Weird Al Plays the Greatest Show Ever at Shaky Knees 2025

By the time Weird Al’s slot rolled around, the field was already chanting his name. When he finally walked out, hair hanging, plaid shirt, looking like a tongue-in-cheek Kurt Cobain, he dove straight into “Smells Like Nirvana,” gargling water mid-verse and deadpanning, “I forgot this part,” then just standing watching us silently for a verse was hilarious. It was classic Weird Al: the joke inside the joke, but still musically tight.

From there he turned the stage into a parody playground. A cover of Devo’s “Dare to Be Stupid” (on the opposite stage just minutes before) landed like a punchline, complete with costumes and cartoonish visuals. Between songs, while Al switched outfits, the screens ran clips from his decades-long career, The Simpsons cameos, celebrity interviews, old videos, giving the whole thing a self-contained museum vibe. I had no idea he was credited with so much work. He’s truly a living legend. 

The medley of hits, “White & Nerdy,” “Amish Paradise,” bits of “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon,” was a high-speed scrapbook, and the crowd rapped and sang every line. At one point he even brought out Puddles Pity Party for a cameo, doubling down on the vaudevillian feel. 

Costumes, comedy, musicianship, nostalgia were all present during his set. Weird Al built a world for an hour and let us live in it. The entire crowd was having a blast during his set. It really underscores the community feeling you experience at Shaky Knees.

Review by: David Saxum; Photo by Pooneh Ghaneh/Shaky Knees

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