"Weird Al" Yankovic once gave a very strong opinion when it comes to accordions. On the "Ask Al" section of his website in March of 2000, Yankovic was asked if a 96-bass accordion was adequate. "Sure," Yankovic replied, "a 96-bass accordion is enough ... if you're a Wimp! Real men only play 120-bass accordions!" For the record, Yankovic typically plays a Roland Fr-7 V-Accordion, although a 2008 article in Wired pointed out that Al has supplemented his accordions with digital sound to eliminate the issue of constantly moving bellows which, historically, aren't very microphone friendly.
Yankovic has told the story several times that, when he was a boy, a door-to-door salesman arrived at his home selling either accordions or guitars. His parents, noting they had the same name as the popular polka king Frankie Yankovic (no relation) elected the accordion. Yankovic has joked that he's grateful for their choice, now that accordion players...
Yankovic has told the story several times that, when he was a boy, a door-to-door salesman arrived at his home selling either accordions or guitars. His parents, noting they had the same name as the popular polka king Frankie Yankovic (no relation) elected the accordion. Yankovic has joked that he's grateful for their choice, now that accordion players...
- 9/9/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Cheap Trick at Budokan and Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis are among the Library of Congress’ 2020 inductees into the National Recording Registry.
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” also featured on the diverse list of 25 recordings deemed “aural treasures worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historical and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage,” the Library of Congress said Wednesday.
Other inductees include Tina Turner’s 1984 LP Private Dancer,...
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” also featured on the diverse list of 25 recordings deemed “aural treasures worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historical and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage,” the Library of Congress said Wednesday.
Other inductees include Tina Turner’s 1984 LP Private Dancer,...
- 3/25/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business.This Week Rob amp Kevin discuss their summer plans, Kevin finds hisDOONESBURY,haggling with record stores,Hello Muddah, Hello Allan Sherman, and a forgotten musical makes a return after 40 years...
- 7/5/2017
- by Behind the Curtain
- BroadwayWorld.com
Last weekend, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice illustrated a longstanding truth: More often than not, reviews don't make or break a movie. A given motion picture can receive fawning praise from the top critics in the country and audiences may skip it. The same movie could just as easily get negative reviews and audiences can politely ignore them. Case in point: BvS made more than $166 million domestically during its opening weekend even though it currently has a 28 percent "fresh" rating on the movie review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. This isn't news, of course. More than a few summer blockbusters...
- 3/30/2016
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- PEOPLE.com
David Letterman's six-week, star-studded march toward his farewell show kicked off this week with a handful of old friends and favorite guests (like Billy Crystal) dropping by The Late Show to say goodbye to the late night host. Wednesday night, comic actress Amy Sedaris, a self-proclaimed 34-time Late Show guest, bid adieu to Letterman by serenading him with a medley to "wrap up" how she feels about the departing host. "No offense," Letterman quipped. "But can you sing?"
"Listen, it's a very awkward time for you. It's a lot of attention.
"Listen, it's a very awkward time for you. It's a lot of attention.
- 4/16/2015
- Rollingstone.com
“Weird Al” Yankovic is farklempt. We’re sitting next to a rooftop pool in Los Angeles as he attempts to describe the moment he learned that Mandatory Fun, the song parodist’s 14th album, had debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart—Yankovic’s first-ever No. 1 and the first comedy album to hold that position since Allan Sherman’s My Son, the Nut in 1963. Yankovic isn’t crying, but he’s on the verge, and whenever he tries to talk, the words come out choked and his face strains so much from the effort of holding it together that his cheekbones look as if they might poke through the skin. It was the afternoon of July 22, he says, the day before Billboard’s official announcement, and he was backstage, about to make an appearance on the Comedy Central game show @midnight. He’d been following the numbers closely ever since the album...
- 8/11/2014
- by Jada Yuan
- Vulture
The parodist beat out Jason Mraz for Billboard's top spot this week.
A lot of people bought Weird Al Yankovic's new album.
The comedian nabbed his first No. 1 album with Mandatory Fun selling 104,000 copies in its first week. The parody album far exceeded initial expectations: according to Billboard, industry forecasters had predicted that Fun and Jason Mraz's Yes! would each sell around 70,000 to 75,000 copies. Mraz's latest opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 81,000 units sold and is the singer-songwriter's fourth top 10 album.
Perhaps it was Weird Al's buzzed about eight-day video rollout, featuring parodies of Pharrell's "Happy" ("Tacky"), Lorde's "Royals" ("Foil"), Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" ("Word Crimes") and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" ("Handy"), that boosted sales, or perhaps it was his massive media blitz. Whatever it was, Mandatory Fun has become the first comedy album to reach No. 1 in more than 50 years.
