Let’s get weird—Polka Party! weird. This week on the Beer’d Al Podcast, Lauren is joined by comedy musician, parody wizard, and all-around awesome human Insane Ian to dive into Side 1 of Weird Al Yankovic’s Polka Party! album. We’re talking about everything from hernias to spuds, and we’re loving every minute of it. Tracks on the menu include: The James Brown sendup “Living with a Hernia” The Talking Heads-flavored “Dog Eat Dog” The deep-fried brilliance of “Addicted to Spuds” The delightfully u...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 2 min
It’s a Polka Party—literally and figuratively! This week, Lauren and Russ take on the high-energy polka medley “Polka Party” from Weird Al’s Polka Party! album. And they’re not alone—Polka Bob is back to lend his accordion-fueled wisdom and enthusiasm! We break down the song-by-song madness, marvel at the medley magic, and ask the big questions: Where does this rank among Al’s polkas? What deep cuts make the biggest splash? And why does “Ear Booker Polka” get all the glory? Put on your party hat...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 15 min
It’s one of those days… but in the best way possible! Lauren is joined by the delightfully nerdy and wonderfully weird Jeff Nucera (aka UHJeff) to talk all about the song “One of Those Days” from Polka Party! You might know Jeff as one of the filmmakers behind Tight & Nerdy —the fabulous documentary about the world’s first Weird Al-themed burlesque troupe. (Yes, that’s a real thing, and yes, it’s amazing.) We dive into this underrated Al deep cut and revel in its over-the-top absurdity, dark...
Jun 06, 2025•53 min
We're starch-raving mad this week! Lauren and Russ are joined by the spudtacular Ian Glaubinger, Art Director at RSVLTS, to break down the third track on Polka Party—Weird Al’s ode to tuber obsession: “Addicted to Spuds.” From mashed metaphors to fried philosophies, this episode peels back the layers on one of Al’s most underrated food parodies. Get ready for laughs, carbs, and a whole lot of potato talk. Don’t flake out—tune in! 🥔 Check out Ian's artwork here . Beer'd Al is a spud-tacular memb...
May 23, 2025•49 min
The Beer’d Al Podcast is back with the second installment of our Polka Party album series, and this week we’re diving headfirst into the caffeinated chaos of “Dog Eat Dog”! Lauren and Russ are joined by none other than Jim Elek, the fearless and fabulous admin of the Close Personal Friends of Weird Al Facebook group. Together, we unpack the deliciously bizarre brilliance of this Talking Heads-inspired track, discuss corporate life in the ‘80s (and beyond), and ponder the eternal question: How mu...
May 09, 2025•42 min
🎉 It’s time to kick off our Polka Party deep dive—aka the Polka Party party! In this episode, Lauren and Russ are diving headfirst into the lead track: “Living with a Hernia.” And they’re not going it alone—friend of the show and all-around great guy KC from The Itch Rocks podcast joins the party! We’re talking medical mayhem, James Brown flair, and all the glorious weirdness that only Weird Al can deliver. Whether you’re an Al-bum purist or a casual hernia-haver, this one’s for you. So grab yo...
Apr 25, 2025•52 min
"Dare to Re-Sequence: Making Dare to Be Stupid Make Sense" This week, Lauren and Russ take their marriage to the next level and take on a noble Weird Al challenge: rearranging the tracklist of Dare to Be Stupid into an order that (dare we say it?) makes more sense. We each came up with our own new sequence for the album, and we’re diving deep into the why behind our choices. Does “Like a Surgeon” really need to be Track 1? Should “One More Minute” hit earlier or later? We’ve got opinions—and so ...
Apr 11, 2025•30 min
The deep dive concludes! Lauren and Insane Ian are diving into Side 2 of Dare to be Stupid . From polkas to parodies and everything in between (mostly in between), they unpack the genius of Al’s songwriting, discuss the sheer weirdness and brilliance of these tracks, and probably go off on a few hilarious tangents along the way. Will they dare to be even stupider this time? Tune in and find out! Check out the glory of Insane Ian here! http://insaneian.bandcamp.com YouTube.com/insaneian Patreon.c...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Polka time, baby! Lauren is joined by Russ and the newly-appointed "Polka Bob" to dive into the accordion-fueled madness of "Hooked on Polkas," the high-energy album closer from Dare to Be Stupid . We break down Weird Al’s brilliant medley choices, discuss what makes polka so undeniably fun, and celebrate the joy of accordion-fueled chaos. Is this the ultimate party anthem? Does "Hooked on Polkas" still hold up today? And just how does one become a certified "Polka Bob"? Tune in for laughs, deep...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Lauren and Russ are back with a quick and fun discussion about "Cable TV" from Dare to Be Stupid ! It’s an okay song, and this is an okay-length episode—so why not give it a listen? 😆 Plus, stick around for the midroll featuring some beautiful piano renditions of Weird Al tracks by our talented friend, Summer Woods! 🎹 Crack open a cold one and join us for some classic Weird Al goodness. Cheers! 🍻 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-d-al-podcast--5439475/s...
