"Weird Al" Yankovic

Pacific Amphitheatre - July 9, 2011

Live Review by Amber Henson

Okay, here’s the deal: maybe you’re not a Weird Al fan (at least, it’s not something you would admit to someone who hadn’t already labeled themselves a fan first), but you have heard most of his singles through the years and you think he’s pretty funny.  Then you should go see him on tour.  Because it’s awesome.  In the sense of “oh, hey, this is pretty funny and it’s quality and I’m having a good time and laughing and enjoying myself and it’s always nice going to a concert where you know no one’s going to die from a drug overdose.” [Editor’s Note: What kind of shows are we usually sending you to?]

The fact of the matter is your parents simply didn’t love you enough to provide you with Weird Al cassettes and CDs as a young child, like mine did, so that your sense of humor would be molded by his sense of humor (although I did find "Nature Trail to Hell in 3D" thoroughly terrifying at the age of seven).  But that’s okay. You’re reading this now and that’s what’s important.  Perhaps you think, like I sort of do, that "Perform That Way" isn’t the most brilliant song he’s ever written, but his concerts aren’t just about the music.  They’re also about the costume changes, which are always hilarious, and the videos that are shown to the audience while said costume changes are taking place (if you’ve ever wanted to watch the "Wheel of Fish" portion of UHF with around 8,000 people, now’s your chance).   

As I was leaving the concert (which took about two and a half hours total, without an opener) I heard a nerdy young man ask his girlfriend if she enjoyed herself.  “Yeah,” she answered, and sounded genuine, “it was entertaining.”  That’s thing about Yankovic – although he's a great musician, one who after 30 years in the business can juggle sounds with his eyes closed – he is mainly an entertainer.  His quips between songs are funny, the fake interview clips are funny, and his song concepts are funny.  If you could use a laugh these days, this is where I would say you can find a bunch.