Weird Al Tour

[Jonny Worldbeater]

(Wasn't sure exactly where to put this, but hey, it's technically music so here you go.)

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of checking out one of the shows on Weird Al Yankovic's Australian tour, and I have to say that it's up there with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest in terms of the most fun and the best gigs I've ever been to.

Honestly, there was never a dull moment in the show from start to finish, and it really made me appreciate just how much of a talented performer and musician Weird Al actually is. I mean, the guy was doing his parodies in so many different styles from grunge and garage rock to lounge music and romance ballads to psychedelic rock, folk, synth, punk and pop, and he did justice to each genre while also being hilarious. And man can that guy hold a note for a long time.

And his stage presence was as good if not better than anybody I've ever seen. I mean, even at 50 the guy has tremendous energy and flexibility, and he honestly must've gone through at least a dozen costume changes over the course of the 2 hour gig. Just about every song required him to have either an elaborate costume (such as the Kurt Cobain outfit, the 'Fat' suit, the James Blunt parody, the Doors song, and the big Star Wars finale) or precise comedic timing.

They did a great job keeping the crowd occupied between costume changes, etc. too, with a big screen set up to play clips from various shows and films he'd either been mentioned in or appeared in (which did seem a bit on-the-nose to me, but only a little) or slightly cut-down versions of mock interviews he'd done on his AL TV show. A lot of these clips also served as a lead-in for his next song.

And though the crowd interaction/audience participation seemed a little lacking in the early going, when Weird Al did get the crowd involved you knew about it. Mostly from the streamers and confetti or water being sprayed on you, or the man himself in a red tiger-print two-piece suit gyrating his hips in your face.

There was also a point right near the end (in the middle of singing 'Yoda') where he took the audience on what can most accurately be described as an extended Willy Wonka Tunnel scene mindfuck head trip, singing a cappella in weird chants and nursery rhymes and dancing under psychedelic light schemes. Suffice it to say, I had no idea what was going on, but it definitely kept me on my toes and we all went pretty crazy over it.

When the show was over, everybody was on their feet giving the guy a standing ovation.

It was a ton of fun and I had a great time. I highly recommend checking it out if you ever get the chance.

[Judge]

I remember when he came through here two albums ago (Poodle Hat Tour).  This describes perfectly what his concerts are like.  The man is a genius, moreso than anyone else.

I remember the Yoda chant too.  It's amazing how they do that and so mind trippy to be awesome.

[Duckman]

You know, I'm not a fan of his work, but to see you guys speaking so highly of him as a performer is awesome!

One of the best things about EFK is how diverse the tastes and opinions are on all subject.

You learn something new every day!

Peace

Duckman