Concert Review: "Weird Al" Yankovic (First Horizon Coliseum)

BY DREW DRAIN

I was excited to see Weird Al Yankovic. A lot of my personality and sense of humor is from a misspent youth listening to Weird Al, Dr. Demento, and the Beastie Boys and watching GLOW, Roller Derby, and Benny Hill. I hadn't heard much at all about Puddles Pity Party, but what I had heard piqued my interest. By the end of his set, I was becoming a fan.

Puddles is hard to describe if you've never seen him. He's a nearly seven-foot-tall sad clown who barely speaks, yet somehow commands the entire room. What could easily be a gimmick turns into something much more entertaining because of how expressive he is. Every look, every gesture, and every interaction with the audience gets a reaction. He's funny without really telling jokes and surprisingly moving without ever becoming sentimental. His voice is what really makes the act work. The guy can sing. The highlight of his set for me was his cover of "Come On Up to the House." As a longtime Tom Waits fan, that's one of my favorite songs in Waits' catalog, so I was especially interested to hear Puddles' take on it. He absolutely nailed it. The song has always felt like a strange mixture of comfort and resignation, and Puddles managed to capture that feeling while making it his own. It was easily one of my favorite musical moments of the entire evening. After Puddles finished his set, the anticipation for Weird Al continued to build.

When it was finally time for the main event, Al found a creative way to make his entrance. Instead of simply appearing onstage, he kicked off "Tacky" from the green room backstage. The giant video screens around the stage showed him making his way through the arena while singing, weaving through hallways and backstage areas as the crowd cheered. By the time he finally emerged onstage, the audience was completely fired up. It was a clever opening that immediately set the tone for the night and reminded everyone that a Weird Al concert is never going to be a standard rock show.

One thing that became obvious very quickly was how much production goes into a Weird Al concert. Between songs, the audience was treated to a series of video vignettes that were genuinely entertaining on their own. Some were funny, some were bizarre, and some felt like little comedy sketches specifically designed for longtime fansThe videos also served another purpose. They gave Al and the band time to pull off what seemed like an endless series of costume changes. Every time a video started, you knew that backstage there was a frantic race happening to get everyone ready for the next number. Somehow they kept pulling it off all night long. One minute Al would leave the stage dressed as one character and a few minutes later he'd return looking completely different. The video segments kept the audience entertained while making those transitions feel seamless.

As impressive as the costumes and visuals were, the band's musicianship was equally remarkable. They effortlessly jumped from style to style, recreating everything from pop songs to rock anthems to accordion-driven insanity. The level of precision was incredible, especially considering how many moving parts the show contains.

One of the more memorable moments of the night came during "eBay." Like any live show, not everything went exactly according to plan. There were technical difficulties involving a guitar that stubbornly refused to stay in tune. For a few minutes, the audience got a glimpse behind the curtain as the crew worked to get everything sorted out. Honestly, moments like that are part of what makes live music fun. Instead of feeling frustrated, the crowd seemed to enjoy seeing how the band handled the situation. Al's sense of humor helped smooth things over, and before long the song was back on track. Years from now, most people probably won't remember every song in the setlist, but they'll remember the guitar that didn't want to cooperate during "eBay."

As the show continued, hit after hit and parody after parody kept the energy high. The crowd sang along constantly, and it was impossible not to notice how many different generations were represented in the audience. There were fans who had grown up listening to Weird Al in the 1980s and 1990s sitting next to younger fans who discovered him through YouTube and streaming services. Few artists can bring together such a wide range of ages, but Al has always occupied a unique place in pop culture.

Puddles Pity Party set the tone with a performance that balanced comedy and sincerity, highlighted by a beautiful rendition of "Come On Up to the House." Weird Al followed with a wildly entertaining spectacle filled with costume changes, hilarious video interludes, outstanding musicianship, and even an unexpected guitar-tuning adventure during "eBay."

Greensboro got a great night that was funny, weird, heartfelt, and completely unforgettable.

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DREW DRAIN

Andrew (Drew) Drain is originally from Point Pleasant, WV, and he now resides in Chapel Hill, NC with his daughter. Drew works as a financial risk management professional to pay the bills, but his real passion is photography. He started taking photos of his daughter playing soccer as a way to resist the urge to coach her from the sidelines. Time behind the camera developed into a love for photography that he has paired with his love for sports and live music. Follow Drew’s Instagram, @Drew.Drain.Photo or his MaxPreps galleries, to check out more of his work or contact him if you need photos of your favorite athlete or performer.

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