"Weird Al" Yankovic -LIVE!-

I wasn't sure what to expect of this. The English-speaking world's premier parodist crams so many jokes into his videos, that what could possibly be worth watching about his less-honed live performance?

Oh boy, was I wrong.

From the moment his parents introduce him at the start, this is adrenaline cranked-up and left on full.

Al wholeheartedly throws himself into each and every number, and I mean that literally, he really throws himself all around the stage for a whole hour. The video-clips that break-up his stage show while he's negotiating quick costume-changes have sadly all been cut from this release, but without them the whole thing just never slows down for a breather.

More than anything else, what comes across is his fitness. At one point he's pretending to be Madonna, dressed as a surgeon, on a double-bed, with one foot contorted behind his head, hopping, and still singing.


There's one thing I'd forgotten about Al's show when I saw him live in Auckland last year – the seriousness in his eyes. He never really looked like he was enjoying himself, and that's the same here, but in the final number on this DVD the mystery is solved. As he croons through the final reprise of Yoda, there is absolute joy on his face, and he's lovin' it. Of course he is – it's the final song, and he's been giving everything his full concentration all evening.

I know it’s a cliché, but if you really enjoy something, you work incredibly hard at it.