Feb 28, 2025•36 min
Pop the champagne and polish your monocles, because we’re living the high life on this episode of Beer’d Al! Lauren and Russ are joined by fellow Weird Al aficionado UH-Jeff, who’s here to talk all about “This is the Life” from the Dare to Be Stupid album. But that’s not all—Jeff is also promoting his documentary, Tight & Nerdy , a deep dive into the world of Weird Al-inspired burlesque. Yes, you read that right! We have a blast dissecting the song, its classic gangster movie vibes, and what...
Feb 14, 2025•55 min
Grab a snack and get ready for a fun and fascinating deep dive! In this episode we’re serving up a hearty discussion on Weird Al’s Dare to Be Stupid classic, "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch." Joining me at the table is author and musicologist Lily Hirsch, and together, we unpack the humor, the history, and the gendered music themes behind this quirky parody. Was Al truly hungry for satire, or was he just forced to take a bite? We chew on that, share some laughs, and explore the broader cultural imp...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Welcome to side 2 of Dare to be Stupid ! This episode is a two-fer. Good buddy Noah is back to talk about "George of the Jungle" and "Slime Creatures from Outer Space." What works? What doesn't? Why does this even exist? What do they want from us? Who do they think they are? Tune in as we talk about it all! Beer'd Al is a member of the OddPods Media Network and decidedly not from outer space. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-d-al-podcast--5439475/support ...
Jan 17, 2025•58 min
It's the first epsiode of 2025! And it's a good one! Lauren & Russ are joined by our friends and all-around good dudes Chris Hollister and Bob Oakes to talk about Weird Al's recent collab with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, " New Years Eve Polka (5-4-3-2-1 )." And, in a Beer'd Al Podcast first, all four humans recorded this episode in-house! It was a full room of folks talking about Weird Al, music, and so much more. We hope you enjoy it! Check out Chris on the Trivial Warfare Podcast ! Check o...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 27 min
It's a holly jolly Weird Al family Christmas over here today! It's a full house of Robinsons! Lauren is here! Russ is here! Zakk is here! We're talking about "Christmas at Ground Zero" and "The Night Santa Went Crazy" and a whole bunch of other holiday goodness. Sit back and enjoy a fun family holiday convo! Beer'd Al is a very merry member of the OddPods Media Network. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-d-al-podcast--5439475/support ....
Dec 20, 2024•56 min
Lauren & Russ appeared on the BFYTW Podcast in an ALL WEIRD AL episode! That very episode now also lives HERE! NOTE: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE Original BFYTW show notes: Game 1 - Anti-Kareoke I've got four lists of Weird Al song titles from commercially released albums according to Wikipedia, and each team is going to take it in turns to try and communicate as many of the titles in their list to their partner within 60 seconds without using any words in the title, without any lyrics from the song, w...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 37 min
While we're taking a break between sides on Dare to Be Stupid , we're gonna stretch our legs a little bit for the holiday season. Today is a fun one! Russ & Lauren are joined by Ian Glaubinger to discuss UHF (and other things!). We're going to dig into some of the more minor characters in the film--you know, the ones that have amazing moments but aren't George or Stanley. Ian's bio: Professional doodler specializing in limited edition screen prints, posters and apparel. I'm an art director a...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 12 min
We've made it to the end of side one of Dare to be Stupid ! Like with the last album, I'm joined again by the most insane of Ians, INSANE IAN, to recap the majesty of side 1. We laugh! We wax poetic! We make some pretty salient points! You're gonna love it! Check out the glory of Insane Ian here! http://insaneian.bandcamp.com YouTube.com/insaneian Patreon.com/insaneian Beer'd Al is a stupid member of the OddPods Media Network. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 34 min
We've reached the last track on side 1 of Dare to be Stupid ! What a magical thing. Today we're talking about "Yoda." Russ is here (yay!), and we're joined by Stevie aka "Midnight Smoke" from the BFYTW podcast. We have a GREAT time! We hope you enjoy it! NOTE: Stevie gonna Stevie, and the language got a little bluer than we usually do here in the second half of the show. Just be warned. Beer'd Al is a weird little part of the OddPods Media Network. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www...
Nov 08, 2024•59 min
This episode is huge! There are so many people! Lauren is here! Russ is here! KC and Aaron from Itch Rocks are here! And we're all here to talk about "One More Minute," the next track on Dare to be Stupid . Sit back, relax, and get ready for a WILD RIDE. Check out all the amazing things the Itch does! Head over to ItchRocks.com ! And, ya know, check out the Infectious Groove Music YouTube channel, too! Beer'd Al is a member of the OddPods Media Network that would rather rip our intestines out wi...
