I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: July 19, 2025] “Weird Al” Yankovic

This was my tenth time seeing Weird Al.  That’s pretty exciting.

I didn’t know if he’d be doing another tour (he hasn’t put out any new music (aside from soundtrack songs) in over ten years!  But this was a bigger and weirder tour.  In practice, this meant that there were more people on stage than ever before–four other people on stage aside from his long-lasting regular band.

Probyn Gregory – backing vocals, trumpet, trombone, tuba, guitars, percussion ; Scheila Gonzalez – backing vocals, saxophone, clarinet, percussion ;  Payton Velligan – backing vocals, guitars, percussion ; Monique Donnelly – backing vocals, keyboards, percussion.

I asked my whole fam if they wanted to go and all three of them said yes, rather excitedly I might add.  But that was a long time before the show.  And so my daughter wound up working and my son wound up going to a concert in Wisconsin!  I was able to sell my two tickets for basically face value and my wife and I enjoyed the show by ourselves.

I assumed that this show would be a kind of greatest hits show, but it turned out to be chock full of songs I hadn’t seen live before and, some that I had never even heard before!

They opened with Tacky, but there was some kind of technical difficulty, so I’m not sure how much of the song they were going to play.  I would have enjoyed hearing it, but it’s not a big deal.

Then he surprised the heck out of me by opening with Mission Statement, the CSNY inspired song that mocks corporate speak.  It sounded great with the backing singers doing harmonies.  Then came Polkamania!  I knew this medley, but not very well.  I had forgotten that he put it out in 2024 as a single covering the ten years since his last album.  It was really fun seeing Billie Eilish in a Weird Al concert.

After the drum solo, they played Everything You Know is Wrong, a song I simple cannot believe I’d never seen him play live before (I see he never played it before this tour!).  It was amazing.

It was funny that he followed it with a clip from his movie–the part where he’s at a party ad plays Another One Rides the Bus.  It was really fun watching the clip with a whole room full of fans.

Then came the big costume changes–Nirvana for Smells Like Nirvana (complete with cheerleaders and the janitor on stage!).  Then they came out dressed like Devo for Dare to Be Stupid.

And then came the big medley.  Medleys are exciting because you get to hear so many songs, but they’re also disappointing because you only hear a little bit of each song.  But this was a fun way for Al to switch costumes fast, from the glasses of Party in the CIA, to the sleek look of It’s All About the Pentiums (I would love to hear this whole song, although at least he did include the Dorito line).  A brief detour into The Flintstones and then he grabbed his accordion and played My Bologna and then one of the backing singers came out dressed like Lucy and he played the live performance for ‘Ricky’ since 1984 (that’s for the whole tour, not just our show).  I loved the way it was set up that his roadie meandered on stage as the song was ending and it was perfectly timed that he held up a harmonica just as Al played Ode to a Superhero.  I was really impressed with what a tight ship they run.

After a brief dip into Rocky Road, the roadie brought out the Michael Jackson red jacket for Eat It.  And the deep dive continued with Like a Surgeon.  I was thrilled that they dropped Word Crimes into the medley (and actually played most of it).  And they ended the medley with Canadian Idiot, which seems all the more appropriate now.  It ended with a big bang of confetti.

The fat suit came out for Fat, and then he played a song that I didn’t know existed–The Captain Underpants Theme Song (I actually didn’t even know there was a movie), so that was super fun to hear a new song (and to watch the credits from the movie).  In fact this section of the show was something of a “new songs” section.  Up next was the song from the end of his own movie (Now You Know) which is definitely funnier if you have the movie scrolling by, but it was fun nonetheless.  As was the theme to Milo Murphy’s Law.

Last time I Saw him, Al and co. played a straight cover of an Elton John song.  This time it was a really solid cover of Paul Simon’s You Can Call Me Al.

After the drum solo reprise (Bermuda Schwartz is getting so much stage time with these solos!), they played EBay.  I dig this song and have only seen it in a medley format, so this was neat.   It was also the first time I’d seen him play Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me, which was really fun especially as the whole audience sang along.

