If you couldn’t tell already, my music tastes are all over the place. I love metal, I love punk, apparently I love Dave Matthews Band, and I absolutely love Weird Al Yankovic.
If you try and tell me that you don’t enjoy Weird Al, you’re lying to me and yourself and you’re missing out!
My ex-step-dad was obsessed with Weird Al. We would travel all over Iowa just to see him. It was to the point where my little brother and I had memorized every word to his song “Albuquerque” which is 11 minutes and 22 seconds of ramblings about his fictional life in Albuquerque, NM. (Feel free to challenge me on the lyrics)
I remember the one time I met Al. It was after one of his shows in Iowa City. My step dad, brother, and I waited around the venue just long enough to finally get a chance to meet him. I had him sign my shoe and my jacket because that’s all I could think of in the spur of the moment. I don’t remember much from that night but I do remember how down to earth Al was. He was very nice, very polite, and extremely funny even in the few seconds I got to talk to him.
There was another time when during “Wanna B Ur Lover”, a song all about terrible pick-up lines, Weird Al ended up in my lap singing to me. I was too young at the time to really realize what was going on or how inappropriately hilarious it was. He did the same thing last night during the song. He walked through the crowd and would sit in people’s laps, shake his butt in their faces, anything he could do to embarrass the members of the crowd. Nobody seemed to be embarrassed by it. They were more honored that they were picked to have a weird lap dance type thing from Weird Al.
I went to the show last night with a good friend and her two kids that I used to nanny when I was college. Every time I would pick the kids up from school they would ask me a million questions about the show that I was at the night before. It fascinated them. Last night was the little girl’s first concert. I was absolutely honored to be a part of it. She was smiling ear to ear the whole night. She kept on leaning over to me and screaming “This is awesome!” in my ear. I remember my first concert like it was yesterday. I hope she can do the same. Mine was Slipknot, hers was Weird Al but that doesn’t matter. A concert is a concert and an experience to remember for a lifetime.
Al had more wardrobe changes than Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga combined. A smoke machine? Nah, he had a freaking bubble machine! Between almost every song, there were clips of Weird Al being featured in The Simpsons, Family Guys, interviews, movies, award shows… the list goes on and on. What an empire this guy, his accordion and creativity has made.
Weird Al isn’t the most talented musician I’ve ever seen (I mean, how could he be, he plays accordion). He definitely isn’t the cutest musician I’ve ever seen (again, probably has to do with the accordion). But he is probably the most entertaining musician I have ever seen.
If you get a chance, you have to see Weird Al live. You’ll definitely leave with a smile on your face. What a great entertainer.
Line Up:
Venue: Mystic Lake Casino
Sausage Fest Meter- 5 out of 10
Crowd Surfers- None
Broken Bones- None
Drunkards Taken Out By Security- None
Found in the Pit- It was auditorium seating, which I typically hate, but worked for this show
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