Review: Weird Al returns to Charlotte in top-form with costumes and hits

Three summers ago, when Weird Al Yankovic brought his stripped-down Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour to Belk Theater, my friend got tickets for her girls and my son.

But Yankovic’s less weird, more-straight-forward originals — although often amusing — weren’t exactly what the 10 and 11-year-olds expected. There were no costumes, no silly dances or hit parodies. The kids said it was still cool, but we knew it wasn’t the Al they were hoping for.

That would have to wait until Saturday when Weird Al and his eight-piece band brought its Bigger and Weirder Tour to Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater. It packed silly favorite sing-alongs, clever parodies, costumes and video clips into a fun, crowd-pleasing two-hour set.

The opening was set by Puddles Pity Party, an Atlanta-based sad clown with killer pipes and an odd fascination with Kevin Costner. Then, Yankovic emerged from inside Skyla’s neighboring venue, The Fillmore and sang the first verses of “Tacky” — his ode to loud leisure wear to the tune of Pharrell’s “Happy.” He followed a cameraman through the venue, briefly into the audience and eventually to the stage – his image projected on the screen above his band.

From there, he played a PowerPoint-aided folk song about absurd corporate-speak called “Mission Statement” that I imagine many in our banking city could relate to. Deceptively youthful backing vocalist Monique Donelly, who has worked with Al over a couple of decades, stepped to the front for Peter, Paul and Mary-style harmonies.

Donnelly headed up a trio of female musicians whose presence added seemingly youthful energy to the stage. From the get-go, she and her cohorts — multi-instrumentalist Scheila Gonzalez and Charlotte-based guitarist Payton Velligan — exuded excitement, dancing, goofing and playing off of each other like it was their first night on a dream job.

And maybe it is a dream job. Yankovic’s longtime band — most nearer to his 65 years than the female trio — is mostly made up of musicians that have been with him since the early `80s and `90s. They’re also still having a blast, rapping on “White & Nerdy,” thumping the one-note drum solo, and donning undoubtedly hot, yellow Devo-style hazmat jumpsuits for “Dare to Be Stupid.”

The heat was certainly a factor for the audience, which brought handheld folding fans and tried to stay hydrated in the near 100-degree temperatures. It had to be even hotter for Yankovic under the stage lights, sporting a modified fat suite from the “Fat” video complete with triple chins. Yankovic may be best known for writing sometimes topical, sometimes silly alternatives to pop’s biggest hits, but his skill as a performer almost surpasses his wit as a songwriter.

He jumped around and did all the Michael Jackson dance moves in that fat suit. He prowled the stage like a 30-year-old Eminem for his take on Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’.” He recreated the “Smells Like Nirvana” video complete with pom pom shaking goth cheerleaders and a mopping janitor.

“Why’s that guy mopping the stage,” my now 14-year-old son asked.

Some of the jokes went undoubtedly over kids’ heads. I found it hilarious that a gray-haired “bodyguard” folding his arms in a shiny “AL” jacket accompanied the singer as he walked through the crowd tossing sweat-soaked handkerchiefs and singing “at” the ladies in the crowd like a `60s teen idol.

My kid: “What’s that man doing following him?”

Sure, plenty of the big numbers are dated. “It’s All About the Pentiums,” “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” (still so relatable) and even “eBay” are topically expired but remain incredibly fun.

Yankovic isn’t just churning out staples, however. He’s still sending up the latest pop stars as he proved during the “Polkamania!” medley where he good naturedly, rapid-fire roasts songs by Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and even Disney’s “Encanto.”

Clips from fake celebrity interviews, the Daniel Radcliffe-starring “Weird Al” movie, and pop culture’s many Weird Al references – from “King of the Hill” and “The Simpsons” to “Naked Gun” rolled on the backdrop during costume changes – of which there were many.

The entire band changed into suits, long dresses, bonnets and wigs for the “Amish Paradise” finale before gathering in their Jedi robes for a “Star Wars” themed encore of “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda.”

This was my first real Weird Al show, and it’s a unique experience where the audience revels in an unspoken sort of permission to be as silly as they want — wearing Hawaiian shirts and propeller beanie hats a la Spanky from “Little Rascals.” There was a man shouting the opening lyrics of each song as his kids rolled their eyes behind me. The woman beside me waved her arms from side to side and sang every lyric to the most obscure songs in the set.

Despite all the childlike fun, I couldn’t help but think about how Yankovic has outlived or even out-careered so many of the artists he parodied. At 65, the towering Grammy winner still kicks well above waist-level often, still hunches over the mic stand uncomfortably mirroring Kurt Cobain, and still sounds as good as he ever has.