since that day, America has stood transfixed at the trainwreck, and Sheen has found a way to capitalize on his womanizing, domestic abuse issues, drug addiction, alcoholism, and what appears to be a deteriorating mental state. Last night we witnessed the man unravel even further, with our own eyes, at Radio City Music Hall... where he was allowed to smoke, inside, on stage. He told us the only way to get there was through practice (wrong venue buddy), and was under the impression he sold both nights in New York out (there were plenty of seats open, with more opening every minute).
The show wasn't amusing, not even for the drunk frat boy set, and for every cheer he received there were many more disgruntled fans boo-ing him. Eric Stangel of The Late Show with David Letterman was on hand, and recapped it pretty well by saying, "he had the crowd, he lost the crowd, he ripped off the crowd." The show was simply Sheen sitting there drinking red Gatorade (Tiger's Blood? Vodka Crans?), chain smoking, spewing his catch phrases, and trying to tell stories that might engage the audience—here's what we learned:
- He was born at Lincoln Memorial Hospital in the Bronx.
- He smuggled cocaine onto a plane with Nic Cage, who later that day coined the term goddesses.
- He once saw Kiefer Sutherland rack up a $97,000 bar tab.
- Something about that time he went to an Austrian whorehouse and fucked an 8-month-pregnant hooker? Or something.
- He invited Chuck Lorre to come to the stage Sunday to "work shit out."
The stories were all short and broken up by Charlie's own distractions or harsh reactions from the audience. All in all the show was just about an hour, but we're pretty certain he had planned on it being longer—this may have been Detroit #2. We dragged our friend Carlo Johnson of The Cheap Thriller along with us last night, and after the show we got some audience reactions (check out the cameo from Sherri Shepherd and the token Ed Hardy-wearing guy!):
Tagged
Charlie Sheen
losing
radio city music hall
video
Violent Torpedo Of Truth
we were there
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .