▣The Orion Amphitheater | Huntsville, AL  ▣Sunday, July 27th 2025
▣Photographer/Journalist: Dani B.

Weird Al Yankovic has been an icon in my family for a few decades. I was first introduced to his music by my mom on a random summer afternoon somewhere between middle and high school. From the first notes of “Beat It” to the last notes of “Another One Rides The Bus,” I knew I needed this music in my life. So, best believe I found every way I could to get his music onto my iPod Touch (thanks, Mom, for the copious amounts of iTunes gift cards). To say I was excited for this show would be an understatement, as my inner child was jumping for joy in anticipation of the night ahead at the Orion Amphitheater!

Puddles Pity Party took the stage and started in near-total silence. “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” rolled out like a distant memory of a song you forgot from childhood, and the air got heavy real quick. By the time he hit “Come Cry With Me,” people weren’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or stare at the audience member next to them, thinking, “Is this… actually happening?” But Puddles wasn’t done there. He took things a step further with the Cry Cam, pointing his camera at everyone up front. Absolutely NO ONE was safe, not even me!

Then came the first “Who Wants to Help the Clown?” segment. This is a recurring bit in his shows and something I’d overheard eager fans hyping up on the walk to the venue. Puddles steps offstage and prowls at the barricade in silence, locking eyes with people like a teacher from 5th grade about to ask someone to read a passage of a book out loud.

The kid pulled from the crowd, a Weird Al lookalike, enthusiastically played a fake homemade guitar to “Crazy Train,” a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s signature song, in the wake of Ozzy’s passing. The song was stripped of its bravado and infused with raw energy. No irony. No jokes. Just sheer intensity. Once the kid walked back to his seat in the audience, Puddles continued the show with a rendition of “Afraid of Nothing” by Sharon Van Etten—and the crowd was officially gone.

He closed with a medley that deserves its own concert in its own time: “My Heart Will Go On / Enter Sandman / One,” all stitched into one final explosion of operatic sorrow and pageantry. Being entirely honest here, I didn’t really know what to think of it, as it was all over the place in a chaotic and equally controlled way. It was truly quite impressive. As the closing notes of “One” faded from the stage, Puddles was prepping his stage exit. What was unique about it was he didn’t speak a word, take a bow, or do anything that a performer might otherwise do when it comes to a grand exit. Not him… He just stared us down, turned, and faded offstage.

Opening for Weird Al is a huge feat in itself. You as an opening act need to be odd enough to match Weird Al’s energy, bold enough not to be overlooked, and entertaining enough to bring back fond memories. Puddles Pity Party not only cleared that bar, but took a good hard look ( maybe even cried a little bit) and said, “Challenge accepted.”

Progressing through the evening was the moment the sea of Hawaiian shirts had been waiting for. Right off the rip, Weird Al Yankovic kicked off with “Tacky” but hit the crowd with a twist. We could hear him but couldn’t see him. Dare I say, the intro was a little weird. Al was spotted halfway through the song walking through the crowd and then bouncing onto the stage sporting a mismatched outfit that would’ve left David Bowie floored. The crowd—already primed with their equally tacky attire, tinfoil hats, and more vintage merch than an antique mall—was immediately locked in and matched his energy. Weird Al Yankovic perused the stage, knowing exactly what he was doing. The man was turning light social interactions into theatrical productions, and the audience ate it all up.

Midway through the night, he let out what can only be described as a classic hits speed run: “Party in the CIA,” “It’s All About the Pentiums,” “Bedrock Anthem,” “My Bologna,” “Ricky,” “Ode to a Superhero,” “I Love Rocky Road,” “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Word Crimes,” and “Canadian Idiot” without skipping a beat. Each song was one after another in a high-volume stream of absurdity that only Weird Al could have pulled off. What made this especially impressive was how he was doing costume changes between each song and keeping the same intensity each change. From donning black suits and ties for “Party in the CIA” to sporting a maple leaf suit coat for “Canadian Idiot,” he did not hold back for the Orion. It was mesmerizing and brilliant. Each and every one of those songs has had a profound cultural impact, and here was the man responsible for them all right in front of me, showing off something truly incredible.

Just when it seemed like the party bus might pump the brakes, Al sauntered back out in his iconic inflated “Fat” suit and hit those moves with the same snap he had 30 years ago. To me, it felt like he was still poking holes in our societal obsession with our image, fame status, and other pop culture norms…but while waddling across the stage and yelling, “I’m FAT!” The audience went berserk. However, not in an “oh haha, that’s dorky” way, but in a “THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!” type of way.

Weird Al, of course, saved some of the heaviest hitters for the final stretch. “eBay” ignited the amphitheater into a phone-lit vigil of emotions, swaying, and a pure display of passion from the longtime listeners. This piece is a classic above all classics, and the outpour of love for it was evident, but I might be biased as this is also one of my all-time favorites! The circus continued with “White & Nerdy,” which is a fantastic song as well, but ”Amish Paradise” was the breadwinner of the latter half of the set. I don’t think there was anyone in attendance who DIDN’T know this one, as it’s still one of his sharpest songs. With social satire, musical precision, and an A+++ music video to accompany the performance, it’s no wonder this song is a long-standing staple of his live shows.

As a final act of mayhem, Weird Al engaged in a much highly requested encore. Paying homage to the Star Wars nerds in attendance, he rolled into “The Saga Begins,” a pitch-perfect Star Wars spin to the tune of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Around him, dancing on stage, were Darth Vader, stormtroopers, and R2-D2 spinning about the place. Paired with the follow-up of “Yoda” and a brief a cappella jazz-themed skit of Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, Weird Al Yankovic affirmed for the Orion Amphitheater that his show is no force to be reckoned with. A perfect close to a perfect evening. Not because it was big and loud (although it certainly was), but because it was pure Al. He doesn’t do irony for irony’s sake. He makes fun of the things he loves in the best way possible, and that’s something truly special that can’t be done by anyone but him.

Check out our contributor photographer, Dani B. photos now!

PUDDLES PITY PARTY

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC

Check out the band websites for more info –

Puddles Pity Party

Weird Al Yankovic

SETLIST

Fun Zone: Tacky

Mission Statement

Polkamania!

Everything You Know Is Wrong

One More Minute

Another One Rides the Bus (clip from “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”)

Smells Like Nirvana

Dare to Be Stupid

Party in the CIA / It’s All About the Pentiums / Bedrock Anthem / My Bologna / Ricky / Ode to a Superhero / I Love Rocky Road / Eat It / Like a Surgeon / Word Crimes / Canadian Idiot

Fat

Captain Underpants Theme Song

Now You Know

China Grove

It’s My World (and We’re All Living in It)

Skipper Dan

eBay

Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me

White & Nerdy

Amish Paradise

ENCORE

We All Have Cell Phones

The Saga Begins

Yoda

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

BWV 565 (Johann Sebastian Bach cover)