“Weird Al” Yankovic – My Favorite Artist

Music Topic: “Weird Al” Yankovic – My Favorite Artist

Intro
“Weird Al” Yankovic is my favorite musician. For as long as I have been alive, there has been “Weird Al.” "Weird Al” is famous for creating parodies of popular songs, his hits include; “Eat It”, “Fat”, “Bedrock Anthem”, “Amish Paradise”, “Smells Like Nirvana”, and his latest hit “White & Nerdy” to name a few. In over 30 years, there isn’t a genre he hasn’t mimicked, a food he hasn’t mentioned, or a sound effect he couldn’t pass up. He’s recorded 17 albums, and recently completed his 1,000th live performance. He has been nominated for 9 Grammy’s and won 3. He also co-wrote and starred in the motion picture “UHF”, as well as two of his own TV shows, “The Weird Al Show” and “AL TV.”

Many musicians find his parodies to be a measure of their success; Chamillionaire, who’s song “Ridin Dirty” became Weird Al’s first Top Ten Hit, “White & Nerdy,” stated, “It’s really an honor when he does that […] Weird Al is not gonna do a parody of your song if you’re not doing it big.”

Brief History/Background
I was a child of the 80’s, and for as long as I can remember, I have had cable television. And that meant, Nickelodeon, MTV and during special offers on the weekends, the Disney Channel. I remember seeing his video’s for “Fat” and “Eat it” and thinking they were the funniest things on TV. My parents bought me “Evan Worse” and I remember listening to it over and over until I knew every word of every song. “Weird Al” faded out of my life when the boys of New Kids on the Block won my heart. It wasn’t long after that, sometime around 6th grade, I started listening to “my own music” and I rediscovered Al and his “Alapalooza” album. I even named my hamster Harvey after Weird Al’s pet hamster on his show, and his own song “Harvey the Wonder Hamster.”

Weird Al faded out a bit, and was replaced in my life with music like Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson, music that “understood me.” But beneath all the dark cloths and make-up, I still had a goofy side, and when I needed a pick me up, Al was there for me.

Adulthood
As silly as it sounds, now that I am an adult I am an even bigger fan. I became best friends with Gabby, who enjoys him just as much as I do, and she has a long time friend that is as just as much of a dork as we are. We once discovered just how big of fans/dorks we are, by being able to sing as many different songs we knew to the other bar patrons enjoyment, I am sure. I also have a very special friend that downloaded for me, the entire “Weird Al” catalogue, and I spent an afternoon adding the top 55 songs to my iPod. Having seen him live twice, I am anticipating his next Detroit show this summer.

The Concert Experience
July 2, 2007
The Place: Downtown Detroit.
The Venue: Outside during the Taste Fest, just after a rainfall.
Free Beer, Close Seats, and an amazing time. When you go out with Gabby, she almost always ends up finding someone she knows. This particular time, she found a friend that happened to be sitting in the "VIP" section.
"How do we get in there?"
"You have to know some one."
"We know you?"
"Yea, but the guy that's getting us in only has so many passes..."
The guy at the gate asks the friend how many, and I am standing a ways behind her and say four, he asks if we are with her, and she says "Well kind of but only if you can get them in" and he invites us right in to free beer and seats so close I could see the sweat dripping off of the multiple latex chins.

Conclusion
"Weird Al" has reoccurred at every moment in my life when I needed to redefine who I was, and really be myself. He has made me to laugh when I needed it most, and he has taught me its alright to be a geek, or the term I prefer, dork. I have already added his Detroit show to my calendar and I know I have at least four friends going with me. Although you may not agree with me, “Weird Al” has been that link to my childhood. Others may have a treasured toy or blankie, I have over 512mb of “Weird Al” music saved to a jump drive in my pocket.

Reference: www.weirdal.com