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weird al yankovic

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Pick of the Day: 2023 Vulture Festival (in LA) 11/12 & 11/13
October 17, 2023
News
adam pally, cord jefferson, los angeles comedy, matt rogers, vulture, vulture festival, weird al yankovic

November is approaching fast, which means Vulture is coming to LA. Thankfully, that’s not anything resembling the CA state bird, the California Condor, circling its prey. Instead, it’s a highly curated gathering of the most chic happenings possible via NY Magazine’s cool arm (including a live Comedians You Should & Will Know showcase).

Vulture Festival is coming back to Hollywood once again on Sat. Nov. 12th and Sun. 13th, but taking over a new location, nya Studios, which actually puts its squarely in the “Netflix Valley” of Hollywood (which means you’ll probably still see a picket line if the SAG-AFTRA strike isn’t over in another month).

So far, they’ve announced:

Weird Al Superlatives Live!

Matt Rogers Holiday Spectacular Sing-a-Long Extravaganza (Album Version)

A Big Long Talk With Cord Jefferson (writer/director of what will likely be the end of the year comedy hit, American Fiction)

An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally

That’s just a taste of what’s to come.

Tickets are only $25-$30 per show and you can (and very much should) go snag tix here, before they sell out (Vulture tends to sell out their events).

Pick of the Day: WEIRD Screening w/Weird Al Yankovic – Benefit for Democracy! (in LA) 4/23
April 11, 2023
News
good deed corps, los angeles comedy, weird al yankovic

Though this is a bit of a high end benefit, a very exclusive screening of Weird Al Yankovic‘s very own movie, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is bound to sell out (and getting close to doing so). This special event is having this sneak preview that will also have a Q&A with Weird Al Yankovic himself in support of Good Deed Corps that does the grassroots work of voter registration for young people and fighting voter supression, specifically focused on the Rio Grande Valley in Texas at the moment.

Why wouldn’t you want to support such a crucial cause and be one of the first folks to see musical comedy/parody legend Weird Al’s movie and then chit chat with him about it immediately after? Note, if you buy a $250 VIP ticket, you can do a Meet & Greet dinner with Weird Al too.

This special Benefit for Democracy is set for Sun. Apr. 23rd at 7:30PM at Dynasty Typewriter and tickets start at $100. Go get one before they’re all gone.

Pick of the Day: The Hotsy Totsy Tribute to Weird Al Yankovic! (in NYC) 1/12
January 11, 2023
News
burlesque, hotsy totsy, nyc comedy, slipper room, variety show, weird al yankovic

As Weird Al Yankovic made a legacy from parodying pop songs, it kind of stands to reason that a tribute to him might come in the form of a burlesque show. There are actually more and more burlesque and drag shows that intersect the world of comedy or pop culture (a Mel Brooks burlesque show and lots of the drag happening at Club Cumming come to mind) making for a more untraditional, but damn fun evening.

Hotsy Totsy in NYC specializes in this and are taking their night at The Slipper Room to do a burlesque tribute to the King of Parody, Weird Al. Venatrix, Perse Fanny, Rosie Tulips, Violet Luna, Bitsy Brulée, LeGrand Chaton, Miranda Raven, Handsome Brad, and Cherry Pitz are all set to do a night dedicated to Weird Al unlike you’ve ever seen before (especially if you’ve not seen seductive dancing with mustaches and wordplay)

With that in mind, you really ought to get tickets here for $25 a pop. Hotsy Totsy’s Tribute to Weird Al Yankovic is set for this Thurs. Jan. 12th w/doors at 7PM.

 

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 110: Brett Johnson & Bringing It All Back to the YARD
May 4, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
brett johnson, chappelle, daniel radcliffe, james corden, john ennis, late late show, late night, weird al yankovic, yard theater

While it’s rare, there are folks that go and see almost the same amount of comedy that we do. It should go without saying that we enjoy the company of those folks, which is exactly why we had a splendid chat with the YARD Theater’s uber-friendly co-manager Brett Johnson. With his involvement, Brett has made a home for some of the more genre and tone bending types of comedy and, thusly, we have spent a good deal of time standing in the back and cracking up.

This week, we chat with Brett about The YARD’s journey through the last few years and where it looks to head. Also “hot” takes on Chappelle getting taclked, Corden ending his run at The Late Late Show, and the first reveal of Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al Yankovic.

