Barenaked Ladies

(re-edited and photos changed November 12, 2010)

Ace met the Barenaked Ladies (BNL) this past July 27 in Grand Prairie, Texas.



The Canadian indie rock group rarely tours anywhere near Kansas so we took advantage of the chance to see them in Grand Prairie's Verizon Amphitheater (July 27, 2010), Oklahoma City's Diamond Ballroom (November 2, 2010) and the Pageant Theatre in St Louis (November 7, 2010).

For a quick example of the group's general sound and songwriting qualities, here's the theme from the TV show, Big Bang Theory, which they wrote and performed (My thanks go out to Ed Robertson for permission to post videos.)



BNL lyrics tend to be pretty smart stuff. For example, the references to Pangaea.






Co-founder Ed Robinson does writing, lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars (mostly rhythm), banjo and occasionally drums. He has taken over as front man since the departure of another co-founder, Steven Page, last year.






Audience interaction has always been a part of BNL concerts. Here, Robertson mugs for an audience member who has been trying to get a photo.



An avid pilot, Robertson made news in 2008 when his Cessna 206 stalled after running into reported wind gusts. He successfully crash-landed the plane, which is referred to in a song, The Love We're In, from their newest album: "Let's crash the party, I'll crash the plane."



Robertson also stars in Ed's Up, a Canadian TV show that centers on navigating the singer/pilot to GPS coordinates where he may participate in different occupations. For some interwebby fun, I recommend the flash version of Ed's Up.



Jim Creeggan does vocals and some writing, as well as acoustic and electric bass.



He has taken over some of Page's vocals. In the shows I have seen, Creeggan usually plays the double bass pizzicato (plucking the strings) but can also use a bow.






Kevin Hearn does vocals, writing, guitar, keyboards and accordion. (his website)



He also has his own band, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, is a former member of Rheostatics, and does some nifty artwork.



Hearn is a survivor of chronic myelogenous leukemia and released a solo album, H-wing, inspired by his experience with the disease.



Ace spent the Oklahoma City show on top of Hearn's piano with a couple of travel companions he gained along the road. Hearn says he kept them so they wouldn't be thrown out, and apparently enjoys them during the show.


Hearn takes lead vocals on Sound of Your Voice:





Tyler Stewart performs vocals, drums and percussion.



Stewart takes vocals for the song, Alcohol.




Stewart makes nice vocal contribution to the song, Four Seconds, from the newest album, All in Good Time:





I actually shot this one with my Evo phone. It's the first phone I've seen that has a camera I can take seriously. I set the ISO to 800 and the exposure compensation to -3 to avoid overexposure of the subjects against a darker background. All other photos and videos were shot with Canon SX1is and SX110is point and shoots. DSLRs are usually not allowed in concert venues.



In only my limited exposure to BNL, I've noticed they have a knack for good opening acts. Here, opener Angel Taylor participates in a song at Grand Prairie Texas on July 27, 2010. That show also featured Ben Kweller. The November 2, 2010, Oklahoma City show opened with Jukebox the Ghost.



In St Louis, Ed Robinson spoke admiringly of Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard, which he said an assistant used to bring to the band. A few songs later, some was brought to the stage (on drum riser, above). I'm not sure I envy any power of a rock star more than the ability to make the local cuisine appear.




The song, If I had $1,000,000, seems to be used for longer than usual ad-libs:





Now, this is one of those pictures I run across in my own files a few months after shooting and ask "what the...?" This is from the pre-encore cover of Magic in which the band appears to parody a boy band.





This ends with Jim Creeggan jumping into Tyler Stewart's arms.

At most concerts I've attended, I've been able to take photos of the set lists that are taped to the stage. For BNL fans, here are the two set lists I've seen them perform, with albums noted in parentheses. I enjoyed both sets, but would love to hear the comedic songs "Bank Robbery" and "Another Postcard" added someday.

Set List for Verizon Amphitheater, Grand Prairie, Texas, July 27, 2010:

Who Needs Sleep? (Stunt)
The Old Apartment (Born on a Pirate Ship)
Falling for the First Time (Maroon)
Every Subway Car (All in Good Time)
Easy (Barenaked Ladies are Me)
Light Up My Room (Stunt)
Another Heartbreak (All in Good Time)
Eraser (Snack Time)
Sound of Your Voice (Barenaked Ladies are Me)
It's All Been Done (Stunt)
Ordinary (All in Good Time)
You Run Away (All in Good Time)
I Saw It (All in Good Time)
Four Seconds (All in Good Time)
theme from Big Bang Theory
One Week (Stunt)
Too Little to Late (Maroon)
Pinch Me (Maroon)
If I Had a $1,000,000 (Gordon)
Magic (cover, closing rap)

encore:

I have Learned (All in Good Time)
Watching the Northern Lights (All in Good Time)
Brian Wilson (Gordon)

You know, I mentioned audience participation earlier. Two women participate with their bras during the song, Pinch Me, at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City on November 2, 2010:




Set list for the Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, November 2, 2010:

Who Needs Sleep? (Stunt)
The Old Apartment (Born on a Pirate Ship)
Falling for the First Time (Maroon)
Every Subway Car (All in Good Time)
Go Home (Maroon)
Another Heartbreak (All in Good Time)
For You (Everything to Everyone)
Sound of Your Voice (Barenaked Ladies are Me)
It's All Been Done (Stunt)
Too Little to Late (Maroon)
On the Lookout (All in Good Time)
You Run Away (All in Good Time)
Four Seconds (All in Good Time)
Big Bang Theory
One Week (Stunt)
Pinch Me (Maroon)
If I Had a $1,000,000 (Gordon)
Magic (cover, closing rap)

encore:

Alcohol (Stunt)
Asleep at the Wheel (Maroon)

I usually shoot more photos than reasonable composition allows, and I've had a few requests from people at the shows I attended for BNL photos so here is a link to more photo URLs.






Special thanks to Karen Pimental for being Ace's stage manager.