Weird Al Yankovic – Durham Performing Arts Center October 2011 review

retroDan — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:44:53 +0000

I took the kids to see Weird Al Yankovic at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) this past sunday. Just want to make it clear that I went to the concert for MY KIDS. Certainly not for myself since I’m a sophisticated music blogger and all. *ahem*. …OK, who am I kidding? Weird Al and his band put on a great live show and the kids and *I* had a blast. There I said it. I enjoyed the Weird Al show, OK? Why should I feel embarrassed for admitting that? The guy is a pop culture icon. Yankovic has managed to sustain a 30 year career out of making song parodies. I mean, he’s outlasted a long, long list of bands and artists that have come and gone over the years. Plus he’s got his live shows down to a science – which includes lights, video screens, a couple cheerleaders, stormtroopers, Darth Vader and a slew of costume changes.

Yankovic’s show is a well-oiled machine that’s scripted, well-rehearsed and synchronized with the video feeds. So there’s not much spontaneity here but in the world of Weird Al, there’s no need for such things. OK, ok, fans might argue that Weird Al does alternate playing “You Make Me” with “Frank’s 2000 inch TV” from show to show and he mentions a local coffee shop during his spiel in “Craigslist” but they’d be missing the point. A Yankovic concert is more like a broadway musical than say a Phish concert where setlists differ from gig to gig.

But enough about that. All that really matters is that the kids and I enjoyed seeing Weird Al. His fans pretty much packed the DPAC which holds around 2,500. Luckily we got our tickets early and were close enough to get splashed with water during his Nirvana spoof and be able to notice his double-chin becoming unglued at the end of “Fat”.

I love all his rap parodies so I was delighted to see him do “Another Tattoo”, “Amish Paradise” and “White and Nerdy”. The Star Wars encore was another highlight of course. The “oldies” Medley hit all the right notes but I personally would have like a few more “oldies” in the setlist. Another memorable bit was during “Wanna B Ur Lovr” where Yankovic, dressed up in a tiger-striped suit, went around and air-grinded a few “lucky” women in the audience.

With all the wardrobe changes the guy has to do each night, I have to say that Al sure does work hard for his fans. Oh, and big props to his band – Steve Jay, Jon Bermuda Schwartz, Ruben Valtierra and Jim West. they can pull off any genre with ease which isn’t as easy as it looks. they sounded pretty tight.

All in all, a fun night out with my kids. I’d definitely catch Yankovic again the next time he comes through. And after seeing all the grinning faces at the end of the night, I’m pretty sure most if not all would do the same.

retroGrade: A

Weird Al Yankovic
October 9, 2011
Durham Performing Arts Center

setlist:
Polka Face
You Make Me
TMZ
Smells Like Nirvana
Skipper Dan
Party In The CIA
CNR
Canadian Idiot
Wanna B Ur Lovr
Medley (Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies, Whatever You Like, Another Tattoo, Ebay, I Want A New Duck, Theme From Rocky XIII, Spam, My Bologna, Ode To A Superhero, Lasagna, Eat It)
Amish Paradise
Craigslist
Perform This Way
White And Nerdy
Fat
encore:
The Saga Begins
Yoda

be sure to catch Yankovic on one of the remaining dates of his 2011 tour:
Fri 10/14/11 New Bedford, MA Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
Sat 10/15/11 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
Sun 10/16/11 Concord, NH Capitol Center For The Arts
Tue 10/18/11 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
Wed 10/19/11 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
Fri 10/21/11 Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center
Sat 10/22/11 Huntington, NY Paramount Theatre
Sun 10/23/11 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Wed 11/02/11 San Luis Obispo, CA Christopher Cohan Center
Fri 11/04/11 Santa Cruz, CA University Of California
Sat 11/05/11 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort Theatre
Sun 11/06/11 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mon 11/07/11 Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center For The Arts
Wed 11/09/11 Modesto, CA Gallo Center For The Arts
Fri 11/11/11 Anaheim, CA City National Grove Of Anaheim
Sat 11/12/11 Los Angeles, CA Pantages Theatre

or purchase his live DVD – Weird Al Yankovic – The Alpocalypse Tour, which recently hit the stores.

Weird Al Yankovic – Skipper Dan

retroDan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:09:24 +0000

I grew up listening to “Weird Al” back in the early 80′s so whenever I hear that he’s coming out with new material now, it just takes me back to those oh-so-innocent times of members-only jackets and parachute pants. Man, who would have thought back then that “Weird Al” would still be going strong in 2009!!

Here’s his latest single Skipper Dan which is currently available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

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I starred in every high school play
Blew every drama teacher away
I graduated first in my class at Juilliard
Took every acting workshop I could
And I dreamed of Hollywood
While I read my Uta Hagen and studied the Bard

Hit the boards and paid my dues
And got phenomenal rave reviews
I knew the world was gonna love me, without a doubt
I was sure that Tarantino would be callin’ me on the phone
Annie Leibovitz would shoot me for Rolling Stone
But the years have come and gone
And I’m sorry to say that’s not the way that it’s all worked out

I’m a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride
Skipper Dan is the name
And I’m doin’ 34 shows every day
And every time it’s the same
Look at those hippos, they’re wigglin’ their ears
Just like they’ve done for the last 50 years
Now I’m laughin’ at my own jokes but I’m cryin’ inside
‘Cause I’m workin’ on the Jungle Cruise ride

Oh, the critics, they used to say
I was the new Olivier
Thought I’d be the toast of Sundance or maybe Cannes
Aw, but don’t bother tryin’ to IMDb me
The only place you might possibly see me
Is ridin’ my little boat around Adventureland
It ain’t exactly what I planned

But I’m a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride
Skipper Dan is the name
And I’m doin’ 34 shows every day
And every time it’s the same
I would’ve killed if I’d been in “Speed The Plow”
But what’s the difference, that’s all behind me now
‘Cause I’m payin’ the rent and I’m swallowin’ my pride
And I’m workin’ on the Jungle Cruise ride

I should be there on Broadway
Knockin’ ‘em dead in “12 Angry Men”
But instead I’m here tellin’ these lame jokes
Again and again and again and again and again and again and again

Bengal Tigers can jump over 20 feet!
That’s an African bull elephant…
And there it is, the backside of water!
What have I done with my life?!

I shoulda listened when my grandfather said
“Why don’t you major in business instead?”
Now my hopes have all vanished and my dreams have all died
And I’ll probably work forever as a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride
Skipper Dan is the name
And I’m doin’ 34 shows every day
And every time it’s the same
Look at those hippos, they’re wigglin’ their ears
Somebody shoot me ’cause I’m bored to tears
Always said I’d be famous… I guess that I lied
‘Cause I’m workin’ on the Jungle Cruise ride
I’m still workin’ on the Jungle Cruise ride
Skipper Dan by Weird Al Yankovic

purchase Weird Al Yankovic music at CD Universe
check out Weird Al’s Myspace page

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