As a kid, one of my favorite things to read was Mad magazine. Its parodies of the famous movies, TV shows and songs of the period were absolute genius and helped shape my sense of humor. And as soon as I had heard my first Weird Al Yankovic song, “Ricky” (based on Toni Basil’s “Mickey”), I felt like I had found a kindred spirit, someone who appreciated the fine art of playful mockery as much as I did. But Yankovic took it so much further than I could have ever imagined through the decades, not only coming up with some of the most hilarious, clever songs ever, but music videos that still hold up today.
Yankovic hasn’t released a studio album since 2014’s Mandatory Fun, but odds are his upcoming mini-residency on the Las Vegas Strip (part of his Bigger & Weirder Tour) is going to be a major hit, so strong is the catalog he’s amassed since picking up an accordion and recording “My Bologna” (based on The Knack’s “My Sharona”) in the bathroom of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Graphic Arts Building in 1979. You’re as likely to get goose bumps hearing the music of “Beat It” and “Bad” as you are to spill your beer while laughing to Yankovic’s lyrics to “Eat It” and “Fat.”
Not that Yankovic has been taking things easy over the last 10 years. Quite the contrary. His fans were thrilled when, in 2018, he collaborated with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda on “The Hamilton Polka,” in which he mashed up several of the smash musical’s numbers. And just last year, he released “Polkamania!” in which he features 12 of the biggest songs of the last 12 years in just over four minutes. The tribute to hits like “Flowers,” “Bad Guy” and “Uptown Funk” (and accompanying video) are a pleasant reminder that, although he’s not as prolific as he once was, he’s lost none of his manic talent.
Fans are sure to hear all the tunes that have helped elevate Yankovic beyond just a parody artist, from “Smells Like Nirvana” (which not only got the full support of Kurt Cobain, the grunge band frontman said the song was proof that the band had made it!) and “Perform This Way” (from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”) to “Canadian Idiot” (“American Idiot”) and “Jurassic Park” (“MacArthur Park”). They may even hear some of his originals like “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” and “One More Minute.”
And as an added bonus, Yankovic will be joined in Las Vegas by Puddles Pity Party, Mike Geier’s amazing creation that answers the question, “What if a clown could sing opera?” At 6-foot-8-inches tall, Geier strikes an imposing, lithe figure in his Pagliacci-inspired costume, and he speaks not a word—until he begins singing, at which point you’ll be able to hear a pin drop in the theater, so hypnotic is his baritone. And if he sings a Weird Al song, it may well bring the house down.
The Venetian, 8 p.m. June 13-14, 18, 20-21, starting at $54.13 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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