Weird Al on the loose at Big Easy

Courtney Love once said, “You know you’ve made it [in the music

business] when Weird Al makes fun of you.” But since when does

anything Courtney Love have to say carry any clout? For whatever

reason, Weird Al Yankovic played at the Big Easy last Thursday.

Circa 50 years old, Weird Al played to dozens of adoring 10-year

olds and 30 something metal heads. An array of fake songs for the

first hour amazed the crowd of heavy metalers as they mouthed the

words to what the rest of the population hasn’t heard. It was a gay

time for the whole family.

With sub-elaborate costume changes between songs, Weird Al spent a

third of the show back stage. In his wake were video montages that

showed his extensive career as an entertainer.

Over the past two decades, Yankovic has made a name for himself

parodying any pop culture smash and the out of date footage

wouldn’t let you forget it. The videos worked in getting the crowd

more enthusiastic for the next song. When Yankovic couldn’t play

one of his hit satirical tunes, the music video was shown, and the

crowd went wilder. After all, even if mock-up tunes aren’t your

thing, the fact that the tune was well recognized was enough to

energize any music lover. Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, Nirvana’s

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Michael Jackson’s “Bad”- to name a

few- were played to the unconventional re-wording of Yankovic’s

lyrics.

Weird Al’s back-up band looked like an odd reunion tour for

what they were: Ever un-credited. They truly are the best cover

band in the past twenty years. They have made the music that has

already been made and re-sold it in a funny fashion under the

quirky shenanigans of Weird Al. If you’ve ever wondered (and it’s

okay if you haven’t) if Weird Al plays his own music, the answer is

no. He just sings and makes up what he sings. It’s the cover band

who is the muse, as infamous as they are.

Yankovic’s performance was high energy just like any other rock

concert. He knew how to emulate top acts in a comical way and the

pay off was what weird Al has always been about: Making people

laugh. At one point he even stepped off stage, with little avail

from security, and ’souled’ his way to the bar to do a tabletop

dance. The audience loved the Al Green-ish gesture, but the

highlight of the night was the encore. Saving the best for the last

like a good rock band should, the final song of the night was a

take on Star Wars. To the tune of Don McClane’s “American Pie” the

Crowed chanted the words…”This here Anakin Guy…” The theme was loud

and clear: Dorks of the world unite!

The set ended with an improvisational medley that seemed well

choreographed and at 9:30, was just in time for bed. Still, the

concert left you wanting more. It wasn’t a Pink Floyd reunion tour

but entertaining non-the-less.

Dan McNeese
Culture Writer

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