Follow @theyardtheater across platforms and @whatbrett on IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

See Daniel Radcliffe Don an Afro and Becomes Weird Al Yankovic for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
May 3, 2022
News
biopic, daniel radcliffe, roku, trailer, weird al yankovic

When it comes to the prospect of making a biopic about the rise of musical comedy parody extraordinaire Weird Al Yankovic, Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t immediately come to mind as to who to play him. That said, the Internet should have learned by now to hold off from initial judgment of who might be right or not to play a real life person until you actually see it for yourself. Admittedly, Radcliffe as Al Yankovic, thus far, does emphasize the title “Weird” quite nicely.

Roku just released the teaser for their original production Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which has Radcliffe in a big ol’ afro and accordions at the ready and, above all else, it seems like this is going to be a pretty wild movie showing off a side of Weird Al that a lot of folks aren’t really acquainted with (especially since he’s more of an elder statesman of comedy these days).

Take a gander for yourself here, then look for it to stream exclusively on Roku for free this Fall.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 100: Yemi Afolabi & Comedy in Swenglish
February 23, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
amazing jonathan, aziz ansari, bill murray, daniel radcliffe, european comedy, jerry lewis, king bach, sweden comedy, weird al yankovic, yemi afolabi

Yes, it is The Comedy Bureau Field Report’s 100th Episode. This podcast started at the beginning of the pandemic and the pandemic has been going on this damn long. That said, it’s quite the milestone and, as such, we have Yemi Afolabi, a comedian who TCB’s Jake Kroeger started out with back at the turn of the decade to the 2010s, who has had an astounding journey himself going from finding himself in some corner of comedy in LA to gaining real heat doing stand-up in Sweden (often in Swedish/English hybrid known as Swenglish) and then coming back to NYC to focus in on climbing the ladder in the endlessly competitive NYC comedy scene.

Yemi talks all about that and more as well as “hot” takes on Aziz Ansari/Bill Murray’s latest feature project, the passing of Amazing Jonathan, and more.

Follow Yemi @yemicomedy and Hot & Bothered at @hotandbothered.comedy on IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 95: Ruby Karp & Actual Hope
January 19, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
bandera animation, chelsea handler, daniel radcliffe, gen z, greg daniels, mike judge, millenials, ruby karp, weird al yankovic

It’s one thing to think of young people as the future, but it’s a whole other thing to actually talk to them about what the prospect of the coming years has in store for them. Taking a cue from C’mon C’mon, we talk to Ruby Karp, a comedian who is both Gen Z and has had more experience in doing comedy than people in their 30s and 40s. Karp has an inspiring passion for comedy that is both captured through her own very genuine hope for the future of comedy and convinces that there is something actually better to come with 2022 onwards. It also helps that she is an unstoppably bubbly person to talk to.

Also, “hot” takes on Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al Yankovic, the fame of Pete Davidson, Chelsea Handler’s memoir being adapted into a Peacock series, and more.

Follow Ruby Karp @rubykarp across socials.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT
December 2, 2019
Uncategorized
gallery 1988, weird al yankovic

Gallery 1988 is at it again with another wondrous art tribute to iconic figure in comedy. This Friday, they’ll be unveiling an entire exhibition of Weird Al Yankovic inspired art from dozens of artists. 

By the way, the song parody master Weird Al Yankovic will be there hosting the whole opening night. 

Admission is free, but we have no doubt that it’ll get packed pretty quickly, so arrive early at Gallery 1988 for “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Art Tribute  if you can.

Weird Al Yankovic to be honored with star on the Walk of Fame on Aug. 27 | via @wofstargirl”
August 13, 2018
Uncategorized
hollywood, walk of fame, weird al yankovic

Weird Al Yankovic to be honored with star on the Walk of Fame on Aug. 27 | via @wofstargirl”

This is probably an appropriate icing on the cake for Weird Al Yankovic, who is probably the most successful song parodist of all time, probably by several miles. 

To our knowledge, there hasn’t been another record of parody songs by someone who isn’t Weird AL that went to #1 overall on the album charts, kicking off a massive, massive international tour. That’ll probably be the case for several years to come.

Also, It probably won’t happen, but it’d be great if Weird Al’s star took over a certain current POTUS’ star on the Walk of Fame. 

