posted
Weird Al Yankovic is going to be playing in Daytona Beach April 28. I knew this, I've got 3rd row tickets for me and my boys.
Our newspaper's music reviewer is swamped and trying to clear his workload before he goes on vacation. An offer came in yestreday afternoon for a ten-minute Weird Al phone interview, and since he knew I was a fan and had written about Al before he asked if I wanted to do the article. I accused him of sloughing his work off on me and getting fawning gratitude on top of it, he just smiled and said "Win-win."
Armed with a phone number and the secret access code (which you can't have, nyah) I called and talked to Al, stammering like a schoolgirl the whole time. My coworkers loved this, because I don't get giddy. I just don't. Usually.
Al was courteous, funny, and great to talk to. I even got him to laugh a few times. Life is good.
CB: After years of love songs that (with maybe one exception) have been, let's say, bitter or maniacal, now you release a song about a sleazy make-out artist and suddenly you're married. Is there a connection?
AL: (laughs) Well, in a way I felt like I had more license to do a song like that now because when I was single people might think, "oh, was this autobiographical, is he really like that?" And in a way, and this is kind of an odd comparison, but I kinda feel like Howard Stern when he was married, he kind of had license to be really creepy on the air because people knew that deep down, "oh, he's a family man, he loves his wife, he's got kids, you know, this is just kinda like, his schtick." So I kinda felt like, you know, now that I'm happily married, and all that, that I can be creepier. (laughs)
CB: Well, good for you!
AL: (laughs)
[ April 01, 2004, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Transcribed the tape, and I've had some personal revelations.
-- I sound hideous on tape. - From now on, when doing a phone interview, read the questions out loud to someone else first to see where you're going to hang or stutter. -- Avoid fanboy gushing (I was good, I waited 'til my questions were done and I still had a minute left, but geez, I sounded like a stalker). -- Forget about a radio career. I talk fast anyway, and apparently when I'm nervous I move into auctioneer speed. Oy.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh my! I will have to tell my daughter! She has been playing his CD every single night lately -- driving me to the point of battiness. Expecially his song Everything You Know is Wrong is played incessantly.
(personally, I like Gump and the Amish song best.)
He came through here less than a year ago, but we didn't have money for tickets at that time.
You are going to link us to your review article when you finish it, aren't you?
posted
Of course I'll link to it! My ill-mannered gloating wouldn't be complete otherwise!
There may have been one or two people who managed to get within 300 feet of me yesterday without hearing about this, but it wasn't from lack of trying. I'm subtle, I are.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
(obsessed now) Must go see her. Is she prettier than me? (distress)
No, I'm just joking! But I bow and kiss your feet for your luck at getting to speak to The Man himself. I want to see a transcript of the complete interview. Heck! Make it downloadable! Pweeze?
I wonder how adorable his baby is! Curly hair is SOOOO cute. Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
I must find my Wierd Al Cassette Tape Collection now...It's right next to my Devo 8-track collection if that helps...
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
My favorite Weird Al love song is "One More Minute."
I'd rather --- spend eternity Eating shards of broken glass Then spend --- one more minute --- wii-ith youPosts: 1512 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wow, I knew he was married, but I didn't know that he had embarked into the great adventure of parenthood! I wonder what sort of a father he makes?
Ryoko, here is the best picture of Suzanne I could find.
posted
I've been to an Al concert. He puts on a great live show. Grats on meeting him, seems like a great guy from everything I've seen Posts: 44 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I watched a televised Weird Al show and was struck that the audience was sitting down. Some part of me finds this contrary to what a rock show is all about (parodied or not.)
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
| IP: Logged |
reminds me of a funny story. A friend of mine and his dad were sitting at home. There was a picture of weird al on the table (magazine or Cd or something, I'm not sure). The dad said, "hey, that's al yankovic". My friend said "yeah, weird al". Dad: "They still call him that? How do you know who he is?"
Turns out, the dad knew him in college, and had no clue that he was famous now or anything.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote: There may have been one or two people who managed to get within 300 feet of me yesterday without hearing about this, but it wasn't from lack of trying. I'm subtle, I are.
Count me as one of the envious.
So, did you go through the pretense of trying to find a wedge into the conversation to bring this up with people? Or did you just barge in with the news? I always like hearing about how other people negotiate tricky social situations.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Hail]](graemlins/hail.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'm subtle, I are.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
