"Weird Al" Yankovic in Knoxville

“Weird Al” Yankovic is an American musician and comedian, born in 1959, known for pop-song parodies, original comedy songs and polka medleys. His signature recordings include “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Amish Paradise” and “White & Nerdy,” while albums such as Running with Scissors and Mandatory Fun brought those strands together. The Touring with Scissors tour followed Running with Scissors in 1999 and presented his songs through a full band, costume changes and filmed comedy. In 2018, the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour concentrated on originals and lesser-played material in theatres. The 2019 Strings Attached tour then paired his band with local orchestras, and the Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour revisited the deep-cut format in 2022. Most of his concerts have taken place in the United States and Canada, while his headline tours have also reached the United Kingdom and Australia.

Puddles Pity Party is the melancholy clown persona of American singer and performer Michael Geier, whose cabaret act centers on a resonant baritone and theatrical cover versions. A 2013 performance of Lorde’s “Royals,” recorded with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, introduced the character to a wide online audience; his repertoire also includes interpretations of “Chandelier” and “Space Oddity.” In 2014, Puddles Pity Party joined Eels on tour, taking the character into rock theatres across the United States and Europe. In 2017, he brought the act to America’s Got Talent and reached the quarterfinals at the Dolby Theatre. The show combines baritone singing, physical comedy and mime, and the character communicates without speech between songs. Works by Lorde, David Bowie and Sia have become recurring material in his concert repertoire.