2018 Moontower Comedy Festival Announces Tiffany Haddish, Weird Al Yankovic, and Mike Birbiglia as Their First Three Headliners
October 14, 2017
Uncategorized
austin tx, comedy festival, mike birbiglia, moontower, tiffany haddish, weird al yankovic
image

If you know anything about Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival, it’s that they have plethoras of wondrous comedians. 

Announcing Tiffany Haddish, Weird Al Yankovic, and Mike Birbiglia first on what is sure to be a massively stacked line-up ought to peak your interest. 

If so, take advantage of Warrior and Satellite Badges early bird prices of $199 and $99 respectively. 

The 2018 Moontower Comedy Festival is set for Wed. Apr. 18th–Sun. Apr. 21st, in Austin, TX.

Get more details, tickets, etc. here.

Weird Al Yankovic to Release a Whole Album of Rare, Unreleased Tracks, “Medium Rarities” with ‘Complete Works’
March 27, 2017
Uncategorized
medium rarities, musical comedy, parody, rare singles, unreleased, weird al, weird al yankovic

For comedy nerds/completists/collectors, a massive new collector’s box set featuring the entire Weird Al Yankovic catalog. This will include a brand new album, exclusive to the set, that has unreleased tracks and rarities from Yankovic’s own vault.

Called Medium Rarities, it includes songs from the beginning of Weird Al’s career to present day. Here’s a great promo complete with a Super Mario Bros. style game with Weird Al in it showing what’s on the album.

The Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic costs $475 and is only available in limited quantities. We’re guessing the limited run has something to do with the box set being in the shape of an accordion. 

Pre-order it here and get it on November 24th this year.

The Festival Supreme 2016 Line-Up Just Announced
August 9, 2016
Uncategorized
comedy festival, comedy shows, festival supreme, flight of the conchords, fred armisen, jack black, kyle gass, los angeles, mac demarco, maya rudolph, patton oswalt, sarah silverman, shine expo hall, shrine auditorium, tenacious d, weird al yankovic, will forte

(via @dansnierson)

Poster by Luke McGarry

Tenacious D is bringing their awesome one-day comedy and music festival extravaganza back to The Shine Expo Hall & Grounds with yet another stacked line-up as you can see above.

Tickets will go on sale Friday and we’ll be sure to remind you.

Tonight, “Ben Gleib: Neurotic Gangster” Special Premieres and Weird Al Yankovic Debuts as Bandleader on Season 5 of Comedy Bang! Bang!
June 3, 2016
Uncategorized
comedy bang bang, comedy special, ifc, showtime, weird al yankovic

10PM on Showtime and 11PM on IFC respectively.

Showtime’s latest hour long stand-up special will come in the form of Ben Gleib: Neurotic Gangster. You might know Ben as the host of Idiotest on the Game Show Network, but he happens to be a skilled stand-up comedian as well. 

After that, season 5 of Comedy Bang! Bang!, the TV series, on IFC will premiere its 5th season, which just happens to also be the first season that that musical parody king Weird Al Yankovic will serve as bandleader next to host Scott Aukerman.

IFC Gives a Full Episode Sneak Peek to the New Season of Comedy Bang! Bang! with Weird Al Yankovic as the Band Leader
May 29, 2016
Uncategorized
ben schwartz, comedy bang bang, ifc, kevin bacon, leo dicaprio, scott aukerman, weird al yankovic

Season 5 of Comedy Bang! Bang! on IFC is pretty close. In fact, the season premiere is this Friday, June 3rd, which will be the inaugural episode for new CBB bandleader and legendary comedic musician Weird Al Yankovic. 

Fortunately, the good folks at IFC were nice enough to preview a full episode before the season premiere that you can watch on YouTube right now.

Weird Al Yankovic Will Be Comedy Bang! Bang!’s New Bandleader
January 25, 2016
Uncategorized
comedy bang bang, ifc, kid cudi, reggie watts, scott aukerman, weird al yankovic

Well, Comedy Bang! Bang! continues to keep scoring with their bandleaders. 

Following in the footsteps of Reggie Watts and Kid Cudi, Weird Al Yankovic will be joining the TV series version of Comedy Bang! Bang!, even though his footsteps in musical comedy precede both of them, 

He’ll be alongside host Scott Aukerman in the show’s absurdist take on a late night talk show and is such a perfect fit for the show. Honestly, we can’t think of who would be a more fitting bandleader for Comedy Bang! Bang!

