Let’s Get Weird: Jon “Bermuda”Schwartz on 45+ Years Behind the Kit For “Weird Al” Yankovic

There are certain artists who become part of the soundtrack to your life — and if you’re lucky, sometimes you get to sit down with the people responsible for it. This week, I’m joined by the man who has been keeping the beat behind “Weird Al” Yankovic for more than four decades: drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz.

From a chance meeting through the legendary Dr. Demento show and playing drums on an accordion case during the early recording of “Another One Rides The Bus,” to the moment MTV helped launch Weird Al into the pop culture stratosphere, Bermuda shares stories from inside one of the most unique careers in music.

We dive into the evolution of Weird Al’s sound — including the shift from the raw production of the self-titled debut album to the hyper-accurate musical recreations heard on In 3D and beyond. Bermuda also breaks down how the band studies and reconstructs an artist’s style for spot-on parodies and style pastiches, including the Devo-inspired “Dare To Be Stupid.”

Along the way, we talk about collaborations with the artists themselves — like the Dire Straits connection behind the “Money For Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies” parody from UHF, as well as working with Taylor Hanson, Dwezil Zappa and Ray Manzarek of The Doors, the musical puzzle of assembling Weird Al’s legendary polka medleys, and the full story behind the fan-favorite epic “Albuquerque.”

We also explore Bermuda’s role as the official band historian and longtime curator of WeirdAl.com, the creative reset behind tours like the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour and Strings Attached Tour, and what it felt like to headline a sold-out Madison Square Garden after decades on the road.

Digging deeper, Bermuda reflects on the hardest drum sound he’s ever had to recreate for a song, whether a Weird Al Super Bowl Halftime Show has ever been discussed beyond social media, and his thoughts on if Mandatory Fun is truly Al’s last full-length studio album. We also touch on the case for Weird Al’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, among many other topics!

If you’ve ever laughed, sang along, or wondered how Weird Al’s band makes those parodies sound so perfectly authentic — this deep dive into four decades of musical comedy brilliance pulls back the curtain.

Photo Credit: Kamal Asar

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