# Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour

The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour was a concert tour performed by American musician and satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic. Intended to be a more intimate and less stylized production compared to his previous concert tours, the Vanity Tour focused on Yankovic's older material and original songs. The 76-date North American tour was announced in October 2017, and included 68 shows in the United States and eight shows in Canada. Following the conclusion of the tour, recordings of the entire tour were released on Stitcher Premium.

## Background

In a departure from his previous concert tours, Yankovic set out on The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour with the intention to produce a more intimate, less stylized show than his preceding concert tours, describing the Vanity Tour as having an "extremely limited appeal" by design, and inspired by the staging of VH1 Storytellers and MTV Unplugged. The absence of video screens and advanced lighting, along with the Vanity Tour's lack of his popular hits, costumes changes, props, and choreography present in Yankovic's previous tours allowed for a more flexible and unpredictable experience, to the testimonial approval of Yankovic himself and his touring band. In the tour's October 2017 announcement across social media, Yankovic stated:
   By design, it has extremely limited appeal. Instead of doing festivals, fairs and arenas, we'll be doing small, intimate theatres. Instead of putting on a big flashy production, we'll be trying to go for something very informal and low-key… kind of an Unplugged/Storytellers vibe. Like we're just hanging out, playing in your living room. So if you've really got your heart set on seeing fat suits and Segways and hearing all your favorite parodies… this probably isn't the tour for you. Chances are we'll be doing that kind of show again sometime in the future, just not THIS time.
The opening act was the comedian Emo Philips, who had previously worked with Yankovic in his 1989 movie UHF and 1997 TV series The Weird Al Show.
In accordance with Yankovic's desired theme of more intimate and "loose" shows, the setlist for The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour was different every night, with a focus on older material and original songs from his discography, as opposed to his staple parody songs. Yankovic performed a straight cover version of a different classic rock song during the encore of each show.

## Promotion

The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour was officially announced on "Weird Al" Yankovic's official social media pages on 13 October 2017, with information on tour dates, venues and ticket sales appearing on Yankovic's official website the day after. Tickets for the Vanity Tour, which went on sale on October 20, were advertised from $50 to $70. The tour's announcement also coincided with the November 2017 release of Squeeze Box and Medium Rarities, two compilation albums collecting the works of Yankovic.

## Follow-up tour

In 2021 "Weird Al" Yankovic announced a follow-up concert tour to the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour "The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour", performed from May to October 2022 with special guest Emo Phillips.
   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!

## Setlist

Each of the 77 shows had a different set list, with the following 51 songs in regular rotation:
* "Airline Amy"
* "Albuquerque"
* "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota"
* "Bob"
* "Buy Me a Condo"
* "Christmas at Ground Zero"
* "Close But No Cigar"
* "CNR"
* "Craigslist"
* "Dare to Be Stupid" (Grateful Dead version)
* "Dog Eat Dog"
* "Don't Download This Song"
* "Fun Zone"
* "Generic Blues"
* "Good Enough For Now"
* "Good Old Days"
* "Happy Birthday"
* "I Remember Larry"
* "I Was Only Kidding"
* "I'll Sue Ya"
* "I'm So Sick of You"
* "If That Isn't Love"
* "Jackson Park Express"
* "Let Me Be Your Hog"
* "Melanie"
* "Midnight Star"
* "Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung"
* "Mr. Popeil"
* "My Baby's in Love With Eddie Vedder"
* "My Own Eyes"
* "Nature Trail to Hell"
* "The Night Santa Went Crazy"
* "One More Minute"
* "One of Those Days"
* "Party at the Leper Colony"
* "The Saga Begins"
* "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime"
* "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me"
* "Stuck in a Closet With Vanna White"
* "That Boy Could Dance"
* "Traffic Jam"
* "Truck Drivin' Song"
* "UHF"
* "Velvet Elvis"
* "When I Was Your Age"
* "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?"
* "Yoda"
* "You Don’t Love Me Anymore"
* "Young, Dumb & Ugly"
* "Your Horoscope For Today"
* Unplugged Medley ("Eat It", "I Lost on Jeopardy", "Amish Paradise", "Smells Like Nirvana", "White & Nerdy", "I Love Rocky Road", "Like a Surgeon")
* "Smoke on the Water"
* "Blue Suede Shoes"
* "I Saw Her Standing There"
* "Johnny B. Goode"
* "Do Wah Diddy Diddy"
* "Dirty Water"
* "Honky Tonk Women"
* "Tutti Frutti"
* "Wipeout"
* "All Day and All of the Night"
* "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
* "Blister in the Sun"
* "Uncontrollable Urge"
* "867-5309 (Jenny)"
* "Psycho Killer"
* "Hello There"
* "Refugee"
* "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
* "Cinnamon Girl"
* "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
* "Play That Funky Music"
* "Free Bird"
* "China Grove"
* "Rebel Yell"
* "Stuck in the Middle with You"
* "Accordion Boogie"
* "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
* "All Star"
* "Squeeze Box"
* "Beat on the Brat"
* "Last Train to Clarksville"
* "Beer Barrel Polka"
* "Breakdown"
* "What I Like About You"
* "We're an American Band"
* "Peaches"
* "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
* "Gimme Some Lovin'"
* "Glad All Over"
* "Sunshine of Your Love"
* "Particle Man"
* "Land of 1,000 Dances"
* "Crocodile Rock"
* "Viva Las Vegas"
* "Fire and Rain"
* "Werewolves of London"
* "I Wanna Be Sedated"
* "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
* "Born to Be Wild"
* "Vertigo"
* "You Really Got Me"
* "Sweet Home Alabama"
* "Suffragette City"
* "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"
* "Radio Radio"
* "Girl U Want"
* "This Is a Call"
* "I'm Down"
* "The Elements"
* "Funeral For a Friend"
* "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
* "God Save the Queen"
* "No Matter What"
* "Classical Gas"
* "Rock & Roll"
* "Funk #49"
* "Good Lovin'"
* "Foxy Lady"
* "Aqualung"
* "Hard to Handle"
* "All Right Now"
* "Summer Nights"
* "Magic Carpet Ride"
* "Rebel Rebel"
* "Takin' It to the Streets"
* "Not Fade Away"
* "School's Out"