Above Average and SNL’s Bryan Tucker Launch Sports Comedy Focused Channel “The Kicker”
October 28, 2015
Uncategorized
above average, bryan tucker, jamaal charles, snl, sports comedy, the kicker, weird al yankovic

It’s no secret that many folks have been trying to figure out how comedy and sports can mesh. HBO has done their faux sports documentaries including Ferrell Takes the Field and 7 Days in Hell for example.

Now, Above Average has enlisted Saturday Night Live co-head writer Bryan Tucker to spearhead The Kicker, their new offshoot that finds the intersection between comedy and sports in various types of web videos.

Here’s a bit of a preview of how they’re marrying the worlds of Weird Al Yankovic and Jamaal Charles.

The Kicker officially launched today and they’ve got plenty of videos for you to see if this new channel has room on your daily queue.

Jack McBrayer Led “Wander Over Yonder” at Disney XD Adds Jon Hamm, Weird Al Yankovic, More to Guest Star Cast
July 11, 2015
Uncategorized
andy daly, disney xd, jack mcbrayer, jon hamm, june squibb, ken marino, season 2, wander over yonder, weird al yankovic

(via ET)

Disney XD is sure stacking its cast here for adults. 

Over a year ago, Disney XD announced a new series amidst a slough of exciting slate of animated series actually designed for all ages including Craig McCracken’s Wander Over Yonder that will star Jack McBrayer.

Wander Over Yonder, now in its second season, has some more excitement built up around it as their guest stars will include the likes of Jon Hamm, Weird Al Yankovic, June Squibb, Andy Daly, Rob Riggle, and Ken Marino.

Along with other shows like Future-Worm!, Phineas and Ferb, the network has built a pretty solid animated line-up that can hold up with adults.

IFC and College Humor Are Honoring Musical Comedy With Their “CollegeHumor’s Comedy Music Hall of Fame” Special
May 18, 2015
Uncategorized
college humor, comedy music, hall of fame, ifc, musical comedy, paul f tompkins, rachel bloom, tenacious d, trevor moore, weird al yankovic

The likes of Weird Al Yankovic, Tenacious D, Rachel Bloom, Trevor Moore, and more have brought the art of musical comedy to a point where they warrant an entire TV special honoring their works over the years.

So, College Humor and IFC are doing just that with the very first CollegeHumor’s Comedy Music Hall of Fame. The great Paul F. Tompkins will be presiding as the host and there will be retrospectives, interviews, and new videos to be seen. 

The festivities can be seen on IFC on Fri. Jun. 19th at 10PM.

Here’s an announcement as proof of all of the above.

Weird Al Yankovic Does an Unboxing Video For His Grammy Award
May 1, 2015
Uncategorized
grammy, unboxing, weird al yankovic

Unless it’s a lamp shaped like a leg, it’s not too often you get to see the unboxing of a major award.

In case you don’t know, most people don’t get to take home the statues they are handed at big time awards shows. Those are just for the cameras. 

The actual statues that they put on display come much later in the mail and Weird Al Yankovic graciously gives us a look into how “elaborate” it is to get your Grammy in the mail.

Watch it here.

Weird Al Yankovic To Be a Guest Editor of Upcoming Issue of MAD Magazine
February 17, 2015
Uncategorized
guest editor, mad magazine, weird al yankovic

One of the longest running comedy publications in existence, MAD Magazine, has invited Weird Al Yankovic to be a guest editor for the next issue. 

With his acceptance of the invitation, Yankovic will apparently be the magazine’s first guest editor. 

Yankovic will also be joining in other noted comedy folks like Key & Peele with Entertainment Weekly  or Judd Apatow with Vanity Fair recently guest editing the magazine’s comedy issues. 

As you can clearly tell, he’s been dreaming of this for awhile:

Childhood dream achieved: I am going to be MAD Magazine’s first-ever guest editor (issue #533)! pic.twitter.com/YtNDdWnaFW

Thomas Lennon, Lauren Graham, Will Arnett Are Guest Hosting “The Late Late Show” This Week
February 16, 2015
Uncategorized
cbs, david cross, jimmy kimmel, john krasinski, late late show, lauren graham, matthew perry, nick kroll, thomas lennon, weird al yankovic, will arnett

March is just around the corner, which means The Late Late Show with James Corden is almost set to premiere. In the meantime, the interim period of The Late Late Show is still in effect and, this week, they have very intriguing guests hosts in Thomas Lennon, Lauren Graham and Will Arnett.

