Weird, again

I have now attended my first live in-person music event since the start of the pandemic, and possibly my first rock concert since the JoCoCruise in 2019: "Weird Al" Yankovic!

I've seen Al once before, in the summer of 2004, so that's almost 20 years ago and now I'm sitting here freaking out about how that is even possible... anyway, last night's show was quite different from the multimedia extravaganza I remember -- instead, it was just Al and his long-time bandmates on the stage: no silly props, no costume changes, and almost all original songs instead of his better-known parodies. But it's undoubtedly still the same Al, the same good-natured, big-hearted guy who clearly loves performing and gains tons of energy from being with his fans. Not every professional musician is a good live performer, so it's always a joy to experience one of the best at the top of his game. I wouldn't call myself a super-fan or anything, but I know enough of Al's catalog that I was familiar with about half of the songs, especially the older stuff, and I generally enjoyed the ones that were new to me (there was a Doors pastiche that was well-done, but went on a little too long). And the encore did include a medley of parodies: "Amish Paradise", "Smells Like Nirvana", "White & Nerdy", "Word Crimes", and finally (of course) "Yoda", which was a showstopper. He also ended the 2004 show with "Yoda", and it rocked the house then, too, so I wonder if that's traditional for him. There was also a wild five-minute acapella break in the middle of the final chorus that I found particularly amazing, so well coordinated between the five musicians on stage that it has to be rehearsed, not improv, and I find myself wondering if a recording of it has been released anywhere.

Al is funny and all, but he's also a quality musician and especially a brilliant mimic -- he can make his voice sound like almost anyone. I was particularly impressed with his Jim Morrison imitation, and the encore included a Sex Pistols cover that could almost have been the original. He could have turned his musical talents toward anything, but he chose to bring silliness to the world, and we're all better off for it.