‘Weird Al’ Yankovic to perform at Lied Center on July 22

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

He will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 22 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Dec. 10 and can be purchased here, by phone at 402-472-4747 or at the Lied’s box office, 301 N. 12th St. A Friends of Lied pre-sale is Dec. 7. As required by the artist, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results within 72 hours of show, plus matching photo ID, will be required to enter the venue.

Yankovic is the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release, “Mandatory Fun,” was the first comedy album 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 past four decades — the others being Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2 and Kenny G.

The new tour marks Yankovic’s return to the stage after his successful Strings Attached Tour in 2019, where he performed each night alongside a full symphony orchestra. Once again drawing from his back catalogue of 14 studio albums, he promises to deliver a different set list every night, with no two shows the same. Rather than focusing on his hits, the show will feature Yankovic’s non-parody material — the more obscure pastiches and original songs that have largely escaped the pop culture radar but are adored by his longtime fans. And like the last Vanity Tour, he is leaving behind the high-octane theatrics that he’s known for and going bare bones — no costumes, no props, no video screens, just him and his band of almost four decades in smaller, more intimate venues, hanging out on stage, playing music. Opening the show will be his longtime friend and fellow “UHF” cast member Emo Philips.

Reflecting on his decision to bring back the stripped-down concerts, Yankovic said: “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 … so I’ve been dying to get back out there and torture everybody with it once again.”

For more information on this show and others, click here.