Speaking of singing or signing along, on the side of the stage there was a person (or possibly two people) signing the show in ASL.  It was fun to see what some of the gestures were for unlikely words, and they must have been exhausted, especially during the fast songs, but it was really awesome that that person was there.

The end of the set was a series of highlights for me with a segway-riding Al singing White and Nerdy and the whole team coming out to do Amish Paradise.

A brief encore break brought everyone back out and he tickled me by singing We All Have Cell Phones (a call back to a Michael Stipe interview that he showed earlier).  And then came the Star Wars ending.  The Saga Begins (with a cadre of people in stormtrooper uniforms and a Darth Vader) which segues perfectly in Yoda.  Yoda of course includes the five minute vocal chant that ends all of the best shows.

It was a lot of fun and we thought we were going to get home quickly by avoiding traffic.  Except you can never really avoid traffic, so it took as long as usual to get out of there.  Sigh.

I’m not sure that Al will tour again.  I mean, this tour (and the last one, plus the movie) surely must have netted him some tidy sums of money.  But maybe it’s not about the money.  So maybe we will see him again.  I’ll hope to bring the whole fam next time.

 

 

		2025 Philadelphia, PA “Bigger and Weirder”
		Fun Zone Intro Ω [tape]/Tacky ∀ [shortened due to technical difficulties/Radio, Radio (Elvis Costello & The Attractions cover) (Tour debut; instrumental snippet.)
		Mission Statement ∀
		Polkamania! ¤
		Drum Solo
		Everything You Know is Wrong ψ
		One More Minute ♣
		Another One Rides the Bus (Clip from Weird film) Ø
		Smells Like Nirvana ≅
		Dare to Be Stupid ♣
		Party in the CIA ⊗ / It’s All About the Pentiums ∝ / Bedrock Anthem ∇ / My Bologna ¥ / Ricky ¥ / Ode to a Superhero Π / I Love Rocky Road ¥ / Eat It €/ Like a Surgeon ♣ / Word Crimes ∀/ Canadian Idiot ⇔
		Fat ≥
		Captain Underpants Theme Song ¶
		Now You Know µ
		You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover)
		It’s My World (and We’re All Living in It)  ‰
		Skipper Dan ⊗
		Drum solo reprise
		eBay Π [first time I’ve seen it not in a medley]
		Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me ⊗
		White & Nerdy ⇔
		Amish Paradise ψ
		encore
		We All Have Cell Phones ♥
		The Saga Begins ∝
		Yoda ♣ (With Yoda chant interlude)

 

2022 Philadelphia, PA “Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.”	2018 Atlantic City, NJ “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour”	2016 Bethlehem, PA “Mandatory World Tour”
Dare to Be Stupid ♣ (lounge version)	Close But No Cigar ⇔ [last time played in 2008]	Fun Zone Intro Ω/ Tacky ∀
CNR ⊗	Bob Π [last time played in 2008]	Lame Claim to Fame ∀
Drum solo	CNR ⊗	NOW That’s What I Call Polka ∀
Lame Claim to Fame ∀	Dare to Be Stupid ♣ (unplugged)	clips/ Perform This Way ⊗
Bob Π	Why Does This Always Happen to Me Π [last time played in 2008]	clips/ Dare to be Stupid ♣
Why Does This Always Happen to Me Π	If That Isn’t Love ⊗ [first tour played]	clips/ Fat ≥
My Own Eyes ∀	UHF  Ω [last time played in 2009]	clips/ First World Problems ∀
Don’t Download This Song ⇔	The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota Ω [last time played in 1997]	Foil ∀
UHF Ω	Party at the Leper Colony Π [last time played in 2004]	clips/ Smells Like Nirvana ≅
Buy Me a Condo €	Drum Solo	clips /Party in the CIA ⊗/ It’s All About the Pentiums ∝ / Handy ∀/ Bedrock Anthem ∇ / Another One Rides the Bus ¥ / Ode to a Superhero Π / Gump ψ / Inactive ∀ / eBay Π/
Good Old Days ≥	Jackson Park Express  ∀	Canadian Idiot ⇔
Craigslist ⊗	Let Me Be Your Hog Ω	clip/ Wanna B Ur Lovr Π
Dog Eat Dog Ÿ	Melanie ≥  [last time played in 2004]	clip /Unplugged Medley:  Eat It € (done to the tune of Layla) / I Lost on Jeopardy €/ I Love Rocky Road ¥/ Like a Surgeon ♣
Drum Solo (Reprise. “My drum solo” to the tune of My Sharona)	One of Those Days Ÿ [last time played in 1986]	clip / White & Nerdy ⇔
Let Me Be Your Hog Ω	You Don’t Love Me Anymore ≅	clip/ Word Crimes ∀
Melanie ≥	Dog Eat Dog Ÿ	clip/ Amish Paradise ψ
You Don’t Love Me Anymore ≅	Good Old Days ≥ [last time played in 2011]	Encore
Generic Blues Ω	Eat It € / I Lost on Jeopardy €/ Amish Paradise ψ / Smells Like Nirvana ≅/ White & Nerdy / I Love Rocky Road ¥ / Like a Surgeon ♣	Keyboard solo
My Baby’s in Love with Eddie Vedder ∝	encore	We All Have Cell Phones ♥
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota Ω	867-5309/Jenny (Tommy Tutone cover)	The Saga Begins ∝
encore	The Saga Begins ∝	Yoda ♣
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting (Elton John cover)
Amish Paradise ψ / Smells Like Nirvana ≅ / White & Nerdy ⇔ / Word Crimes ∀ / Yoda ♣ (lounge versions} (With Yoda chant)

