The rest of the issue pokes fun at the whole musical spectrum, with some classic throwbacks offering filler music for new material — some as perennial as whether metal singers grab their groins to remind them what they’re singing about or sneak a quick scratch on the itch of their crab lice. And if you need music festival life hacks, the issue takes a special glee skewering music festivals. This also is personal.
The issue was originally planned to be on-sale the same week as Coachella, but the festival has been delayed until October and MAD is stuck with all these issues. “The show must go on,” they swear, and with all the recent virtual concerts happening, the theme is as relevant as MAD is irreverent.
“Don’t blow your whole wad on Coachella tickets this year-Mad #13 is making (fun of) music for $5.99 (cheap),” reads the official press release. “Laugh at acts you’d never pay to see…from the comfort of your own toilet (no porta-potties necessary)! Sure, we may not have the sad crooning of Thom Yorke, but we could have a hilarious cartoon of him! Enjoy classic Mad music spoofs, plus an all-new Spy vs. Spy, “A Mad Look at…”, and more!”
The bathroom humor in that quote refers to “A MAD Look at…Port o Potties,” which Sergio Aragonés presents as a way to avoid those lines. The issue also gets into investigative music journalism as former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan earns his street cred checking out the hip hop world of Eminem. The issue also contains a flashback to Woodstock, which leads to a bad trip with Lawrence Welk and a whole lotta boys who want to be George. Even Black Spy and Whte Spy cut in on the dancefloor.