The last comedy album to rule the chart was Allan Sherman's My Son...
A lot of people bought Weird Al Yankovic's new album.
The comedian nabbed his first No. 1 album with Mandatory Fun selling 104,000 copies in its first week. The parody album far exceeded initial expectations: according to Billboard, industry forecasters had predicted that Fun and Jason Mraz's Yes! would each sell around 70,000 to 75,000 copies. Mraz's latest opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 81,000 units sold and is the singer-songwriter's fourth top 10 album.
Perhaps it was Weird Al's buzzed about eight-day video rollout, featuring parodies of Pharrell's "Happy" ("Tacky"), Lorde's "Royals" ("Foil"), Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" ("Word Crimes") and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" ("Handy"), that boosted sales, or perhaps it was his massive media blitz. Whatever it was, Mandatory Fun has become the first comedy album to reach No. 1 in more than 50 years.
The last comedy album to rule the chart was Allan Sherman's My Son...
- 7/23/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
This morning, social media followers of “Weird Al” Yankovic got the news that many of them have been waiting 30 years to hear: his new album “Mandatory Fun” was No. 1. That's right — for the first time in a career that spans close to 35 years, Yankovic has a number one album on the Billboard 200 chart. “Mandatory Fun,” which was released on July 15, outsold Jason Mraz’ “Yes” to claim the top spot, selling 104,000 copies this week. It's the first comedy album to top the chart since Allan Sherman's “My Son, The Nut” way back in 1963....
- 7/23/2014
- by Joel Keller
- The Wrap
Produced and distributed by Mvd Entertainment Group, in association with Ediad Productions,"Here's Edie: The Edie Adams Television Collection", available November 19, 2013, is a new four DVD box set, featuring 12 Hours of the early 1960's TV series "Here's Edie" and "The Edie Adams Show".
Performances include classic Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Andre Previn, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bobby Darin, Johnny Mathis, Nancy Wilson, Buddy Hackett, Bob Hope, Dick Shawn, Rowan & Martin, Peter Falk, Sir Michael Redgrave, Zsa Zsa Gabor and a whole lot more :
"...more than 50 years after it premiered on the ABC network, the variety shows 'Here's Edie' and 'The Edie Adams Show' are set for release on DVD and digital formats, the first time either series has been seen in any format since its original broadcast more than a half century ago.
"The 'wow' factor of this box set resides in the eclectic guest stars Edie Adams...
Performances include classic Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Andre Previn, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bobby Darin, Johnny Mathis, Nancy Wilson, Buddy Hackett, Bob Hope, Dick Shawn, Rowan & Martin, Peter Falk, Sir Michael Redgrave, Zsa Zsa Gabor and a whole lot more :
"...more than 50 years after it premiered on the ABC network, the variety shows 'Here's Edie' and 'The Edie Adams Show' are set for release on DVD and digital formats, the first time either series has been seen in any format since its original broadcast more than a half century ago.
"The 'wow' factor of this box set resides in the eclectic guest stars Edie Adams...
- 8/6/2013
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
My Son, The History Lesson
On his debut album Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening recorded in July of 2009, comedian Aziz Ansari presents a veritable torrent of pop culture references throughout the hour-long routine. He jokes about harassing his cousin Harris on Facebook, pokes fun at Cold Stone Creamery, Cvs Pharmacy and Craigslist and then finishes with two big pre-encore bits involving Kanye West and R. Kelly, including an extended impression of R&B singer Kelly both in concert and then getting lapdances at the after-party. He even makes fun of himself for being tongue-tied around M.I.A.
It’s a great album from a very funny comic who, given his ongoing role in Parks & Recreation, his hosting this past summer of the MTV Movie Awards and parts in movies like Get Him to the Greek, Funny People and the upcoming 30 Minutes or Less (which will be his first...
On his debut album Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening recorded in July of 2009, comedian Aziz Ansari presents a veritable torrent of pop culture references throughout the hour-long routine. He jokes about harassing his cousin Harris on Facebook, pokes fun at Cold Stone Creamery, Cvs Pharmacy and Craigslist and then finishes with two big pre-encore bits involving Kanye West and R. Kelly, including an extended impression of R&B singer Kelly both in concert and then getting lapdances at the after-party. He even makes fun of himself for being tongue-tied around M.I.A.
It’s a great album from a very funny comic who, given his ongoing role in Parks & Recreation, his hosting this past summer of the MTV Movie Awards and parts in movies like Get Him to the Greek, Funny People and the upcoming 30 Minutes or Less (which will be his first...
- 9/28/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
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