Certain obligations kept me from blogging this week, or else I’d have done an extensive analysis, critique, or review of Tuesday night’s Weird Al show at the Ram’s Head in Baltimore. So instead of a review as such, I just want to share my thoughts that I’ve been having about it, in no particular order.
* great set! Mostly a heavy dose of Straight Outta Lynwood and Poodle Hat, with medleys of parodies, complete with appropriate costume changes. Al and his band (he’s been playing with the same guys all throughout his recording career, so I have to assume he’s not mean or hard to deal with or anything) played for over 2 hours, with songs interspersed with videos an fake interviews with celebrities. The show seemed to go by so fast, it was hard to believe it was a whole 2 hours.
* Al messed up lyrics on at least 1 or 2 songs; he and his band covered like true pros--this is absolutely something I have worked on in my last year or 2 of playing. It’s so refreshing to see that someone as professional and enduring as Weird Al can still mess up and get away with it because he in fact is so professional that he knows how to compensate (as do the great guys in his band!) with only the hard core fans noticing.
*I am totally ripping off at least one or 2 of his tricks. I won’t say which ones.
*I am totally going to work on my entrances…something about running on stage to music is so much better than saying “okay, I’m ready” and then just starting.
*He ended with Albuquerque, a rambling funny song that closes the Running With Scissors album. I found it to be an interesting choice: a non-parody song with no costumes and Al obviously really enjoying himself (he doesn’t seem to ever step out of character on-stage, if you’re willing to accept Weird Al as a “character”, though I doubt he goes home and becomes like Serious Al or anything). I’ve read a few words from him on his blog and site and I get the impression that while he enjoys the success the parodies have brought him, he kind of wishes that the originals would get more attention. To that end, this show featured a lot of his originals, the stylistic parodies (I’ll Sue ya!, for example). Albuquerque is not one of his better known songs, which makes me think of my song, Milwaukee: not my funniest, but my personal favorite, a song I play for the sheer joy of playing it.
I’m not saying I want to be Weird Al when I (a-hem) grow up. But he is the standard and the inspiration for anyone who has a funny dream of writing funny songs and just running with it. A great show!
Watch for a show announcement next week!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
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