Weird Al Yankovic keeps it weird on Strings Attached tour
Going to a Weird Al Yankovic concert is a bit like going to a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum. You know it’s going to be wacky, but you really have no idea until you experience it. Somehow you find yourself both pleasantly surprised and unable to fully describe what you’ve just witnessed.
The parody writer certainly lived up to his name Sunday, giving the audience 10 costume changes, a Segway and storm troopers that knew how to bust a move. His performances resembled his music videos, some of which played in the background, at times creating sensory overload.
The weirdest part of his show wasn’t the costumes or gimmicks, though. It was the 41- piece symphony orchestra that took up almost the entire Benedum Center stage. Yankovic took his tour name, Strings Attached, quite literally. While unexpected, the orchestra brought the sold- out show to life.
The orchestra began with four iconic movie songs ranging from “Indiana Jones” to “Superman.” As the set drew to an end, the calm was wrecked by the craziness of Yankovic coming onstage in a Hawaiian shirt and unruly hair.
He opened the second half of the show with a mashup of “I Lost on Jeopardy,” “I Love Rocky Road” and “Like a Surgeon.” Then came “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota.” He paraded around the stage a bit, proving that songwriting and singing are more his forte than dancing.
It should be noted, however, that for someone who has performed more than 1,000 shows, he still has an awesome high leg kick.
The audience clapped along with “Word Crimes,” his parody of Robin
Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Yankovic followed that up with what he called a public service announcement, which was really his song, “Don’t Download This Song,” warning of the dangers of pirating music.
Yankovic then cranked up the crazy, incorporating Viking helmets and a breakup ballad of sorts, “You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” which ended with him smashing a guitar on stage. It felt unnecessary, but got the audience laughing and was far more tasteful than his next song.
For “Tacky,” a parody of Pharell Williams’ “Happy,” Yankovic came out in overthetop attire and waded into the audience. He walked all the way to the back of the venue, stopping several times to shake his behind at audience members and climb on chairs. A cameraman followed so those in the balcony could witness the buffoonery as well.
After a costume change, Yankovic and the rest of the band emerged dressed like a ‘ 90s grunge band, ready for “Smells like Nirvana,” their parody of that band’s “Smells like Teen Spirit.”
During more costume changes, a screen featured clips of shows that have referenced Weird Al and a mock-movie trailer about his career, staying true to his parody theme.
The movie trailer featured a clip of his popular songs “Fat” and “Eat It,” both parodies of Michael Jackson songs. In the wake of HBO’s “Leaving Neverland” documentary, which detailed alleged sexual abuse of two teenage boys by Jackson, Yankovic said in June he was indefinitely removing the parodies from his setlist.
Yankovic rolled into the next song, “White and Nerdy,” on a Segway wearing a red do- rag. His guitarist and bassist completed the look with pocket protectors and his backup singers wore huge, black- framed glasses.
The crowd went crazy when Yankovic finished the show with “Amish Paradise.” He said he wasn’t going to play longer, but of course came back out for an encore featuring two parody songs about the “Star Wars” movie franchise.
For “The Saga Begins,” a parody of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” he dressed as Obi- Wan Kenobi, bringing a full posse of space characters with him. While Darth Vader just stood motionless, the storm troopers were jamming out, getting the audience into it.
The night ended with “Yoda,” a parody of “Lola” by The Kinks. Yankovic pulled out all the stops, showing off his accordion skills and engaging the audience in a singalong.
Weird Al, his band and the orchestra managed to pack more entertainment, costumes and clever lyrics into one performance than some artists do in a whole tour. All of the wacky elements worked, making the concert fun for all ages, as long as you’re willing to embrace the weirdness.