‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Returns To NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ After 16 Years With Expanded Band

Sixteen years after his first NPR Tiny Desk appearance, “Weird Al” Yankovic returned with a configuration that mirrors the scale of his Bigger & Weirder touring era: longtime collaborators Jim “Kimo” West, Steve Jay and Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz joined by keys, horns and vocal support.

West, Jay and Schwartz are not merely touring sidemen; they have anchored Yankovic’s live and studio identity since 1982. The presence of Scheila Gonzalez on alto and baritone sax and Probyn Gregory on trumpet gives the set a more orchestral, revue-like shape unlike Yankovic’s 2010 Tiny Desk setup.

Chad Thomas on keys, Payton Rose Velligan on guitar and background vocals and Monique Donnelly on tambourine and backing vocals round out the band. Gonzalez has been a member of Dweezil Zappa’s ensemble since the guitarist’s Zappa Plays Zappa days.

Yankovic first appeared in NPR’s video series on June 22, 2010. While Yankovic’s 2010 set centered on originals, the new performance includes two high-profile parodies alongside a style parody and a film song.

The set began with “Skipper Dan” from 2011’s Alpocalypse, a song NPR calls a “Weezer pastiche.” Next up was “eBay” off 2003’s Poodle Hat, a parody of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” Yankovic and his Bigger & Weirder band followed with “Now You Know,” the closing-credits song from 2022’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story biopic. “The Saga Begins,” a retelling of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace done as a parody of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” brought the set to a close.

Watch “Weird Al” Yankovic’s new Tiny Desk Concert below:

Yankovic’s ongoing Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour resumes on August 25 at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut.. The trek hits cities across the United States and Canada through Halloween.