Weird Al in 3-D

We all have cell phones, so c’mon let’s get real... Cell phones... Let’s get real

Ah, the lyrical genius that is Michael Stipe and a simple guy named Weird Al.

Or maybe not so simple. Weird Al Yankovic -- that American icon that gets only funnier with age (either mine or his) -- was in town last night at the Celeste Center at the Ohio State Fair. I didn't know quite what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect what the audience got. A full-blown comedy rock show. And Al did indeed rock. With a phenomenal light show, six screens, and an incredible band backing him up, he performed one of the best concerts I've seen in years.

And he was damn funny.

The crowd was amazingly diverse. 'Burb and city; every skin color; old and young. I wondered about the "young" part when, during a between-song Al-TV segment, he asked Justin Timberlake if he'd be willing to do gay porn, or when he asked Jessica Simpson if he could slather her naked body with cheese. Of course I still laughed. Because it was funny.

And that's the thing. It was hilarious through and through. That's what Al does and that's why he seems to be constantly at the top of his game. He knows how to make us laugh. Sometimes it's stupid funny ("Weasel Stomping Day"), sometimes it's intelligent ("Bob"), sometimes it's just, well, weird ("Albuquerque").

The crowd was intensely into the show. Especially when he came on in his Jedi robe and sang "The Saga Begins" (that's the "My, my, this here Anakin guy, Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry..." for those uninitiated). Everyone joined in and sang along with Al to the song's sultry slow beginning, continued throughout, then seemed to get louder for the return to the sultry slowness at the end. Incredible energy from the audience. Then he broke into "Yoda" -- and the crowd erupted all over again.

There's so much more that I should write about the show -- he played for over two hours -- like the fat suit he wore for "Fat," or the never-ending "Albuquerque," or the amazing talent of his band. But maybe I'll leave that for another day.