There’s a reason nerds love "Weird Al" Yankovic: he's a humble, affable, legendary comedic genius. Quite simply, there's not another public figure who has sustained his level of brilliance and cultural relevance for as long as he has. In addition to his remarkably consistent discography, "Weird Al" puts on an unequivocally brilliant live show, and Milwaukee has the distinct pleasure of hosting it this Saturday at Summerfest (on the 4th of July, nonetheless!)
Al's latest album “Mandatory Fun” is actually his best selling of all time, and marks the first time a comedy album has topped the Billboard Charts since 1963. Not to be outdone by Beyonce, he produced a video for every single track off of the record. Here’s one of the highlights, a brilliant Robin Thicke parody about common grammatical errors:
If you’ve yet to experience one of his performances, do yourself a favor and go. An easy performer to take for granted due to his prolific work ethic, his latest album “Mandatory Fun” marks the completion of his 32 year record contract with RCA Records., and this may be his last tour for some time.
In a time where cynicism and negativity rule, Yankovic has remained a beacon of lighthearted comedy that can bring out anyone’s inner child. His live show captures that spirit through the use of multi-media, costumes, and a deft selection from his catalog of parodies and polkas spanning the last 30 years.
The highlight of seeing Weird Al live is his energy, and the fact that he goes through a myriad of costume changes throughout his set. By the end of a Weird Al show, he must burn more calories than someone running two half-marathons. During these costume changes, he uses footage from his mock-interview Al-TV days with MTV to keep the laughs coming. Here's one of the highlights:
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One fixture of his live show is the Michael Jackson parody “Fat.” The performance is always preceded by a shot-for-shot parody remake of the classic MJ video, “Bad,” before Al emerges in a fat suit wearing the famous "Bad" jacket, complete with countless pointless zippers.
If we’ve whet your appetite for sweet, sweet, nerdy comedy make sure to catch the show on the Saturday night. Look for our review next Monday, and don't forget to follow @punchlinemke on Twitter.
This week’s Knockout of the Week is the classic UHF sketch- a mock preview for 'Gandhi 2.' Kids all over America (ourselves included) grew up laughing at this without fully understanding the satirical slant of the humor.
"He's a 1 man wrecking crew, but he also knows how to party."
