All Events
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SAT
OCT 7
5:30 PM
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Weird Al Yankovic
Webster Hall -
New York,
NY
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About Weird Al Yankovic
Background
Nobody would’ve guess that the shy, accordion playing high school valedictorian Alfred Matthew Yankovic would become “Weird Al” Yankovic, the most successful comedy musician of all time. But hits like “Smells like Nirvana”, “White & Nerdy” “Like A Surgeon”, and “Amish Paradise” pulled him to the forefront of song parody scene. He has received four Grammys out of fifteen nominations and has a generous array of Gold and Platinum albums. For those who believe comedic parodies are just a hobby, all they need to do is take a look at Weird Al Yankovic’s career to realize how mistaken they are.
Early Life
Alfred Matthew Yankovic was only seven years old when a salesman knocked on his door accordion lessons from a local music school. He quickly became influenced by great musicians like Allan Sherman, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones through Barry Hansen’s radio show “Dr. Demento”. He went on to attend the California Polytechnic State University to study architecture, but found himself hosting a radio show with the alias “Weird Al” Yankovic. It was there where he put out his first single a parody of “My Sharona” by The Knack, called “My Bologna”. He released a couple more shortly after, but it was not until “Eat it”, a parody of Michael Jackson’s famous “Beat it”, that Yankovic broke through to the public eye. He then released Dare to Be Stupid, the first comedy record to ever be released in the new compact disc. So yes, Yankovic has been sticking to his art before anyone was even thinking about making parody music.
Further Successes
In 1988, Yankovic released one of his most renown records, Even Worse, which referenced the title and album artwork of Jackson’s Bad LP. He resurfaced in 1996 with the release of Bad Hair Day, featuring a spinoff of Coolio’s hit “Gangsta’s Paradise”. He has even parodied the works of more contemporary artists like Lady Gage and Miley Cyrus.
In 2015-2016, Yankovic set out on a vastly impressive world tour throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Later in 2018, he performed upwards of 77 shows during his Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Tour, where he and his bandmates showcased nearly his entire original material. In 2019, fans will be able to witness Weird Al in his Strings Attached tour, where he and his band will be supported by a full orchestra every night.
Other Ventures
In 2017, Al co-wrote and created the theme song for Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. 2 months later, his work was presented on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He is a staple in Entertainment media, guest starring on The Simpsons, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother and more.
Through all the years, Weird Al Yankovic has proven himself to be a core figure in comedic music. Get your tickets for the No Strings Attached Tour today!
