Barenaked Ladies Keep It Kooky at NAC

Growing up, the Barenaked Ladies were sort of a staple for Canadian rock radio. Their songs were hook driven, contagious and just peculiar enough that you couldn’t avoid them. And for someone like me that was both a good and bad thing.

Gracing the stage on the second last night of their “Fake Nudes” tour, I wasn’t sure entirely what to expect. Here is a band that is 29 years into their career. One of their most recognizable characters has since left the lineup, but some of their most successful commercial hits (such as the theme song for The Big Bang Theory) came in later years. The band was on tour supporting a new album which was gaining traction for being a mature sounding contemporary record.

What was I in for?

Well, as it turns out I was in for all of the above. Classic hits like “The Old Apartment” and “If I Had A Million Dollars” and “One Week” had people of all ages dancing and singing along, new songs like somber tune “Sunshine” moved us, and ad lib hip hop numbers kept us guessing.

Overall, the performance was fun but fringed on novelty one too many times, with maybe one too many inappropriate jokes for a show with so many kids attending. There were times when the banter was fun, and other times where it was distracting.

I can’t complain though. One thing you can count on at a Barenaked Ladies show is laughter, and they definitely delivered.

Canadian cult icon Ron Sexsmith kicked things off and made us swoon. With a catalogue of 15 tremendous albums, there was no shortage of heart breaking songs to choose from. On his worst day, he is still one of the best.

 

For more details on the Barenaked Ladies Tour or to purchase their latest album Fake Nudes visit www.barenakedladies.com