Kait Dugan Parody icons “Weird Al” Yankovic and Puddles Pity Party took the Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY, on July 13th, 2025. Composed of a wacky and fun setlist, “Weird Al” and Puddles brought musical comedy superstardom to their Upstate NY tour stop only a day after their sold-out Madison Square Garden show. For me personally, this show was very special as both a music journalist and a daughter.
I grew up listening to “Weird Al” with my dad and brother, even receiving 2003’s Poodle Hat as a Christmas gift one year. At fifteen, we took a family trip to The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour in 2018. For the Bigger & Weirder tour, I was able to bring my dad with me to watch the man who developed our love for musical comedy.
Puddles Pitty Party
This experience was an all-around blast to the past. In 2017, my twin brother and I were glued to the television to watch America’s Got Talent Season 12. This is where I first learned of Puddles Pity Party, a 6’8” depressed clown who belted Sia’s “Chandelier” better than the original. Going onto Judge Cuts with Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” and Quarterfinals and Lorde’s “Royals”, he was eliminated from the talent competition. Puddles continued pursuing musical comedy, headlining residencies, guest appearing on shows, and inevitably announced he’d be joining “Weird Al” Yankovic in September 2024.
The entertainer, dressed in a Pagliacci-inspired clown costume, brought great energy even through his constantly-depressed state. Beginning with covers of Harry Carroll’s “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” and Glyn Styler’s “Come Cry With Me”, Puddle’s strong vocals and undenying presence reeled in many crowd members to their seats.
Puddles paused for “Who Wants To Help The Clown” where he brought up two members of the audience to play faux guitar to “Crazy Train” (with hints of “Message in a Bottle”) and “Estoy sentado aqui”, with a fan dressed as tequila on his side. Between his undying love for Kevin Costner, as shown from “Stairway to Gilligan’s Island” and his hilarious side quests, including throwing tissues into the crowd, recording the crowd on his Pity Party Cry Cam, and transforming a cardboard guitar into a three-neck masterpiece, Puddle’s impressed the crowd with his powerhouse voice and comedy style.
Photos by Kait Dugan. Copyright © 2025 Kait Dugan ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Weird Al
The main act, “Weird Al” Yankovic, nearly sold out the 15,000 seat amphitheater. The 2025 Bigger and Weirder Tour consisted of 25 songs from the well acclaimed comedy musician. Between iconic fan-favorites, never-performed-live hits, and multi-media clips from the ‘80s and beyond, the two hour long show had something for both long-time and newer fans. It was awesome to see how many families with young children came to the show, carrying on the tradition of musical-comedy lovers for years to come.
Beginning with “Tacky”, a cover of Pharell Williams’ “Happy”, we saw a very colorfully-outfitted Weird Al projected onto the big screen pictured outside his tour bus. Walking up through the outdoor backstage area of Bethel Woods, fans were fully engaged searching for Weird Al. As he sang, he walked past Puddles Pity Party, who pied himself and pouted in the background. Making his way up to the crowded amphitheater, Al paused his walk to take photos with fans, engage with them, and eventually ended up on stage right as the song ended.
During quick changes, we viewed the multi-media aspect of the Bigger & Weirder tour, where Weird Al inserted videos of himself into movie scenes and interview clips. My favorite was a scene from 2022’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” where Al (Daniel Radicliffe) performs “Another One Rides The Bus” to Wolfman Jack (Jack Black) and John Deacon (David Dastmalchian) of Queen.
There were over 10 costume changes, including Kurt Cobain (“Smells Like Nirvana”), Devo (“Dare to Be Stupid”), Michael Jackson fatsuit (“Fat”), Gangster Nerd complete with a segway (“White and Nerdy”), Amish man (“Amish Paradise”) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (“The Saga Begins”).
Performing with eight other musicians on stage, The Bigger & Weirder tour brought a “super-sized” full-production concert experience to Bethel Woods. The Bigger & Weirder Tour ends in late September 2025. If you are a fan of parodies, ‘80s music, and Weird Al, I highly recommend you get your tickets today before they are sold out!
Photos by Kait Dugan. Copyright © 2025 Kait Dugan ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
If any information in this coverage is incorrect or needs to be fixed, please email PCD Editor at jessica@postconcertdepression.com. Thank you!
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