Weird Al Yankovic brought his The Strings Attached Tour to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheater on July 14. It was a unique twist on the parody music Weird Al is known for performing. For this tour, he’s partnered with local orchestras in each town, giving each of his classics a new twist with some extra oomph from the strings and big-band sounds.
For those who have only heard his famous parodies like “White and Nerdy” or “Jurassic Park,” Weird Al is actually a serious musician. All of his work, whether serious or silly, is self-composed. This tour gave him more of a chance to showcase his songwriting talents. Weird Al split the playlist, sprinkling in the parody tunes he’s famous for while showcasing a lot of his own original, serious works.
Sure, the audience got a bit quiet during the lesser-known songs, but there was still a silent appreciation as each song soared with the help of the orchestra backing him up. He’s still got great energy on stage and ventured out into the audience more than once to play (and make a few people terribly uncomfortable as he wrapped clothing items around them seductively).
Nearly every song required either a costume change or an impressive video production backing Weird Al up. Nearly every song from his greatest hits (excluding Pentiums and Bohemian Polka) made the setlist. All in all, it was a satisfying night of music for the Weird Al fans who took the time to see the man behind the music.
The photos below were all taken by Jeff Hahne.
Setlist
I Lost on Jeopardy / I Love Rocky Road / Like a Surgeon
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota
Word Crimes
One More Minute
Jurassic Park
Don’t Download This Song
Weasel Stomping Day
Tacky
Jackson Park Express
Harvey the Wonder Hamster
Smells Like Nirvana
Dare to Be Stupid
White & Nerdy
Amish Paradise
Encore
The Saga Begins
Yoda
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