Live Show Costume Changes

Questions & Answers with the one and only Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, Weird Al's drummer since 1980!

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TMBJon
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Live Show Costume Changes

Post by TMBJon »

What is the process like for changing costumes between songs? Is there one dressing room for each band member, or everyone in one room? Is there a rack that has every outfit in order? Are there wardrobe people helping out? Do you have any time after the change to sit down or drink water, or is there just enough time to change and head back to the stage? Is there a lady with a huge stack of donuts to help Al get ready for "Fat" every night?
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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by bermuda »

All of the above, kinda. our wardrobe tech since early-2000 has been Rachel, and she handles everything so that outfits are in order. Depending on the change - if any for the band - we may have a few moments to relax, and sometimes it's pretty tight. Steve frequently had a problem being onstage for the start of Skipper Dan, but otherwise everything was timed well.

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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by JEDM »

What's your favorite stage costume (past or present) that you've worn during an Al show?
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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by bermuda »

I don't know if favorite is the right word... but I'm definitely most comfortable drumming in "normal" clothes, like regular pants and a loose shirt. Jackets and hats are distracting for me.
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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by Orthography Enthusiast »

So, not the Perform This Way costume. :)
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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by Killingsworth »

Yeah, PTW must've been absolute torture live for the whole band. Were the Dave Grohl/Meg White wigs just as distracting?
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Re: Live Show Costume Changes

Post by bermuda »

Anything that affects my seeing, hearing, or movement, is a distraction and can affect my playing, and the song. Wigs and hats are the most problematic, as they interfere with my hearing and sight to varying degrees. Perform This Way is the worst for me because of its size, and it also prevents my headphones from sitting properly over my ears. As 'the single', it's the last song I'd want to screw up!

Speaking of headgear and Perform This Way, Ruben's beehive hat is especially cumbersome. It's made of a dense plastic or resin, and is really too heavy to be worn as a hat. It's held on with an obligatory chin strap, and really hard to balance. But, it looks good, and has helped Ruben with his posture!

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