ACCORDION SOLO!

October 22, 2009 11:54 PM

Be forewarned, the sound quality isn't the best. But for a dose of pure surreality strong enough to turn your socks into melted Dada timepieces, try mixing "Weird Al" Yankovic on accordion with the Presidents of the United States, performing a (non-parody) cover of Boston's "More Than a Feeling" (SLYT). (via Dave Dederer's Reddit interview)
posted by WCityMike (29 comments total)

Deep HMMM ack
posted by Mblue at 12:01 AM on October 23

*stares at socks, impatiently*
posted by phaedon at 12:03 AM on October 23

I like Weird Al, but man is his pitch off there.
posted by milnak at 12:05 AM on October 23

If you want to laugh, go ahead.
posted by Mblue at 12:07 AM on October 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Fixed the missing link, thanks Mblue
posted by mathowie at 12:12 AM on October 23

The text said they were kicking out the hams, but the hams were right there on stage, all the way through the clip!?!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:13 AM on October 23

Friends don't let friends post drunk.
posted by bardic at 12:15 AM on October 23

Great use of the 'a' tag.
posted by rokusan at 12:26 AM on October 23 [3 favorites has favorites]

I'm confused. I know I'm supposed to do something but I'm not sure what it is.
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth at 12:31 AM on October 23

What?

I clicked on the Boston link (I think) and got an awesome accordian rendition of a Vivaldi piece. Great, but less than a feelin'.

Wait. This is something that people smarter than me think is funny, right?
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:51 AM on October 23

I think you meant to link to this. (?)
posted by Meatbomb at 1:23 AM on October 23

Is this like some kind of classically-trained ironic version of a rickroll that I'm unaware of?
posted by mmoncur at 1:26 AM on October 23

I found this link of Weird Al Yankovich playing "More Than A Feeling" with the Presidents of the United States of America. Its pretty awesome.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:41 AM on October 23 [3 favorites has favorites]

Honestly, Jesus Christ, is there anything Weird Al can't make awesome? He totally lost me about a decade ago, but everything he has done since "White and Nerdy" has blown my socks off. Which means I am sockless, but I don't care, because they were blown off.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:45 AM on October 23 [2 favorites has favorites]

Not melted, I need to stress.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:46 AM on October 23

I like the idea that weird al is too polite to melt your face, but that your socks are fair game.

Cause, you know, it's just socks.
posted by flaterik at 2:10 AM on October 23

Watching Joey Michael's clip, man...I haven't been to a concert in, er, at least 15 years...and I think the last one I went to was POTUSA. Anyway, I would have liked to be at the one in the clip. Awesome.

Not sure how thrilled I would be to be surrounded by people recording the show on their phones instead of rocking, cocking, etc.
posted by maxwelton at 3:36 AM on October 23

I love that Weird Al is probably as successful as a "novelty" act could be, but he still stays humble, and is willing to help out artists in the following generation. Too many artists let success go to their heads, and deem themselves too important, but Weird Al finds time for even niche bits like an interview on "Nerdcore Rising" or helping out MC Lars on True Player for Real.
posted by explosion at 4:24 AM on October 23

Ok, that Vivaldi was awesome. I played accordion for something like six months when I was a crazy teenager. I only learned two songs on one that was maybe half the size of this guy's.

I love how it took multiple takes to get the recording just right.

I love WA, but it was Romano Viazzani who melted my socks off this morning. Thanks!
posted by lysdexic at 4:43 AM on October 23

It's also Weird Al's birthday today.

Thanks, NPR!
posted by glaucon at 5:24 AM on October 23

Weird Al's birthday the day after CAPS LOCK DAY! THAT'S ONE LOUD ACCORDION SOLO!!!
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 6:04 AM on October 23

I don't want to sound cynical, but given Weird Al's looks and instrument, there's no way the music industry would have promoted him as an artist. I hope his success pisses someone off.
posted by tommasz at 6:32 AM on October 23

I was really disappointed when the video started and Weird Al wasn't singing with Obama. THAT would have been epic.
posted by bpm140 at 6:57 AM on October 23

Fixed the missing link, thanks Mblue

Did mathowie think this was the Weird Al link or something?
posted by smackfu at 7:02 AM on October 23

What's so surreal about playing a pop tune on an accordion? Hearing Queen Elizabeth II belt out a rendition, now, that would be surreal. Even more if it were "God Save The Queen", the Sex Pistols song that is.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:12 AM on October 23

I'm confused... the Vivaldi link is incredibly and beats out Weird Al, if only because Al and the POTUSA has craptastic sound. Too bad, because it seems like it should be awesome.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 8:42 AM on October 23

I demand that Obama and Weird Al be in the same room together. I can't even fathom the joy that would bring me.
posted by Bageena at 9:51 AM on October 23

Thanks for fixing the link. As I didn't have anything by Vivaldi open in my browser when I posted, I'm confused as to how things became munged. Hope you all enjoyed.
posted by WCityMike at 10:17 AM on October 23

>Vivaldi link is incredibly and beats out Weird Al, if only because Al and the POTUSA has craptastic sound.

I was impressed by the video on the Weird Al link - steadier than I can do standing in the front rows of a concert and without the normal troubles of crazy light that comes from shooting a stage, but the sound is all blown out. I found that playing the Weird Al video (muted) while also playing the Vivaldi video (unmuted) made for an entertaining combination (at least for a few seconds)
posted by ADoubtfulTrout at 10:18 AM on October 23