Incoming: “Weird Al” Yankovic at the Cotillion, July 13

Yes, yes — the Cotillion is all the way down in Wichita. Is it worth a three-and-a-half hour drive south to go see “Weird Al” Yankovic on Tuesday, July 13?

I’d say so. The one and only time I saw Yankovic, I’d been waiting something like 15 years to see him play live. My friends and I braved a jack-knifed semi, an hour-long downpour that delayed the show, and stuffy middle-aged fans to see him play Starlight back in 2000. There will be costumes and videos and audience participation and it will be fun as hell.

This tour is in support of The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic two-disc set, meaning Yankovic is set to perform a lot of his best-known and loved parodies and originals, without the usual focus on what’s on the new album.