ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

“Bigger” and “weirder” than ever, that prince of parody, that king of caricature, “Weird Al” Yankovic, revisited the Budweiser Stage on Wednesday night with his trademark accordion and nine stunningly versatile musicians to wreak havoc on that mysterious part of the human anatomy: the funny bone.

And boy, did he and his opening act, Puddles Pity Party, succeed.

For those unfamiliar with Puddles — you may have seen him on Postmodern Jukebox performance videos or as a quarterfinalist on “America’s Got Talent” back in 2017 — he’s the “sad clown” persona of six-foot-eight Atlanta-based Mike Geier, who possesses one of the most magnificent baritones on the planet, and his singing to piped-in music is the only verbal communication he shares with the crowd.

Last night, he offered such diverse covers as Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Los Lobos’s “Estoy Sentado Aqui” (serenading an audience member dressed as a tequila bottle), Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Little Roger and the Goosebumps’ “Stairway to Gilligan’s Island,” replete with air guitar solos.

It was a hoot — and the crowd, once they got him, lapped him up.

But the more than 15,000 in attendance were there to pay homage to “Weird Al,” the native of Lynwood, Calif., who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of breaking out on the syndicated Dr. Demento radio show.

There were the guys dressed in the radioactive jumpsuits made famous in Yankovic’s Devo-inspired video for “Dare to Be Stupid.” Another kid, done up with the signature curly hair, moustache and Hawaiian shirt, had his night made when he was projected on the big screen. And several women bought pom-poms, waving them with glee as Yankovic recreated the video for “Smells Like Nirvana.” 

It should be mentioned that a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert just doesn’t encompass music: it’s a multimedia event that includes video, skits, animation, costume changes and craftily edited fake interviews that prove the artist is a first-class celebrity magnet. He shared — and altered — clips of such luminaries as Cher, Madonna, Sting and (for Canadian content) Avril Lavigne to conjure up even more laughs.

In fact, there may not be another artist alive who can pack as many cultural touchstones into a two-hour show as the accordion-wielding Yankovic and be so universally appealing. He was one of the MTV/MuchMusic era’s most popular superstars, churning out satirical gold at the expense of such icons as Michael Jackson (“Eat It”), Queen (“Another One Rides the Bus”), Toni Basil (“Ricky”) and Stevie Wonder/Coolio (“Amish Paradise”).

Wednesday night’s show did a great job of providing an overview of a 14-album career, showcasing Yankovic’s intellectual diversity. There was a healthy dose of the early food-driven songs (“I Love Rocky Road,” “My Bologna,” “Eat It”) delivered with an extra slice of ham during the second of two polka medleys.

He lampooned corporate life and commercialism with “Mission Statement” (which he called “a PowerPoint presentation,” set to the Crosby, Stills & Nash classic “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”), the Backstreet Boys-derived “eBay,” as well as his own original song about unwanted e-mails, “Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me.”

Nerdy science fiction was also a target: a double-whammy “Star Wars” salute included “The Saga Begins,” set to the music of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” and “Yoda,” a twist on the Kinks’ “Lola.” 

He rode a Segway for “White & Nerdy,” his take on Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’”; donned a fat suit for “Fat,” his take on Michael Jackson’s “Bad”; and threw on a jacket decorated with maple leaves for “Canadian Idiot,” a backhanded compliment to Green Day’s “American Idiot,” which drew thunderous applause.

An early highlight was the Yankovic original “One More Minute,” for which he ventured into the crowd, singing about being heartbroken — and handing out scarves he wiped his armpits and nostrils with to a few women. Then he pulled out his heart-adorned boxer shorts and handed them to another female fan, before returning to the stage.

He even asked for requests, although what he chose to perform — a totally straight cover of Helen Reddy’s 1972 hit “I Am Woman” — probably wasn’t at the top of mind of the fans who shouted their favourites.

Yankovic’s nine-piece band, anchored by his longtime drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz and ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½-born guitarist Jim West, was excellent and featured horns, keyboards, even a tuba, in arrangements that often turned on a dime. 

Overall, it was a brilliant evening, as Yankovic fired on all cylinders with his hilarious performance art.

And while the accordion will never be a “hip” instrument, Yankovic comes closer than anyone else to help it achieve that status.