Chelsea Handler brings laughter, opinions, and LSD to Pittsburgh — as controversy tails her

Chelsea Handler says laughter — with a side of hallucinogens — is the best medicine. Through her comedy show, “I talk about all the medicine I take to get through these dark times we’re living in,” Handler tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “I talk a lot about my discovery of microdosing LSD and spreading that love and message across the globe.” Handler’s High and Mighty Tour will be stopping by Citizens Live at the Wylie on October 9.  The audience might hear a bit during the show that centers on her family; as the youngest of six, there are plenty of anecdotes to share. Handler talks about an open letter she wrote to them last summer calling out bad manners on family vacations, writing, “I don’t care how much our family annoys you. It’s the only one we’ve got, and we are stuck together for life.” “People really responded to that,” she says. “As a comedian, I just feel like in these moments, it’s so important to remind people about humanity.” Handler, who has been to Pittsburgh multiple times on tour, tries to stop by The Andy Warhol Museum when she’s in town.  “I think Pittsburgh doesn’t get the respect it deserves — it’s got that downtown Portland vibe in a sense,” she says. “When you go at the right time of year, especially, you get to experience [all of] the city and the amazing restaurants.”  She remembers having great biscuits and gravy at a small spot in town but couldn’t recall the name. Handler and a friend who lives in Pittsburgh visited in honor of his birthday, and now they stop by the spot every time Handler is in town. As far as jokes, Handler prefers to not talk about politics.  “We all know what’s happening, so that’s a bummer,” she says. “I talk about just the ways I’ve been able to light my life up.” Still, Handler says she’s not afraid to use her platform to speak on subjects some may find taboo, like menta