Is Shane Gillis Bigger Than Kevin Hart? Yes. (Most Adults Are.)

Shan Gillis hosting SNL on March 1, 2025 / Photograph by Will Heath/NBC

Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!

Shane Gillis Follows in Kevin Hart’s Footsteps with Headlining Gig at the Linc

Comedian Shane Gillis, who got his start in the Philly scene at clubs like Helium and the late, lamented Good Good Comedy Club, just announced he’ll headline a show at Lincoln Financial Field in July.

You may recall that Kevin Hart became the first comedian to sell out a football stadium when he played for 53,000 fans the Linc back in 2015.

Can Gillis expect a sellout? Probably. While he doesn’t have Hart’s movie-star clout, he’s widely considered one of the hottest names in the standup biz right now. He’s surely the biggest comic to publicly turn down an appearance at last month’s controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival for ethical reasons, famously quipping, “Weren’t those the 9/11 guys?”

Kevin Hart played the festival, by the way.

Gillis, of course, has made a few controversial choices of his own: In popular culture, he may still be known for being axed by SNL in 2019, just days after earning a spot in the cast, after racist and homophobic bits on his podcast came to light. Since then, a more nuanced picture of the man has emerged. Maybe? Maybe not? Regardless, he’s gone on to host SNL twice and star in his own Netflix sitcom Tires.

William Way Turns a Corner

William Way LGBT Community Center announced it’ll throw one last event at 1315 Spruce Street, its home of 30 years, before moving shop. Following December 5th’s One Last Dance cocktail party, WW will move operations to the Church of Saint Luke & The Epiphany at 330 South 13th Street.

Roxborough Gets New Dinosaur; Let’s Try Not to Behead this One

Yesterday we wrote about Manayunk residents mourning the beheading of their beloved neighborhood dinosaur statue, Bridget. Today they’re trying to decide what to name the new and totally identical statue donated to the pocket park where Bridget once lived by nearby Holod’s Garden Center.

By the Numbers

$49.8 million: Tax credit HBO’s Task will receive for returning to the area to film season two. “Thanks,” said Mark Ruffalo, his eyes squinting, his face pained, his body hunched over with the weight of time and trauma like a wilting gourd on a Marcus Hook stoop.

$43 million: Value of the federal grant SEPTA will use to replace its diesel buses with diesel-electric hybrids by 2028. But hear me out: What if we redirect the funds to Task?

$219.9 Million: Funding just granted to SEPTA for crucial safety and service upgrades. Are you serious right now? Think how much Task we could buy with that.

Lastly …

Now let us dream of the funky future that the music group Cameo envisioned in the video for their 1986 smash hit “Word Up.” They’ll be appearing at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow, along with Ken Jennings, Kelly Ripa, Vanna White, Ryan Seacrest, Peppa Pig and Smurfette balloons, and more.