Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! - The Alpocalypse Tour

October 14, 2011

"Weird Al" Yankovic Live! - The Alpocalypse Tour - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray

"Weird Al" Yankovic has been making music since the late 1970s, meaning he's been making music longer than Lady Gaga's been alive. He's lasted longer in the music business that all but a handful of people he's parodied. This year he released his 13th studio album and went on tour to support it. One performance at Massey Hall in Toronto was filmed and released on DVD and Blu-ray. But does "Weird Al" still have the energy to perform after more than 30 years in the business?

The Movie

The set starts with...

  1. "Polka Face": A medley of current songs set to the "Liechtensteiner Polka". I only recognized one of these songs. I guess it's been a long time since I paid attention to what they play on the radio.
  2. "TMZ": Parody of "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift. It's about the plague of Paparazzi and is quite funny, but I wish a little more of the music video was shown. (It's animated by Bill Plympton.)
  3. "Smells Like Nirvana": Parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. One of his best songs. They even have a couple cheerleaders on stage during the song.
  4. Skipper Dan: An original song about a wannabee actor whose career has stalled. It's from the new album and this is the first time I've heard it. It's catchy.
  5. Party in the CIA: Parody of "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus. She's starred in her own TV show, she's had best selling albums, record-setting concert, record-setting movie, and now the most prestigious honor possible, a parody by Weird Al.
  6. CNA: An original song that is a loving tribute to Charles Nelson Riley. It's a great song and there are quite a few clips from the video included. You have to check it out here.
  7. Let Me Be Your Hog: An original song that would take longer to describe than it would be to listen to.
  8. Canadian Idiot: Parody of "American Idiot" by Green Day. The concert was filmed in Canada, so this is a bit of pandering to the audience, but I'm happy because this is arguably my second favorite song from Straight Outta Lynwood. (Only "Do I Creep You Out" is better.)
  9. Wanna B Ur Lovr: Another original song. This one is filled with really bad pick up lines. It's great.
  10. Medley: Includes "Beverley Hillbillies", "I Want a New Duck", "Theme from Rocky XIII", "My Bolona", "Lasagna", "Eat It", and others. I wish he played more of these in their entirety, but if he did, it would be a three-hour concert.
  11. Amish Paradise: Parody of "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio. There was a bit of controversy over this song when it came out. There was miscommunication regarding Weird Al getting permission from Coolio. I'm glad it was recorded, because it is a great song.
  12. Craigslist: An original song about the wonders that you can find on Craigslist.
  13. Perform This Way: Parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. This is his big hit from his latest album, and for good reason.
  14. White & Nerdy: Parody of "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire. Combines cool and nerdy in a way only Weird Al can pull off.
  15. Fat: Parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson. Performed in the fat suit. Simply awesome.
  16. The Saga Begins: Parody of "American Pie" by Don McLean.
    Yoda: Parody of "Lola" by The Kinks. The concert ends with a Star Wars double-shot, complete with Darth Vader and stormtroopers on stage.
It's a very impressive concert that mixes a lot of the old in with the new. It's high energy with many costume changes thrown into the mix. My only complaint is the length. It's too short. There are literally dozens of songs I would have loved to hear in concert.

The Extras

There are three additional songs in the extras ("Frank's 2000 Inch TV", "You Don't Love Me Anymore", and "You Make Me") and two music videos ("Perform this Way" and "Polka Face"). There are four minutes of YouTube clips and eleven minutes of "Other Junk".

There are no exclusive extras on the Blu-ray and the technical presentation is good, but not great. The video is closer to what you would expect for high definition on TV rather than a high definition theatrical release. There are no real flaws, but it's not very showy. The audio is sadly in 2.0 stereo and it would have been nice to get in the center of the music. That said, the Blu-ray is the same price as the DVD, at least on Amazon.com, so there's no reason to not grab the Blu-ray.

The Verdict

"Weird Al" Yankovic Live! - The Alpocalypse Tour is a must have for fans of his, and if you haven't heard of a lot of his work, give it a try. His energy should win you over by the end of the concert. There are more than enough extras on the DVD and the Blu-ray to lift the concert to the purchase level.


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