‘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.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
