Just forget the words and sing along

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

DVD Review -- "Weird Al" Yankovic Live!: The Alpocalypse Tour

It's a lazy Sunday morning full of blogging, so since I just reviewed Batman: Year One, let's review the other straight-to-DVD production I just bought....



"Weird Al" Yankovic Live!:  The Alpocalypse Tour

Directed by Wayne Isham

Starring "Weird" Al Yankovic, Jim "Kimo" West, Steve Jay, John "Bermuda" Schwartz, and Reuben Valtiera.  

Backstory:  The first DVD I bought around 10 years ago was "Weird Al" Yankovic Live!, which was Weird Al's first ever concert DVD.  Having never seen Weird Al in concert yet at that point in my life, I figured this would be the closest I would ever get.  Here we are now, 11 years later, and Weird Al has finally released a second concert DVD, The Alpocalypse Tour.  Since I'm slowly upgrading everything to Blu-Ray, it was time to see Weird Al in hi-def.

Plot:  What plot?  It's a concert DVD!  Filmed at Toronto's Massey Hall on July 16, 2011, we get to see Weird Al doing his live show to promote his latest album, Alpocalypse.  He sings such classics as Fat, Amish Paradise and Smells Like Nirvana, and tracks off his new album like Skipper Dan, TMZ, and Perform This Way.  

What I Liked:  Weird Al puts on a phenomenal live show, and I'm glad to have a visual representation of it.  It's just highly entertaining.  

What I Didn't Like:  A lot of stage banter seems to have been left on the cutting room floor -- a key part of any concert experience.  I have some minor quibbles about certain songs left off the set list  (why couldn't he have done a live version of Albuquerque for his encore, like on his last tour?).  And also, mildly disappointed that there isn't a 5.1 channel surround sound mix.  

Final Verdict:  If you've never seen Weird Al in concert, pick this up, because it's the next best thing.

3.5 Nibs

Bonus Features:  On the DVD, you get the music videos for Perform This Way and Polka Face, some extra live concert performances (the classic Weird Al originals Frank's 2000" TV, You Don't Love Me Anymore and You Make Me), some videos that Weird Al made for his YouTube channel, and some online videos that Weird Al starred in for various humour sites. 

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