There was a certain aroma around Stephens Auditorium Thursday night as a mixed crowd filled their seats to see Cheech and Chong reunited on stage as a part of the “Light Up America” tour.

Laughter came from reenactments of some of the duo’s better known movie scenes, Tommy Chong’s stand up and musical numbers like the bluesman “Blind Melon Chitlin.”

Chong often took time to advocate for legalization of pot, suggesting if Michael Jackson had smoked instead of done coke, he’d still be alive.

“People say ‘how do you know he did coke?’” Chong said on stage, “Because man, when your nose falls off your face motherfucker, you’re doin’ cocaine!”

Two Webster City fans, Pat Coons and Matt Worthen picked up their tickets the day they hit presale after seeing them in 2008 in Minneapolis, Minn.

 “They were a little better this time,” Worthen said. “Though we did have better seats.”

Coons said he’s been a fan since he caught one of their movies on HBO when he was 12 years old.

The beginning of Cheech and Chong’s act reenacted the opening scene to “Up In Smoke,” their first major film. The animated screen on stage behind the actors provided the scenery while lights and sound effects simulated the rest of the environment.

The two played out skits like “Let’s Make a Dope Deal,” where Chong won 1,000 pounds of Black Afghani hash, and “Grumpy Old Stoners.”  Mixed in with skits were stand up bits by Chong and musical numbers by both, often taking on personas and finishing with their classic “Born In East LA” and a sing along to a Willie Nelson-esque stoner ballad called “Up In Smoke.”

Cheech and Chong often mentioned specifics about Iowa, citing The Davenport Times in a dog skit, one of Chong’s characters was a professor of experimental engineering at Iowa State and Cheech’s hillbilly “cousin” Ricky claimed his father was from Iowa.

Chong’s wife Shelby, who did a stand up act to open the show, confirmed rumors about the two reuniting for a movie.

Shelby Chong’s act fit right in with jokes about weed, dropping acid and legalizing marijuana – something Tommy has become a strong advocate for since his prison time in 2003. Shelby mentioned the possibility of calling the tour next year “Get It Legal,” while her husband brought up legalization in several skits.

Shelby recalled her first encounter with Tommy, after she left a grocery store stoned and wearing cantaloupes for shoes. Tommy walked up and asked “Can I have some of what you’re smokin, man?”

The famous pair has been apart pursuing separate career paths for the past decades – Cheech Marin often voicing Disney movie characters, while Chong has reprised his role as a hippy in several television series, most notably on “That 70’s Show.”

Jeremy LeAir, 35 of Des Moines, thought the show was “great” and said he had been a fan for 25 years.

“I got into them when I started taking my mom’s copies of their albums,” he said.

The merchandise table was full of the typical concert priced shirts, posters and the famous vinyl album “Big Bambu,” which contained a vinyl record sized rolling paper.

As LeAir walked away from the merchandise table, he laughed as he said he “picked up a couple posters and a good buzz.”

SIDEBAR:

Cheech and Chong’s names have both become slang for getting stoned.

Richard Marin’s nickname “Cheech” is short for “Chicharron,” a snack of Mexican cuisine, made of fried pork skins.

Cheech and Chong provided voices to Native American posers selling tampons made of hair in an episode of South Park in 2000.

Cheech has lent his voice to characters in Disney’s The Lion King and the character Gaspar Gomez in the video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

Chong wore Leo’s jean jacket vest from That 70s Show on stage in Ames.

Cheech’s private collection of Chicano art is said to be the largest in the world.

Chong was the guitarist of a band, Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers, which was signed to Gordy Records, a division of Motown, in the 1960’s.