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act |
| February 27, 2018 | Poughkeepsie | United States | Bardavon 1869 Opera House | Emo Philips |
| March 1, 2018 | Tarrytown | United States | Tarrytown Music Hall | Emo Philips |
| March 2, 2018 | Ledyard | United States | Fox Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 3, 2018 | Portsmouth | United States | The Music Hall | Emo Philips |
| March 4, 2018 (Matinee) | Boston | United States | Wilbur Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 4, 2018 (Evening) | Boston | United States | Wilbur Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 7, 2018 | Montreal | Canada | Théâtre Maisonneuve | Emo Philips |
| March 8, 2018 | Toronto | Canada | Danforth Music Hall | Emo Philips |
| March 9, 2018 | Toronto | Canada | Danforth Music Hall | Emo Philips |
| March 10, 2018 | Grand Rapids | United States | 20 Monroe Live | Emo Philips |
| March 11, 2018 | Ann Arbor | United States | Michigan Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 13, 2018 | Amherst | United States | Mainstage Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 14, 2018 | Ithaca | United States | State Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 16, 2018 | Atlantic City | United States | Circus Maximus Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 17, 2018 | Huntington | United States | Paramount Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 18, 2018 | Lancaster | United States | American Music Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 20, 2018 | North Bethesda | United States | The Music Center at Strathmore | Emo Philips |
| March 22, 2018 | New York City | United States | Apollo Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 23, 2018 | New York City | United States | Apollo Theater | Emo Philips |
| March 24, 2018 | Greensburg | United States | Palace Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 25, 2018 | Cleveland | United States | Ohio Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 26, 2018 | Lexington | United States | Lexington Opera House | Emo Philips |
| March 28, 2018 | Louisville | United States | Brown Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 29, 2018 | Carmel | United States | The Palladium | Emo Philips |
| March 30, 2018 | Champaign | United States | Virginia Theatre | Emo Philips |
| March 31, 2018 | Des Moines | United States | Hoyt Sherman Place Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 2, 2018 | Rochester | United States | Mayo Civic Center Presentation Hall | Emo Philips |
| April 3, 2018 | Minneapolis | United States | Pantages Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 4, 2018 | Minneapolis | United States | Pantages Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 6, 2018 | Chicago | United States | The Vic Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 7, 2018 | Chicago | United States | The Vic Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 9, 2018 | Milwaukee | United States | Pabst Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 10, 2018 | Milwaukee | United States | Pabst Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 12, 2018 | Wabash | United States | Ford Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 13, 2018 | Chattanooga | United States | Walker Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 14, 2018 | Augusta | United States | Miller Theater | Emo Philips |
| April 15, 2018 | Atlanta | United States | Tabernacle | Emo Philips |
| April 17, 2018 | Nashville | United States | War Memorial Auditorium | Emo Philips |
| April 19, 2018 | Springfield | United States | Gillioz Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 20, 2018 | Longview | United States | Belcher Performance Center | Emo Philips |
| April 21, 2018 | Austin | United States | Paramount Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 22, 2018 | Midland | United States | Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center | Emo Philips |
| April 24, 2018 | Stafford | United States | Stafford Centre Performing Arts Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 26, 2018 | San Antonio | United States | H-E-B Performance Hall | Emo Philips |
| April 27, 2018 | Dallas | United States | Majestic Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 28, 2018 | Wichita | United States | Orpheum Theatre | Emo Philips |
| April 29, 2018 | Kansas City | United States | Folly Theater | Emo Philips |
| May 1, 2018 | Denver | United States | Paramount Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 3, 2018 | Grand Junction | United States | Avalon Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 4, 2018 | Ivins | United States | Tuacahn Amphitheater | Emo Philips |
| May 5, 2018 | Tucson | United States | Fox Tucson Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 6, 2018 | Santa Fe | United States | Lensic Theater | Emo Philips |
| May 8, 2018 | Mesa | United States | Ikeda Theater | Emo Philips |
| May 9, 2018 | Palm Desert | United States | McCallum Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 10, 2018 | Los Angeles | United States | The Theatre at Ace Hotel | Emo Philips |
| May 11, 2018 | Los Angeles | United States | The Theatre at Ace Hotel | Emo Philips |
| May 12, 2018 | San Diego | United States | Humphreys Concerts By the Bay | Emo Philips |
| May 15, 2018 | Sacramento | United States | Crest Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 17, 2018 | Monterey | United States | Golden State Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 18, 2018 | Turlock | United States | Turlock Community Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 19, 2018 | Oakland | United States | Fox Oakland Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 20, 2018 | Napa | United States | Uptown Theater | Emo Philips |
| May 22, 2018 | Redding | United States | Cascade Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 24, 2018 | Eugene | United States | McDonald Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 25, 2018 | Portland | United States | Revolution Hall | Emo Philips |
| May 26, 2018 | Portland | United States | Revolution Hall | Emo Philips |
| May 27, 2018 | Spokane | United States | Woldson Theater | Emo Philips |
| May 29, 2018 | Seattle | United States | Moore Theatre | Emo Philips |
| May 31, 2018 | Calgary | Canada | Grey Eagle Event Centre | Emo Philips |
| June 1, 2018 | Regina | Canada | Casino Regina Show Lounge | Emo Philips |
| June 2, 2018 | Edmonton | Canada | River Cree Entertainment Centre | Emo Philips |
| June 3, 2018 | Medicine Hat | Canada | Esplanade Theatre | Emo Philips |
| June 5, 2018 | Winnipeg | Canada | Burton Cummings Theatre | Emo Philips |
| June 6, 2018 | Fargo | United States | Fargo Theatre | Emo Philips |
| June 8, 2018 | Columbia | United States | Jesse Auditorium | Emo Philips |
| June 9, 2018 | Clear Lake | United States | Surf Ballroom | Emo Philips |
| June 10, 2018 | Green Bay | United States | Meyer Theatre | Emo Philips |

### Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

    $^A$ This concert was a part of the "Nashville Comedy Festival"
    $^B$ This concert was a part of the "Moontower Comedy Festival"

### Box office score data

| Venue | City | Tickets sold / Available | Gross revenue |
| Théâtre Maisonneuve | Montreal | 2,102 / 2,102 (100%) | $98,975 |
| Circus Maximus Theater | Atlantic City | 1,330 / 1,606 (83%) | $81,258 |
| Ohio Theatre | Cleveland | 932 / 1,000 (93%) | $63,019 |
| Pantages Theatre | Minneapolis | 1,968 / 1,980 (99%) | $124,124 |
| The Vic Theatre | Chicago | 1,879 / 1,879 (100%) | $94,231 |
| Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center | Midland | 984 / 1,733 (57%) | $42,690 |
| The Theatre at Ace Hotel | Los Angeles | 2,981 / 2,981 (100%) | $206,726 |
| Crest Theatre | Sacramento | 934 / 975 (96%) | $54,538 |
| Fox Oakland Theatre | Oakland | 1,923 / 1,923 (100%) | $117,345 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL | 15,033 / 16,179 (93%) | $882,906 |