7/9/11 Costa Mesa, CA

[Big Spoon]

Sorry you weren't able to reach me in time, dude. Hope you were still able to find a way to go. The ticket did go to good use though. Alicia was able to take the seat and upgrade.

The concert was amazing. I'm too exhausted to post much about it right now, but I'll give a full review tomorrow.

[TMBJon]

I didn't post this right away because I know there's a thing with live videos being posted to WOWAY, but seeing as @alyankovic himself "liked" JNN's tweet with this link I thought that meant it would be okay to share here.

Last night during Saga Begins, Nina went out on stage dressed as a Jawa and was dancing along with the Stormtroopers. At the end, Al went over to her, picked her up, and sung the end of the song with Nina in his arms. Here is the video, shot by JNN correspondent Anna Canada: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RAgCODVm2M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The show itself was so great. This is an excellent setlist and it's going to make for a great video recording next week. The medley is everything I ever dreamed it could be and it was so insane sitting there not knowing what could possibly come next. This is the first time I can think of that Al has toured without a single concert only song in the setlist. My theory is that's so he can do his entire set for the live recording without having to awkwardly edit parts out as he did on the last Live DVD. Perhaps some new concert only stuff will enter the medley in the fall. I'll try to write out some more thoughts when I have some time to digest it all. I do want to say one thing which is that seeing all of the great Weird Al fans I saw this weekend, both old friends as well as new, is a reminder why I love this community so much and I'm grateful to have met so many great friends through this common interest we all have. Enjoy the Nina video and of course check out @JNN_Breaking if you haven't already for some more details. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the show if anyone has any.

[Yankomaniac]

So that is the set then. Thats awesome, you must have been pretty surprised by those songs in the medley, haha. Can't wait till next Saturday!

[crazygurl14]

Nina on stage is cute but i really hope there is a better video of it somewhere, that person moved way too much. And i know we would obviously know its her but did other people there know it was her, did he announce it? Wonder if they had that costume specially made for her to go onstage with or if the Yankovics just have their own costumes to run around with and play star wars together.

[Orthography Enthusiast]

No, he didn't announce that it was Nina. Probably safer for her not to do so. Although not only Al of course (and presumably Suzanne although I didn't see her) but the stagehands and even the stormtroopers were looking out for her.

It was a great show. The changes really freshened it up. The snotty barista of the evening was from the Starbucks on Fairview and Baker. Al emoted the heck out of the coffee rant. In a highly supercilious way, of course.

Favorite new costume: Party in the CIA. Three tall slender guys in snazzy black suits dancing up front. Nothing at all wrong with that. Not that Jon and Ruben weren't also snazzy, of course. They just weren't up front. I thought Ruben looked particularly menacing.

I think Ruben's costume has changed from when it debuted at Santa Ynez. It looked to me like his shirt at Santa Ynez was covered with bees, whereas last night it looked like he was wearing the gold lame straitjacket and a beehive on his head.

We (those of us who had dinner together) tried to start a "monster paws" thing during Perform This Way (anything to make Jon happy) but it needs practice, I think. So let's have more multiple-concert attendance, people.

Steve's hip hop hands are just hilarious.

I have to say, the seats in the pit were really snugged in tightly. Lightweight folding chairs chained together with cable ties. Honestly, would it have killed the PacAmp beancounters to sell a couple fewer seats per row and put a little more spacing on the cable ties? I was kind of tensed up all night trying not to press thighs too much with the stranger to my left (who was not exactly willowy himself). But I guess it's all right to suffer a little for one's art (well, in this case, Al's art). When I was singing along with "Fat," it was coming from a very deep and genuine place.

I'm glad we did finally get to do a group photo, although we were being wrangled pretty intensively by the security peeps.

All in all, a fine "sound check" as Al called it for the new tour. They should be in an awesome state of readiness by the time they get to Massey Hall.

[CatraDhtem]

My theory is that's so he can do his entire set for the live recording without having to awkwardly edit parts out as he did on the last Live DVD.

I thought about that too when I saw the setlist, but he'd still have to clear "Grim Grinning Ghosts" if it's still a part of the chant.

[TMBJon]

Good point. It is still part of the chant, so maybe he has someone at Disney who can get the clearance. Or maybe the show's being filmed for a Disney-owned subsidiary channel?

[Marko_The_Odd]

This is the first time I can think of that Al has toured without a single concert only song in the setlist.

Pardon my ignorance, but were there any concert only songs during the Poodle Hat tour?

[OneWAY]

Free Delivery was played at that time, but that was it. (Yay, set list archives!)

So I'm guessing no "Cell Phones?"

[Big Spoon]

Correct.