Oct 25, 2024•1 hr 23 min
"I Want a New Duck" is the next track! Garret from (is he from? or is he THE?) NoDak Nerd is here to go over this track. We have a good time talking about ducks, Huey Lewis, and so much more. GET IT! (Get it?) Check out the NoDak Nerd here ! Beer'd Al is a ducky member of the OddPods Media Network. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-d-al-podcast--5439475/support ....
Oct 11, 2024•50 min
Dare to be Stupid keeps on rolling! Track 2 is the title track ("Dare to be Stupid," in case you didn't catch that). Along for the ride is (unsurprisingly) Russ and (not totally surprisingly, but less expected) Noah. Noah is, of course, the guy we mean when we say "I Noah guy" on this show. Just exactly how stupid do we dare to get? Listen in and find out! Check out Noah's Twitter and Entertainment Zone YouTube ! And, ya know, check out the Infectious Groove Music YouTube channel while you're at...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 2 min
We're back with the next album deep dive! We wrapped up "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D a few weeks ago, so that means it's time to go full speed ahead into Dare to be Stupid ! Buckle up! I've got some amazing guests lined up for this series, so you'll want to make sure you listen to everything! Speaking of amazing guests... Track 1 is "Like a Surgeon." I've got Russ (from the Infectious Groove Music YouTube channel and also my house) and Zakk (from being Russ's son and also my house [at the time]) t...
Sep 13, 2024•54 min
If there's one thing we're passionate about on this show, it's taking funny music seriously. Like, really seriously. Seriously seriously. If there's another person in the world who's passionate about that, it's Lily Hirsch. In her third (third? Yeah, third) appearance on this show, Lily's back to talk about her book Taking Funny Music Seriously . Seriously. Join in as we have a great chat about how deep comedy music can really be! Next time on the show - We're jumping into the Dare to be Stupid ...
Aug 30, 2024•56 min
The flim is Spy Hard . The song is "Spy Hard." "Spy Hard" is the theme from Spy Hard . Is the song good? Yes. Is the movie good? We're gonna talk about that. I'm joined by Robert Yaniz Jr. from Crooked Table Productions to dig into this 1996 cinematic... thing. Check out all things Crooked Table ! And check out Back to Bluey , too! Beer'd Al: Part of a healthy breakfast and part of the OddPods Media Network. Promos this week for EverTrending Story and Beer in Front. Become a supporter of this po...
Aug 16, 2024•55 min
What a time to be alive! We live in a world of resplendent joy! In the past month, your hero and mine, "Weird Al" Yankovic, has deigned to bestow upon us a multitude of gifts! We got to enjoy the 35th Anniversary Ultra 4K release of 1989's majestic cult classic UHF (it's not a cult... it's just classic). We also got to experience a BRAND NEW WEIRD AL POLKA for the first time in years! Buckle up as I drag Russ from the living room into the recording studio to talk about all the NEW WEIRD AL CONTE...
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 14 min
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The "Weird Al" Yankovic: In 3-D album, I've got some help to go through the album track-by-track. Over the course of this year, we'll dig deep into each song and have a good time doing it! This week, I'm wrapping things up and tackling all of SIDE 2 with, your friend and mine, INSANE IAN! Check out all the cool stuff Insane Ian does! YouTube.com/insaneian Patreon.com/insaneian http://insaneian.bandcamp.com TheFuMP.com LoganAwards.com Beer'd Al is a member of ...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 20 min
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The "Weird Al" Yankovic: In 3-D album, I've got some help to go through the album track-by-track. Over the course of this year, we'll dig deep into each song and have a good time doing it! It's the last track! It's "Nature Trail to Hell"!!! IN 3-D!!!! Better run for your lives! Docking Bay 77 stalwart Disney John is here to help take the song through its paces. Russ is also here. You'd think he likes me or something. Watch the Infectious Groove Music YouTube ...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 10 min
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The "Weird Al" Yankovic: In 3-D album, I've got some help to go through the album track-by-track. Over the course of this year, we'll dig deep into each song and have a good time doing it! Garret from the EverTrending Story podcast is here to talk about "Theme from Rocky XIII." Or, if you must, "The Rye or the Kaiser." We hope you enjoy! Beer'd Al is a fat and weak member or the OddPods Media Network. Promos for From the Middle and Grab'em in the Brisket. Bec...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The "Weird Al" Yankovic: In 3-D album, I've got some help to go through the album track-by-track. Over the course of this year, we'll dig deep into each song and have a good time doing it! "That Boy Could Dance" is up next. What could we possibly talk about with this one? Tune in to find out! Russ is here again! You'd think he likes me or something. Watch the Infectious Groove Music YouTube channel if you haven't already. (I'm there, too! I'm adorable!) Beer'...
Jun 07, 2024•53 min