Lennon is scheduled for Mon-Wed., Graham on Thurs., and Arnett for Fri.

In addition to their hijinks, Weird Al Yankovic, Natasha Leggero, Nick Kroll, Matthew Perry, Tom Papa, Jimmy Kimmel, John Krasinski, and David Cross are all set to be guests this week too.

Take note that Lennon has voiced Craig Ferguson’s robot skeleton sidekick Geoffrey Peterson at The Late Late Show from time to time and perhaps he’ll do it again.

Find out what happens (two weeks ago, they had the Super Bowl Sharks on) by tuning in to CBS at 12:35AM all week long.

Weird Al, Tenacious D, Grand Budapest Hotel, and Joan Rivers All Win at This Year’s Grammys
February 9, 2015
Uncategorized
alexandre desplat, grammys, grand budapest hotel, joan rivers, mandatory fun, tenacious d, weird al yankovic

In the gigantic crowd of Grammy nominees, finding the comedy winners might be a little difficult, especially since they’re never all announced during the telecast. 

So, we’ve hunted through all them and found 2015 Grammy winners in or somehow connected to comedy.

Best Comedy Album-Weird Al Yankovic “Mandatory Fun”
Best Spoken Word Album-Joan Rivers “Diary of a Mad Diva”
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media-Alexandre Desplat “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Best Metal Performance-Tenacious D-“The Last In Line”

Honestly, there are no surprises here and we’re glad to see Yankovic cap off his 2014 Billboard #1 album with a Grammy win.

Now you can go enjoy the rest of your evening with Better Call Saul and Last Week Tonight.

Weird Al Yankovic Going on Giant, 5 Month Worldwide Tour
January 20, 2015
Uncategorized
mandatory fun, mandatory world tour, weird al yankovic

Coming off his #1 album Mandatory Fun, Weird Al Yankovic is now going on a worldwide tour that spans all over the country and all over the world including Belgium, Ireland Norway, Netherlands, Canada, and more.

The Mandatory World Tour will also go from May 12th to Oct 6th as of now with 88 dates, which is pretty much unheard of as far as comedy tours go. 

Even more impressive, Yankovic might be more dates.

Here Are The Comedy Nominees for The 2015 Grammys
December 5, 2014
Uncategorized
everything is awesome, grammys, jim gaffigan, joan rivers, louis ck, mandatory fun, obsessed, oh my god, patton oswalt, sarah silverman, tenacious d, tragedy plus comedy equals time, we are miracles, weird al yankovic

The Grammys have just announced the majority of the nominees for their 83 categories, which include Best Recording Package, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, Best Album Notes, Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, and Best Comedy Album.

Of course, we’re only concerned with comedy here rather than how an album is packaged or what music is playing in your local chapel’s gift shop, so the nominees for Best Comedy Album are:

“Mandatory Fun”-Weird Al Yankovic
“Obsessed”-Jim Gaffigan 
“Oh My God”-Louis C.K.
“Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time”-Patton Oswalt
“We Are Miracles”-Sarah Silverman

Honestly, it’ll be hard to tell who’s going to win as Silverman has an Emmy for We Are Miracles, Yankovic scored #1 Billboard spot with Mandatory Fun, and Oswalt, C.K., and Gaffigan are critically and commercially amongst the top tier of funniest people in comedy right now.

Also, we’d like to note that Joan Rivers got nominated posthumously in the Best Spoken Word Album category for “Diary of a Mad Diva”, Tenacious D got nominated for Best Metal Performance for covering Dio’s “The Last in Line”, and Tegan & Sara and The Lonely Island’s “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie got nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

See the full list, if you dare, of nominees here.

Weird Al Yankovic on His Song Process, Getting a #1 Album, and Playing Wheel of Fortune with James Brown
October 1, 2014
Uncategorized
james brown, late night, mandatory fun, seth meyers, song writing, weird al yankovic, wheel of fortune

Turns out the Weird Al Yankovic has just wrapped up a three decade plus long record contract with his latest chart topping album Mandatory Fun. Yankovic chatted about that with Seth Meyers on Late Night last night as well as how he makes sure to clear his song parodies with the artists (even if its the night before recording) and his overall process in song writing and what he goes for.

While that’s all well and good, Weird Al also talked about the one time that he played Wheel of Fortune with Little Richard and James Brown, which is a thing that really happened.

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