 

2015 Bethlehem, PA “Mandatory World Tour”	2013 Bethlehem, PA “Alpocalypse Tour”	2011 New Brunswick, NJ “Alpocalypse Tour”
Fun Zone opening Ω/ Tacky ∀	Polka Face ⊗	Polka Face ⊗
Lame Claim to Fame ∀	[Drum solo/bass solo/ keyboard solo] TMZ ⊗	Frank’s 2000″ TV ∇
Now That’s What I Call Polka ∀	Radio, Radio (Elvis Costello song)	You Don’t Love Me Anymore ≅
Perform This Way ⊗	Smells Like Nirvana ≅	Smells Like Nirvana ≅
Dare to be Stupid ♣	Skipper Dan ⊗	Skipper Dan ⊗
Fat ≥	Party in the CIA ⊗	You’re Pitiful ♥
First World Problems ∀	CNR ⊗	Dare to be Stupid ♣
Foil ∀	Canadian Idiot ⇔	CNR ⊗
Smells Like Nirvana ≅	Wanna B Ur Lovr Π	Let Me Be Your Hog Ω
Party in the CIA ⊗/ It’s All About the Pentiums ∝ / Handy ∀ / Bedrock Anthem ∇ / Another One Rides the Bus ¥/ Ode to a Superhero Π / Gump ψ/ Inactive ∀ / eBay Π / Canadian Idiot ⇔	Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* Ω/ Whatever You Like ⊗/ Another Tattoo ⊗ / eBay Π / I Want a New Duck € / Theme from Rocky XIII € /Spam Ω / My Bologna ¥ / Ode to a Superhero Π/ Lasagna ≥ / Eat It €	Canadian Idiot ⇔
Wanna B Ur Lovr Π	Amish Paradise ψ	Wanna B Ur Lovr Π
Unplugged Medley:  Eat It € (done to the tune of Layla) / I Lost on Jeopardy € / I Love Rocky Road ¥ / Like a Surgeon ♣	Craigslist ⊗	Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* Ω / Whatever You Like ⊗/ Confessions Part III / eBay Π / Bedrock Anthem ∇ / Another One Rides the Bus ¥/ Ode to a Superhero Π / Trapped in the Drive-Thru ⇔ / Gump ψ / Eat It €
White & Nerdy ⇔	Perform This Way ⊗	Craigslist ⊗
Word Crimes ∀	White & Nerdy ⇔	Amish Paradise ψ
Amish Paradise ψ	Fat ≥	White & Nerdy ⇔
Encore	encore	Fat ≥
We All Have Cell Phones ♥ (preceded by Phantom of the Opera snippet)	The Saga Begins ∝	encore
The Saga Begins ∝ (succeeded by Charge (fanfare))	Yoda ♣	We All Have Cell Phones ♥
Yoda (with Yoda Chant Interlude) ♣		The Saga Begins ∝
		Yoda ♣

