The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
The Current Music News

Music News: 'Weird Al' Yankovic gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

'Weird Al' Yankovic performs in Los Angeles in 2014.
'Weird Al' Yankovic performs in Los Angeles in 2014.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
  Play Now [9:19]

by Jay Gabler

August 27, 2018

Above, listen to an episode of The Current's daily Music News podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.


On Monday, "Weird Al" Yankovic got a long-overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yankovic's early mentor Dr. Demento was on hand to pay tribute with a speech, and it was officially declared "Weird Al" Yankovic Day in Hollywood. "Please," Yankovic joked, "don't pickaxe my star." (Consequence of Sound)

The master of pop-song parody is also getting ready for a victory lap: next year marks the 40th anniversary of his debut single "My Bologna," and he's hitting the road with a full orchestra. It will be an about-face from his recent stripped-down tour. "We're gonna do our biggest-ever tour," says Yankovic; no dates have yet been announced. He says he's also developing an animated show for Amazon.

How does he stay looking and sounding forever young? He doesn't have any special skin-care regimen, the 58-year-old tells Billboard. "I guess I've got good DNA."

Garth books first-ever show at Notre Dame Stadium

It's been home to the Four Horsemen and Rudy, but it's never been a concert venue...until now. Garth Brooks will play Notre Dame Stadium this fall, in a show that fans are hoping will lead to a full-on college stadium tour. "Notre Dame stadium has seen so many iconic moments!" said Brooks last month, standing alongside former head football coach Lou Holtz. "I look forward to bringing a new kind of crazy to the party." The date for the show was just confirmed: Oct. 20. (Billboard)

Man arrested after charging Beyoncé/Jay-Z stage

A 26-year-old man named Anthony Charles Thomas Maxwell has been arrested and charged with simple battery after rushing the stage on Saturday as Beyoncé and Jay-Z wrapped up their show in Atlanta. The pair were singing their duet "Apes--t" when Maxwell ran onstage and was stopped by security and the Carters' dancers. (Pitchfork)

https://twitter.com/BeyLegion/status/1033729573266046976

Aretha Franklin funeral details emerge

Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, and Smokey Robinson will be among the speakers at Aretha Franklin's funeral in Detroit on Friday. Artists including Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, and Chaka Khan will sing at the ceremony. The funeral will take place at Greater Grace Temple, which also housed the 2005 funeral for Rosa Parks — at which Franklin sang. The ceremony will be private, but not small: the temple holds 4,000 people. (New York Times)

Azealia Banks apologizes to Elon

Elon Musk is being subpoenaed by the SEC, and Azealia Banks is apologizing. It's not the rapper's fault that the Tesla CEO is under the magnifying glass, but she feels really bad about sharing personal details that she became privy to while she was waiting at his house to collaborate with Grimes.

The SEC started taking a look at Musk after he tweeted that he was considering taking the company private, and he had funding secured. That seemed like a dubious proposition to some observers, which could potentially make the tweet illegal since executives can't make false public statements about their companies.

Banks threw fuel on the fire by saying on social media that Musk was "scrounging for investors," adding that after the tweet "he was stressed and red in the face." She's now apologized for sharing personal information about Musk. "What started off as a cat-fight lead to some seriously unexpected consequences and I seriously apologize," she said in a statement.

The two apparently never officially met, since Banks has now offered to introduce herself and apologize in person. Meanwhile, Musk and Grimes have unfollowed each other on social media, suggesting that the short-lived, high-profile romance may be over. (Consequence of Sound)

Okilly Dokilly heading out on tour

European music fans who have been waiting for their opportunity to see the world's premier Simpsons-inspired metal band don't have to wait any longer. Okilly Dokilly are touring the U.K. with a series of October dates before coming back to play more shows in the U.S. Who are Okilly Dokilly? Founded in 2015 in Phoenix, they're a metal band whose members all dress as Ned Flanders, with lyrics mostly based on his dialogue from the show. Their 2016 debut was named Howdily Doodily, and the in-progress follow-up will be called Howdilly Twodilly. (Billboard)


Songs sampled in podcast
Jahzzar: "Comedie" (CC BY 4.0)
BoxCat Games: "Against the Wall" (CC BY 3.0)
The Carters: "APES**T"
"Weird Al" Yankovic: "My Bologna"
Azealia Banks: "212"
Okilly Dokilly: "White Wine Spritzer"