The band took fans on a long and winding trip through
favorites old and new, and even a couple of cover tunes in the 24 song, two
hour set. Songs from their latest album, Grinning
Streak, were greeted as enthusiastically as classic tunes from BNL’s early
days. Ed Robertson induced a crowd sing
along on “Gonna Walk” that was impressive, and Kevin Hearn’s “All In Good Time”
is one of the finest songs he’s ever written.
BNL even brought out opening act Whitehorse for “Keeping It Real”,
turning the crunchy alt-rocker into an even darker, blues infused number with heavy
muscle.
A brief acoustic set mid-show featured a doo-wop version of “The
Sound Of Your Voice” with Kevin Hearn on vocals. The band then moved on to “Smile” (Ed
Robertson) and “Maybe Katie”, with Jim Creegan splitting vocals with Ed. Fans were treated with blasts from the past
in “Blame It On Me” and “Brian Wilson”.
This last had some longtime fans up and dancing until the Center for the
Arts staff politely and firmly asked them to sit down do people behind them
could see.
Just when you thought BNL were maybe starting to wind down
they got their second wind. “Easy” led
into current hit “Odds Are” and then the theme from “Big Bang Theory”. The show
wound up with “One Week”, “If I Had $1,000,000”, a medley of pop tunes old and
new and finally, “The Old Apartment”.
BNL returned to the stage for one of the most memorable encores of their
career. Ed Robertson took a seat behind
the drums, and Tyler Stewart informed the crowd that he was going to bring the
rock. He then launched into a very
capable take on “Alcohol”, and then proceeded to lead the band through covers
of The Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta
Love”.
Throughout the night BNL expressed their love and
appreciation for Buffalo, a city that was like their second home in the early
days of their career. The band reminisced
about their first show in Buffalo, which was also at UB. Tyler referenced a power outage that occurred
during that show in the middle of their set.
Sorry Tyler – the power outage was actually at a show at The Ikon a
couple of months later (I was there).
The band’s first improv was an ode to Buffalo, of sorts.
The banter during the show was hilarious. The band had a
running gag about Tyler’s knowledge of 1970’s and1980’s television shows and
actors. Ed Robertson kept trying to stump the expert throughout the show, and
finally got him with Squiggy from Laverne
and Shirley. For all of the
goofiness, however, BNL remains all about the music. The four men on stage last
night played and interacted like a family.
The dynamic and interaction is perhaps the most fluid I have seen out of
them in over 20 years of live experiences. The crowd ate it up, and gave the
energy right back.
Opening act Whitehorse was a new commodity to me. Husband
and wife pairing of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland was a powerhouse
presence, one of those rare opening acts with the talent and material to
potentially steal the show. While there was no risk of that ultimately last
night, Whitehorse certainly opened a lot of eyes. Both are powerful singers and multi-instrumentalists.
They used live percussive instruments and technology last night to create
subtly structured yet powerful backgrounds for themselves, and tore through
their songs like the world was on fire and it was their one chance to play.
I do not have a song list for Whitehorse as it was my first
time hearing them. But they were good
enough that I walked away with two of their CDs from the swag stand at
intermission. Keep an eye (and an ear) open for Whitehorse. They are the real
deal.
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