Weird Al's Phoenix concert showed why he's a gosh-darn national treasure

In a world that is almost always dark, cynical and mean, there is occasionally a place to escape, an oasis of silliness, fun, positivity and good-natured humor.

That place is a Weird Al Yankovic concert. The undisputed king of parody songs delighted a sold-out crowd at Arizona Financial Theatre on Sunday.

To be honest, I hadn't listened to Yankovic much in the last, say, 30 years. My fandom peaked in the '90s with songs like "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Amish Paradise," and while I was aware of newer offerings such as "White & Nerdy" and "The Saga Begins," they weren't the ones I grew up with.

After last night, he's going back in the rotation.

The evening of absurdist humor was kicked off by clown crooner Puddles Pity Party, whose luscious baritone voice filled the venue during his short set. If you've never seen a 6'8" clown sing "My Heart Will Go On" in front of a Kevin Costner montage, you're missing out.
In 2025, it's easy to forget the chokehold Yankovic had on the culture back in the day: videos in heavy rotation on MTV, cameos in movies and TV shows and an entire feature film (if you've never seen "UHF," treat yourself and check it out).

But the concert demonstrated how, at 65 years old, Yankovic is as energetic, creative and engaging as ever.

He began with a polka medley of modern hits by artists such as Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, although he was careful to make "WAP" family-friendly for the audience.

The two-hour show included the biggest hits of his 1980s golden age: "Fat" (complete with the full fat suit), "Dare to Be Stupid," and a medley of bangers such as "Ricky," "I Love Rocky Road," "Like a Surgeon," "My Bologna" and "Eat It."

But the fans, many of whom dressed in Yankovic's characteristic Hawaiian shirts, were just as excited for the oldies as they were for newer tracks like "eBay" and "Party in the CIA."

Due to frequent costume changes, the audience was treated to several clip packages: guest spots on "Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?" and "The Simpsons"; a scene from the 2022 biopic "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"; and a number of those videos in which Yankovic splices himself into old MTV celebrity interviews. Besides being hilarious, they emphasized the role he's played in the culture for decades.
If an artist is only as good as their backing band, then Yankovic is a very lucky guy. The instrumentalists (several of whom have been with him since day one) and backup singers aren't just great — they're in on the joke. Whether they were playing "Amish Paradise" with deadpan expressions, doing a decent Lucy impression on "Ricky" or holding Yankovic's harmonica during "Ode to a Superhero," the only thing better than their comic timing was their musical talent.

The encore saw the whole ensemble come out in their galactic finest for "The Saga Begins," a "Star Wars" parody to the tune of "American Pie," and "Yoda" (it sounds like The Kinks' "Lola"). By then, the audience was on its feet.

Weird Al's show on Sunday night in Phoenix was just ... nice. I mean, it was fantastic and some of the most fun I've had in ages. But it made people laugh without laughing at anyone in particular. It was silly and good-hearted and profanity-free, anchored by an unlikely cultural icon who's as entertaining as he ever was.

A few more photos from the show: