Barenaked Ladies Live!
Barenaked Ladies is a band that has developed a loyal, some say rabid, core fan base since Ed Robertson and Steve Page started singing as a duo in 1988. Until the arrival of their giant hit CD Stunt, they've done this without the help of major backing from their record companies and with very little music video television exposure in the US. And, with only few exceptions, very little enthusiastic radio station support. The appreciation for their music has been spread by the oldest and arguably most persuasive of marketing tools: word of mouth.
The result has been a fan base of true music lovers. People who are not afraid to listen to and even like music that refuses to be categorized and often sounds different from that which is being ground out by the Pop Music Machine. People who know there was music recorded before 1990 and will admit to listening to it then. People who can see that serious musicians can blend humor and wit into songs without being dropped unceremoniously into the "novelty act" box.
But, to truly appreciate Barenaked Ladies, one must see their live performance. Or at least hear some, which is the purpose of this site I suppose.
I had first heard of BNL in 1993 when "If I Had A $1,000,000" and "Be My Yoko Ono" were getting a little airplay. The subtle humor of those two songs led me to eventually purchase "Maybe You Should Drive" and then "Gordon". I quickly became thoroughly impressed with their diversity, obvious talent, musicianship and the clever, intelligent lyrics. When a stop at Columbus' Newport Music Hall was announced in the summer of 1995, I was quick to get tickets for my daughter (then 12) and I.
At that show, I remember feeling like the piano player in a 1940's cathouse: I had been there all the while but never really appreciated what was going on upstairs. Hours of listening to the studio recordings of their work did nothing to prepare me for their live show. Energy. Audience participation. Fan appreciation. Humor. If I had to use only one word to describe what made that show (and every show since then) special, it would have to be "Vibe". The Vibe was there and tangible from the moment the guys came on stage.
By that time I had been going to rock & roll concerts for over 20 years and had never seen a show quite like it. Beyond the thrill of seeing all our favorite songs performed live, the interaction between the band and crowd was awe inspiring. From the very first song, the band was backed up by a 1300 member choir not a one of them able to stand still (this, in an un-air-conditioned, 100+F former theater). Between songs they told topical and topographical anecdotes making the show unique, almost customized, for the Central Ohio fans. Occasionally they would break into a cover of some other artist's song that was getting airplay at the time - whether or not they held that artist in esteem or contempt. Then, of course, there was the Kraft Dinner thing, at that time a fairly welcomed offering from the hippest of the fans. We weren't even out the Newport's battered front doors before we agreed that we would be in the audience whenever BNL came to town. Since then, that covenant has been expanded to include any show within a 3 hour drive and is in jeopardy of being expanded further.
Everything that made that first show special has been experienced at each of the shows we've attended since then (20 as of December 20, 1999). Same songs, yes... mostly - played in different order... some with different variations. But each show has had it's own unique feel, it's own personality, it's own character, drawn from the venue, the audience, and the locale. And always floating on that Vibe.
If you like BNL but have never see them live, you owe it to yourself to rearrange your life next time they're near your town. Meanwhile, perhaps there's something on our list that can hold you over.