 

 

2000 Morristown, NJ “Touring with Scissors”	1999 Wilkes Barre, PA “Touring with Scissors”	1996 Wilkes Barre, PA “The Bad Hair Tour”
Fun Zone Ω [tape]	Gump ψ	Since You’ve Been Gone ψ
Intro  [tape]	Polka Power! ∝	Gump ψ
The Weird Al Show Theme [tape]	Jerry Springer ∝	The Alternative Polka ψ
Gump ψ	My Baby’s in Love with Eddie Vedder ∝	One More Minute ♣
Polka Power! ∝	The Night Santa Went Crazy ψ	Like a Surgeon ♣
Jerry Springer [possibly?] ∝	Dare to Be Stupid ♣	Melanie ≥
My Baby’s in Love with Eddie Vedder ∝	It’s All About the Pentiums ∝	Headline News [single]
Drum solo	Germs ∝	I’ll Repair for You [single]
The Night Santa Went Crazy ψ	One More Minute ♣	The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota Ω
60% Chance of Rain / Our Friend Dirt video clip	Like a Surgeon ♣	Jurassic Park ∇
Dare to Be Stupid ♣	Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* Ω/ Fast Food ♥ / Addicted to Spuds Ÿ / Free Delivery ♥ / Laundry Day ♥ / Pretty Fly for a Rabbi ∝ / Another One Rides the Bus ¥ / I Love Rocky Road ¥ / Achy Breaky Song ∇ / Jurassic Park ∇ / Grapefruit Diet ∝ / I Lost on Jeopardy € / Eat It €	Laundry Day ♥ / Chicken Pot Pie ♥/ Spam Ω/ My Bologna  ¥/ Alimony ≥ / Syndicated Inc. ψ / Another One Rides the Bus ¥ / Gee, I’m a Nerd ♥ / Achy Breaky Song ∇ / Phony Calls ψ/ Cavity Search ψ / Green Eggs & Ham ♥ / Eat It €
CN Tower / King of the Hill / River / News Radio / Letterman / Naked Gun / Clean Up on Aisle 5 / SNL video clips	Smells Like Nirvana ≅	Smells Like Nirvana ≅
It’s All About the Pentiums ∝	Bedrock Anthem ∇	Bedrock Anthem ∇
Germs and You video clip	Amish Paradise ψ	Amish Paradise ψ
Germs ∝	Fat ≥	Fat ≥
One More Minute ♣	The Saga Begins ∝	Yoda ♣
The Snoop Dogg Interview video	Yoda ♣
Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies* Ω/ Fast Food ♥ / Addicted to Spuds Ÿ / Free Delivery ♥ / Laundry Day ♥ / Pretty Fly for a Rabbi ∝/ Another One Rides the Bus  ¥/ I Love Rocky Road ¥ / Achy Breaky Song ∇ / Jurassic Park ∇ / Grapefruit Diet ∝/ I Lost on Jeopardy € / Eat It €
AL-TV / Manners / The French Prince of Bel-Air / Lousy Haircut / May I Take Your Order Please? / The Steven Tyler Interview / Livin’ in the Fridge / Fred Huggins (video clips)
Smells Like Nirvana ≅
Ironic/The Cher Interview
Amish Paradise ψ
Crimes of Carelessness video clip
Fat ≥
encore
Keyboard solo
Yoda ♣

¤ Single (2024)
Ø Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: Original Soundtrack (2022)
¶ Captain Underpants soundtrack (2017)
‰ Milo Murphy’s Law opening theme (2016)
∀ Mandatory Fun (2014)
⊗ Alpocalypse (2011)
⇔ Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Π Poodle Hat (2003)
∝ Running with Scissors (1999)
ψ Bad Hair Day (1996)
∇ Alapalooza (1993)
≅ Off the Deep End (1992)
Ω UHF (1989)
≥ Even Worse (1988)
Ÿ Polka Party (1986)
♣ Dare to Be Stupid (1985)
€ In 3D (1984)
¥ Weird Al Yankovic (1983)
♥ Unreleased songs