Weird Al Yankovic brings ‘Bigger & Weirder’ tour to Paso Robles for a night of Polka Hilarity
Long before he became America’s most respected parody writer, Weird Al Yankovic studied architecture at Cal Poly, and even threw down in the booth as a KCPR disc jockey. His breakout hit “My Bologna,” an accordion parody cover of the Knack’s “My Sharona,” was actually recorded at Cal Poly, in the men’s room of KCPR’s home building, Building 026. On Sept. 15, Yankovic (and that’s vick, with a hard “k” sound) returned to the Central Coast, bringing his “Bigger & Weirder” tour to Vina Robles Amphitheater.
As night crept over Paso Robles, hordes of quizzical characters in quirky patterned shirts, fur coats and curly wigs filed into the venue. The whimsical world of Weird Al attracted a crowd of all ages, from seasoned adults who experienced his rise to fame first hand to young children who grew up singing along to his music videos on YouTube – all brought together by a shared love for all things wacky.
The show opened with a series of antics delivered by Puddles Pity Party, a towering white clown, who elicited laughs and sobs from the audiences as he encouraged them to “come cry with me.” The clown brought several volunteers onstage, engaging in activities from force feeding them donuts and a guitar strum-along.
By 8:30 p.m., the Yankovic extravaganza began as his eight-part supporting band made their way to the stage. Somewhere offstage a voice rang out across the amphitheatre, beginning a rendition of “Tacky,” Yankovic’s hit parody of Pharell William’s “Happy.” A visual on the screen above the stage displayed the parody prince strolling through various rooms and halls as he sang out from afar. Then, as the chorus began, the man himself appeared as though from thin air, galavanting about the stands and serenading fans up close, before taking to the stage.
After performing his “Mission Statement,” accompanied by hand-drawn whiteboard animations playing on the screen, Yankovic turned and walked to the back of the stage, hunching over to retrieve some object tucked away. With bated breath, the crowd waited until…
“Are you ready.. TO POLKAAAA?” Yankovic exclaimed, whipping around as he presented his signature accordion to thunderous shouts of applause.
Immediately, he launched into a dazzling delivery of “Polkamania!” — a medley of pop song covers, including hits like “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions, Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito.”
The accordion-fueled, polka fun-fest continued through the night with classics such as “Ode to a Superhero” (Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”), and “Party in the CIA” (a witty spin on “Party in the U.S.A”). During “Fat” (Micheal Jackson’s “Bad”) Yankovic delivered a gnarly, tooth shattering punch to the face of none other than Santa Claus.
Highlights of the night included a not-so-serious grammar lesson on “Word Crimes,” to the tune of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” more outfit changes than a Broadway musical and a never-ending encore of “Now You Know,”the end-credit track of his 2022 biopic “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The comedy legend ended the night with riveting performances of two huge hits: “White & Nerdy,” his take on “Ridin” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone, and “Amish Paradise,” a thrilling spin on Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Both songs were complete with elaborate visual gags, including a segway entrance and a full amish ensemble.
His two rap classics, along with his entire setlist brought back memories for the OG’s, excitement for the younger crowd and fun for all. Through his humor, wit and sheer musical talent, Yankovic reminded San Luis Obispo County just how zany he can be.
