KJames199
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Since: 10.12.01 From: #yqr
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| #1 Posted on 19.8.16 2016.27 Reposted on: 19.8.23 2017.36 | I turn 40 in two days.
This is an excellent way to start a concert review. For one, it ensures that I have to finish it today instead of letting it sit for another week or two. Also, it advises you, the reader, that there will be very little distracting music talk getting in the way of me nattering on about myself, which is what you're all here for.
This fact is also relevant because these concert tickets were my 40th birthday present to myself. I've seen a ton of concerts this year, but this one was special - I forked over a not-insignificant amount of cash to get the Mandatory Czar VIP tickets - not only do you get premium seats, but also a bag of stuff and - most importantly - a meet-and-greet with Weird Al himself. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, which is why I made up the "40th birthday present" justification after the fact. I needed something. These were the most expensive concert tickets I've ever bought.
Which is a questionable purchase to make, you know? I love Weird Al, but I also know how his shows go. You have a good idea of what he's going to play, because there are so many costume changes and special sets that things can only vary so much from tour to tour. If you've been once, you kind of know what you're getting.
Though to be fair, the VIP tickets promised some new experiences. There were two tiers of VIP tickets; ours (the pricier ones) came with the meet-and-greet, but both had the gift bag and also the pre-show experience. And that's two sentences in a row ended with "experience," but that really is the best word for it. They let people in at 5:30, but we didn't get there until after 7:00 as I didn't think it would really be my thing. They gave us our stuff bags at the door - nothing too exciting. There was a flag, a lanyard, a beret, and a copy of the Mad magazine from last year that Al edited. We walked into the hall, and right into the middle of a costume contest and lip-sync battle. There was an Amish guy, some Jedi, lots of tinfoil hats, and some girls in Weird Al costumes who gave me really conflicted feelings. There were also some costumes where their relevance was... dubious. Either these were some deep references that I didn't understand, or else it was just random dressing-up.
At the back of the room, there was a small touring museum with a selection of props from videos, lots of pictures, things like that. That stuff was really neat to see. There were snacks set out, a cash bar, and a merchandise stand so you could shop for your Weird Al paraphernalia without being interrupted by the masses. I wanted an action figure but it was cash-only and I had brought none, so I had to hit up an ATM later and shop at the normal souvenir stand like some sort of god damned commoner.
We were only there for a few minutes before the festivities wrapped up, concluding with the host tearing around the room singing Leggy Blonde (which is decidedly not a Weird Al song, but I guess it does say "goodbye" a lot) and knocking things over. We took this as our cue to leave so Mika took a picture of me with the Wheel of Fish, and then went off to our seats. The VIP tickets had us front row, just slightly right of centre. No complaints there.
Weird Al may be wacky but he is super serious about starting a show on time. 8:00 on the nose. I know it's the same show from night to night - you can't mix it up too much when it's that choreographed - so I don't want to go into too many details here. The structure of the show itself was as I remembered - lots of songs from the newest album (Mandatory Fun), lots of classics (I wonder if Canadian Idiot gets added to the tour specifically for the Canadian shows?), lots of video clips between songs while the costume changes were happening. Hearing the new songs done live was cool, and like before, there was a medley with a mix of songs from all through his career so you could hear things you might not expect. This time, there was also an acoustic set partway through that offered new versions of some of his classics. This was new to me and it was a great way to mix things up. He's been playing some of these songs for over 30 years so it's probably nice for him and his band to do something different too.
Anyway, this was a delightful time. Al was in fine form - I'm pretty sure he ages at one-third the speed of the rest of us - and his band was excellent as ever. Sitting front row adds to the experience, as Al once again serenaded Mika during Wanna Be Ur Luvr, putting his foot up on her chair and singing "Have you seen my picture? It's in the dictionary, under 'kablam'." We also got splattered with water during Smells Like Nirvana when Al threw the contents of his cup out into the crowd. And during Fat, Al's cries of "hooooooooo" drew an appearance from Santa Claus, who got punched, sending "teeth" across the stage. One of Santa's teeth hit me in the ankle, which is not a sentence I've had much reason to say before now.
And while the show was familiar, there was a lot of new material - not only were there the new songs, but many of the video clips used during the show were new to me, and lots of the classic clips had been retired. Al has had a renaissance of sorts in the past few years, with Mandatory Fun being the first comedy album to hit #1 in 50 years, and the first one ever to debut at #1. Plus he's been the bandleader on Comedy Bang Bang and done lots of TV guest spots and voiceover work, so there was a lot of material to draw from.
Once the show was done, after the Star Wars songs (he always ends with the Star Wars songs), it was time to meet the man. About 50 people had the purple VIP badges that allowed for the meet-and-greet. We got the rules (have your camera or phone ready, have your item to get signed ready, decide beforehand if you want individual pictures or a group shot). The host said he'd be the one taking the pictures, and that we could trust him because he used to work for Sears before he got fired. As someone who's been paying close attention to the goings-on at his local Sears Portrait Studio, this joke did not fill me with confidence. Search Instagram for #searsyqr for more details. Anyway, once that was done, we were led to a side area of the centre. There was a bit of a wait; occasionally, someone would leave to use the bathroom, and then disappoint everyone upon their return. Not every door that opens leads to "Weird Al" Yankovic. Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers, who made an on-stage appearance during the Star Wars songs, stood behind the table to serve as a backdrop for photos with Al. Some other Stormtroopers wandered the line and chatted with people, posed for pictures, that kind of thing.
Before too long, Al showed up. They moved through the line at a pretty good clip. I got my phone ready, and I decided to just get the concert tickets signed (in part because I'd already taken all our stuff to the car before the show started). Al posed for a picture with us, signed our tickets, and I got to thank him for the show and for all the music over the years. Not only have I been a big fan since childhood, but he comes across like a really down-to-earth normal guy. I've never heard of anything that suggests otherwise.
And with that, we were out the side door and back to the car. Would I do it again? That's a tricky question. I cannot stress enough that these tickets were really expensive and by most anyone's estimation, buying them was a really dumb idea. I could live without the pre-show deal and the bag of stuff - I'm almost 40, I'm not going to wear a Weird Al hat or hang a Weird Al flag (and I already had the magazine because Aaron's got my back). But we had great seats for a great show, and I got to meet one of my favourite celebrities ever, if only for a minute. That part of it was really cool. Ultimately, I certainly have no regrets that we did it once. I don't know if I'd do it again for the next Al show, though. I had my moment with him, I got what I wanted, I'm good. For someone else? Maybe. For the right band at the right price, especially if they come with great tickets. But there just aren't that many celebrities I really care about meeting. Watching from afar is usually good enough. This might be a one-off - but it was worth it.
UPCOMING CONCERTS • 54-40 (August 19) • Greg MacPherson w/Dan Holbrow & Leo Keiser (September 1) • Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters (September 6) • Dolly Parton (September 13) • Prozzäk (September 22) • Hayden (September 29) • Fred Eaglesmith (October 1) • Basia Bulat w/Oh Pep! (October 5) • I Mother Earth featuring Edwin w/The Standstills (October 8) • Sarah Slean with the Regina Symphony (October 22) • Bush w/The Dead Deads (October 27) Promote this thread! |  | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
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