‘Weird Al’ Yankovic keeps dorkiness close to his heart
A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin: I usually have to finish a conversation with a guest before I can draw some big conclusion, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this about “Weird Al” Yankovic: I think that more than the perfect rhyming scheme, more than the most ridiculous pun, more than music itself, what “Weird Al” loves most in the world is making people happy.
Hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he fell hard for the accordion as a kid and realized a few years later that he was really good at making up fake lyrics to real songs. And that this — THIS was his ticket to fame and stardom.
But I don’t think so. His art is too self-effacing to be about ego. When performing, “Weird Al” is the spiritual manifestation of every dorky kid who never fit in, now finally getting their moment — not by trying to fit into someone else’s idea of cool — but by leaning into every single thing that makes them weird. And that is a beautiful and generous thing.
And 46 years after his first big hit, “My Bologna,” came out, “Weird Al” is still at it. His “Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour” kicks off in June.
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