I like Weird Al Yankovic. \u00a0I like his parodies, his sense of humor, and his accordion playing. \u00a0He seems to be the kind of guy you could sit down and talk to. \u00a0With that said, I would really like to meet the guys in his band because they are able to take what Al does in the studio and recreate it on stage. \u00a0It is one thing to play your own style of music, but it takes a special group of musicians to play every conceivable style of music from polkas to hip hop and to do it with such panache!<\/p>\n
The longest serving member of Weird Al\u2019s band is his drummer Jon \u201cBermuda\u201d Schwartz who has been with Al since September 14, 1980. \u00a0That very specific date is important because Weird Al was scheduled to perform \u00a0his newest parody of Another One Bites the Dust <\/i>live on the Dr. Demento (radio) Show<\/i>. \u00a0<\/i>While he was rehearsing Another One Rides the Bus<\/i>, Schwartz introduced himself as a drummer and ended up keeping time on Weird Al\u2019s accordion case during the song. \u00a0Who knew that thirty five years later they would still be together, albeit with Schwartz graduating from accordion case to a full drum kit. \u00a0He also does a great deal of the back up vocals in Al\u2019s live show.<\/p>\n
Schwartz has also served as the band\u2019s historian and webmaster. \u00a0He began designing websites in 1995 and has turned it into a lucrative side business that keeps him occupied between tours. \u00a0He is also active in numerous other musical projects around his Los Angeles homebase. \u00a0Schwartz is known for his meticulous record keeping and the same meticulous streak is apparent in the way he fills the drum throne in Weird Al\u2019s band. \u00a0There doesn\u2019t seem to be a drum style that he can\u2019t play.<\/p>\n
The second longest tenured member of Weird Al\u2019s band is bass player Stephen Jay who has been with Yankovic since the his debut album \u201cWeird Al\u201d Yankovic<\/i> (March 1982). \u00a0Having studied composition and theory at USF in Tampa, Jay is a classically trained player who is also deeply interested in world music and African drumming. \u00a0We has spent time in West Africa studying with master drummers and incorporates a lot of world folk music in his own compositions, ranging from funk to jazz. \u00a0He is a highly respected bass player who is noted for his ability to play different meters at the same time. \u00a0This allows him to play both lead and rhythm parts at the same time. \u00a0If that sounds easy, try tapping your right index finger on the tabletop in a 4\/4 time signature (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4) while tapping your left index finger in \u00be time (1-2-3, 1-2-3). \u00a0Now imagine doing this while navigating up and down the fretboard of a bass guitar following a rhythm part and a melody at the same time. \u00a0It is no surprise that Jay is able to handle the variety of musical styles parodied by Yankovic.<\/p>\n
Guitarist Jim \u2018Kimo\u2019 West also came on board with Yankovic\u2019s 1982 debut album. \u00a0A Canadian, West was also schooled in Florida, migrated to Los Angeles before teaming up with Al\u2019s band. \u00a0He is also a world traveler and \u00a0composer (for film and TV) whose hobbies include fishing, biking, scuba diving, snorkeling and whatever activities are suited for the places he visits. \u00a0He is particularly fond of Hong Kong and Hawaii. \u00a0His \u2018Kimo\u2019 handle comes from his other career as a slack key guitarist who has won numerous accolades for his skill in this specific type of Hawaiian music. \u00a0While all of the band members go through multiple wardrobe changes during a Weird Al show, West definitely looks the best in his Jedi Knight robes worn for The Saga Begins.<\/i><\/p>\n
Last but not least is relative newcomer to the band is Ruben Valtierra who has been with the band since 1991. \u00a0A native of San Rafael , CA and a graduate of U.C. Santa Cruz, he led a popular jazz\/funk fusion band called Rush Hour. \u00a0After relocating to Los Angeles, he soon found himself recording and traveling the world with groups as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Tower of Power, Tom Jones, Santana, Chick Corea, Elton John, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. \u00a0Soon after concluding world tours with Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple) and blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, \u00a0Valtierra began recording and touring with the Weird Al band. \u00a0Between tours, he is active in the studio as a writer and producer as well as the leader of his own Latin Orchestra.<\/p>\n
These are not some studio musician hacks putting in their time. \u00a0Weird Al\u2019s band is populated by four musicians who no doubt could be a formidable band even without their energetic front man. \u00a0Al is quick to credit Dr. Demento for his rise to stardom (he claims that if Dr. Demento hadn\u2019t liked and aired his earliest cassettes, he very well may have had to pursue \u2018real work\u2019 after graduating from college with a degree in architecture), but his fortunes seemed to rise when he began working with Jay and West. \u00a0Weird Al is still the genius composer of masterful parodies, but Jay, West, Valtierra and Schwartz are the cogs that make Al\u2019s music engine purr like a kitten.<\/p>\n
Weird Al and his band are currently in the middle of their Mandatory Tour, <\/i>\u00a0named of course for his current release Mandatory Fun.<\/i> \u00a0As if playing flawless parodies isn\u2019t tough enough, Al and the boys are opening the current tour with Al singing his vocal parts to Tacky <\/i>while a film crew tracks him from the dressing room and through the catacombs of whatever venue they are playing in – live – while his trek is projected on the screen backdrop on stage. \u00a0The band soldiers on from the stage and Weird Al ends up at the back of the house before making his way to the stage just as the last chorus ends. \u00a0Ask most bands to try something like this and they would no doubt say, \u201cThat\u2019s crazy!\u201d \u00a0Nope. \u00a0That is Weird Al and his excellent band doing their thing.<\/p>\n
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A couple of notes about the YouTube video included. \u00a01) I like the one from his Conan appearance, but it wouldn’t play nice for us – you can check it out on your own. \u00a02) The one used is kind of unique because it features the entrance into an outdoor venue in broad daylight and 3) I just got my new buisness cards for the station – and yes Al, I used Comic Sans for the font! \u00a0ker<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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