‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Ill-Advised Tour to come to Mendel Center

Almost four years after his first foray into unfamiliar concert territory with his highly-acclaimed Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, “Weird Al” Yankovic will be pressing his luck again, this time with The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.  

The tour launched on April 23 and will run for six months and a staggering 133 shows across North America. The tour makes a stop at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor for one night only. Yankovic’s long-time friend (and UHF cast member), the legendary comedian Emo Philips returns to open the show. 

The performance kicks off the 2022-2023 Mendel Center Mainstage Season. The remaining lineup, which includes 17 performances and speaker events, will be announced on June 1. 

The season includes Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan Speaker Series and National Geographic Live speaker events, Discovery Series family programming, live concert events, and some special engagement surprises. 

Drawing from a catalogue of 14 studio albums, Yankovic will focus on his non-parody material – the somewhat more obscure pastiches and original songs that have largely escaped the pop culture radar but are adored by his long-time fans.  And like the last Vanity Tour, he will leave behind the high-octane theatrics that he’s known for and going bare-bones – no costumes, no props, no video screens – just Yankovic and his band of almost four decades hanging out on stage, playing music. 

 “I’ve loved doing every single incarnation of my live show, but honestly the Vanity tour is the most fun I’ve ever had on stage,” Yankovic said. “So, I’ve been dying to get back out there and torture everybody with it once again” 

Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time. A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200. He is one of only five artists to have had Top 40 singles in each of the last four decades, the other four being Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2, and Kenny G. On Aug. 27, 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded Weird Al with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Reserved seat tickets for “Weird Al” Yankovic start at $42 and are available at www.TheMendelCenter.com and through The Mendel Center box office at 269-927-8700, option 1 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and one hour before show times.  

Season ticket renewals for the 2022-2023 Mendel Center Mainstage Season begin June 3. New series ticket buyers may purchase three or more events beginning June 15. Individual season events go on sale at 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 22.