Weird Al Yankovic

October 23, 2011 at Beacon Theatre

About the Show

The foremost song parodist of the MTV era, ''Weird Al'' Yankovic carried the torch of musical humor more proudly and more successfully than any performer since Allan Sherman. In the world of novelty records -- a genre noted for its extensive back catalog of flashes-in-the-pan and one-hit wonders -- Yankovic was king, scoring smash after smash over the course of an enduring career which found him topically mocking everything from new wave to gangsta rap.

Ultimately, much of Yankovic's success resulted from his skilled use of music video, a medium not available in the era of Spike Jones or Allan Sherman; suddenly, not only could records themselves serve as parody fodder, but their video clips were ripe for satire as well. Additionally, MTV firmly established Yankovic's public persona; sporting garish Hawaiian shirts, frizzy hair, and an arsenal of goofy mannerisms, he cut a distinctly bizarre figure which he consistently exploited to maximum comic effect. After Michael Jackson's "Beat It'' became the most acclaimed video in the medium's brief history, Yankovic recorded "Eat It" for his sophomore effort, 1984's ''Weird" Al Yankovic in 3-D; the ''Eat It'' video, which mocked the ''Beat It'' clip scene-for-scene, became an MTV smash, and the Grammy-winning single reached the Top 15.

After an extended period of silence, he returned in 1992 with Off the Deep End, which featured the Top 40 hit ''Smells Like Nirvana,'' a send-up of Nirvana's landmark single "Smells Like Teen Spirit.'' After 1993's Alapalooza, he resurfaced in 1996 with Bad Hair Day, his highest-charting record to date thanks to the success of the single "Amish Paradise," a takeoff of the Coolio hit "Gangsta''s Paradise.'' The follow-up, Running with Scissors, appeared in 1999, with Poodle Hat landing in 2003. Straight Outta Lynwood appeared in 2006 with the single "White & Nerdy,'' a suburban parody of Chamillionaire's hit "Ridin." Yankovic's thirteenth studio album, Alpocalypse, skewered the likes of Lady Gaga (''Perform This Way'') and Miley Cyrus (''Party in the CIA''). The Alpocalypse arrived on June 21, 2011.

Click Here for a exclusive interview with Weird Al Yankovic!

Click here to learn more about our upcoming shows, enter sweepstakes, get directions, find restaurants in the area and more - all on MSG Soundcheck!