'Weird Al' goes live with his 'White & Nerdy' self
Parody king "Weird Al" Yankovic is making touring a priority this year as he heads out next month for dates in New Zealand and Australia to be followed by a US outing that kicks off in May.
Yankovic will travel from coast to coast during the trek, which begins May 2 in Glen Allen, VA. So far, the funnyman's itinerary takes him through mid-September, including a run of fairs. US dates are listed below and international shows can be found at Yankovic's website.
The performer said in a blog entry at his MySpace page that he may tour Europe in late April, as well.
Yankovic's September release, "Straight Outta Lynwood," debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, making it his first Top 10 album in his nearly three-decade career. The song "White & Nerdy," a parody of Chamillionaire's hit "Ridin," is also his first Top 10 single.
"Straight Outta Lynwood" also features parodies of songs by Green Day, Usher, R. Kelly and Taylor Hicks, along with several originals. The set comes in a DualDisc format that includes Karaoke versions of the entire album, a behind-the-scenes documentary and six new music videos.
A few cuts and videos from the record are streaming at Yankovic's MySpace page, as is the tune "You're Pitiful," a parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," which didn't make it to the album because of a lack of support from Blunt's label, Atlantic Records.
Yankovic got his start in the music business as a teenager when he began sending homemade tapes of his accordion-powered songs to nationally syndicated radio jockey Dr. Demento. After building a modest cult following from the radio show, he scored a couple of nationally released singles, which led to a record deal.
Yankovic has since sold more than 12 million albums and won three Grammys. He was up for two more Grammys--Best Comedy Album and Best Surround Sound Album--at this month's ceremony but to no avail.
May 2007
2 - Glen Allen, VA - Innsbrook Pavilion
3 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
4 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theatre
5 - Atlantic City, NJ - House Of Blues
6 - East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands-Bamboozle Festival
8 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
24 - Melbourne, FL - The King Center
25 - Pompano, FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
26 - Valdosta, GA - Wild Adventures Theme Park
27 - Winter Haven, FL - Cypress Gardens
July 2007
3 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
5 - Detroit, MI - Comerica CityFest
17-21 - Costa Mesa, CA - Orange County Fair
30 - Green Bay, WI - Oneida Casino
31 - Wausau, WI - Wisconsin Valley Fair
August 2007
27 - Minneapolis, MN - Minnesota State Fair
30 - Pueblo, CO - Colorado State Fair
31 - Denver, CO - City Lights Pavilion
September 2007
3 - Sacramento, CA - California State Fair
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Utah State Fair
12 - Puyallup, WA - Western Washington Fair
13 - Spokane, WA - Spokane County Fair & Expo
- Artist Links:
Weird Al spoofs T.I.'s 'Whatever You Like' [October 2008]
'Weird Al' Yankovic expands 'Lynwood' trek [May 2008]
LiveDaily News Break, March 13: Alanis Morissette, Jason Mraz, Alan Jackson and more [March 2008]
'Weird Al' Yankovic gets back to 'Lynwood' this summer [March 2008]
'Weird Al' talks new album, 2007 tour [September 2006]
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