On a nationwide tour for his 13th studio album, “Weird Al” Yankovic, 52, wanted to do something special for the sold-out crowd at the Christopher A. Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC) Wednesday, Nov. 2.
“I don’t know how relevant these lyrics are anymore, but 30 years ago they were hilarious” Yankovic said, introducing a song he wrote as a Cal Poly sophomore called, “Take Me Down.”
He and his band then launched into a humorous song about life in “that good ol’ SLO town,” ripe with local references any student, alumni or resident could understand. The moment was one of several reminiscent of Yankovic’s days as a Cal Poly architecture student and KCPR DJ, on the brink of fame and, more importantly, success.
Yankovic took center stage wearing his signature prescription glasses, Hawaiian shirt and long wavy hair. Wielding an accordion keyboard, he opened with, “Polka Face,” the latest polka medley from his “Alpocalypse” album, featuring up-tempo lyrics by artists like Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and Kid Cudi.
The show, featuring more than 20 songs, included 15 wardrobe changes altogether, ranging from an inflatable fat suit for “Fat,” to a full-body peacock costume for “Perform this Way,” to an Amish getup for “Amish Paradise.” Each time, all four of Yankovic’s bandmates — on drums, keyboard, banjo and bass — changed accordingly, to complement his many outfits.
During each change, humorous video clips about Yankovic played on the projection screen at the rear of the stage. Several were old clips from “Al TV,” his short-lived CBS television show, featuring dubbed-over interviews with stars like Eminem, Justin Timberlake and Madonna.
Other video sequences included compilations of references to “Weird Al” in popular movies and television shows, illustrating how notorious Yankovic is for his unique style.
He voiced the animated version of himself on “The Simpsons,” “Robot Chicken” and “Johnny Bravo.” David Letterman, as well as characters on”Friends” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” have used his likeness to make fun of another person’s hair. “Jeopardy!” once dedicated all six categories of a round to “Weird Al” references.
Yankovic balanced his set list with new and old song parodies, wholly appealing to a crowd of fans young and old.
“My Bologna,” Yankovic’s first big parody of a hit song, was famously recorded in a bathroom in Cal Poly’s graphic communication building because of its acoustics. When he performed the song up the road from that very bathroom Wednesday, Yankovic recruited a stagehand to stand beside him and put a harmonica to his lips during the chorus.
In “Smells like Nirvana,” Yankovic appeared in a platinum blonde wig wearing jean shorts and a torn denim jacket from the grunge era. Backup dancers Lindsey and Leslie Ridgeway of San Luis Obispo shook pom poms as he concluded with a Kurt Cobain impersonation, slowly and sloppily collapsing onstage.
Ridgeway hosted a KCPR radio show that aired right before Yankovic’s “Weird Al Show.” In fact, she used to introduce him in the wacky voice that became customary as his show grew more popular, she said.
Performing “Wanna B Ur Lover,” Yankovic prowled through the crowd in his red tiger-striped suit, caressing the heads and faces of complete strangers. Fellow Cal Poly architecture alumna and PAC usher Laurie Cummings got a PG-13 “lap dance,” and a kiss on the cheek.
“I knew he was coming for me,” Cummings said, who didn’t know Yankovic when they were in school together. “We made a connection.”
After introducing his band members by name and giving a warm, “Thank you, San Luis Obispo!” Yankovic disappeared backstage and the auditorium lights came up. Patrons stood, clapped and cheered loudly for several minutes before the band returned in hooded robes.
When the music began, Yankovic revealed his jedi outfit from the Star Wars films. He proceeded to perform two of his most popular songs, “Yoda” and “The Saga Continues,” then punctuated his finale with a nonsensical, though melodic, song of mostly gibberish.
After the show, several people waited anxiously in the lobby to meet Yankovic.
San Luis Obispo resident Spencer Claxton didn’t have a backstage pass, but he begged to see the man he called his hero.
“My favorite part of his show was the entire thing,” Claxton said, carrying a neon green snorkel signed by Yankovic at his last San Luis Obispo show in 2007. “I would literally eat my shoe to meet him.”
His mother stopped him from eating his shoe, but Claxton eventually received a pass from a generous young man named Gabriel Ruiz.
Backstage, a tired Yankovic signed autographs for fans and took pictures. When presented with a hard copy of the Mustang Daily’s recent article about his freshman year, Yankovic was — like many of his songs — sarcastic yet sincere.
“I finally made the front page of the Mustang Daily,” he said.