Weird Al shares "The Hamilton Polka"; Ill-Advised Vanity Tour underway (video, setlists)

Today, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has shared his latest polka medley, “The Hamilton Polka,” which, like the title suggests, includes many numbers from the musical Hamilton, including favorites “Alexander Hamilton,” “My Shot,” and “You’ll Be Back.” This isn’t unexpected ground for him to cover, as the musical’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has expressed his adoration of Weird Al’s work many times in the past, and the two recently talked to Rolling Stone about it. Weird Al described Hamilton as “the greatest piece of art [he’d] ever seen”:

I went backstage and I gushed a lot. I might not have predicted it would become quite as big as it became, just because a lot of times the things that I love don’t translate into mainstream because I’m kind of a freak and I like things that are different. I loved it more than I can even articulate, but I’m so happy that the rest of the world shared my opinion.

The two went on to discuss their friendship, the possibility of future collaborations, and them meeting on the set of Curb Your Enthusiasm. You can read the full interview here. Elsewhere, Lin’s reaction to the new medley was documented on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, (watch that below) and they’ll both be on The Tonight Show tonight (3/2) to lyp-synch “The Hamilton Polka.”

Weird Al has also just begun his “Ill-Advised Vanity Tour,” which is (mostly) eschewing his parodies in favor of his many original songs — have you seen the tour shirt? The first show was at Poughkeepsie’s Bardavon 1869 Opera House on Tuesday (2/27):

After fooling the audience into thinking that this tour would not feature costumes, parodies or accordions, Al finally brought out his new MIDI-accordion as the band started into “Generic Blues.” This classic track from the UHF soundtrack was followed up by the Hawaiian Reggae tune, “Buy Me a Condo.” The 9-minute epic “Jackson Park Express” was played for the first time live as the weirdness continued. Next up was the 2011 hit “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me” before Al channeled the Lizard King with his Doors homage, “Craigslist.” […]
Despite announcing a lack of parody songs prior to the tour, Al dove into a medley of his comedy hits as the band played differing music underneath. The band started playing a wonderful rendition of “Layla” as Al sang the lyrics to his hit “Eat It.” This led into “I Lost On Jeopardy” with a walking baseline before switching over to chimes and acoustic guitar for “Amish Paradise.” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “White and Nerdy” And “Rocky Road” had a mix of bouncy pop and doo wop behind it before a piano heavy rendition of “Like A Surgeon” ended the set. – [NYS Music]

Weird Al also played Tarrytown Music Hall on Thursday (3/1). You can view photos, video, and setlists from both shows are below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfzHX0unLRK/?taken-at=5583400

SETLIST – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic @ Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Poughkeepsie, NY 2/27/18
Fun Zone
CNR
Bob
Why Does This Always Happen to Me?
Generic Blues
Buy Me a Condo
Jackson Park Express
Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me
Craigslist
Good Old Days
Happy Birthday
You Don’t Love Me Anymore
Party at the Leper Colony
Drum Solo
Don’t Download This Song
When I Was Your Age
Melanie
One More Minute
Eat It / I Lost on Jeopardy / Amish Paradise / Smells Like Nirvana / White & Nerdy / I Love Rocky Road / Like a Surgeon

ENCORE
Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple cover)
The Saga Begins

SETLIST – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY 3/1/18
Jackson Park Express
Mr. Popeil
Generic Blues
You Don’t Love Me Anymore
Melanie
CNR
Your Horoscope for Today
Dare to Be Stupid
Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung
Don’t Download This Song
Traffic Jam
Good Old Days
My Own Eyes
Albuquerque
Bass Solo
Eat It / I Lost On Jeopardy / Amish Paradise / White & Nerdy / I Love Rocky Road / Like a Surgeon

ENCORE
Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins cover)
The Saga Begins