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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Barenaked Ladies live - UB Center for the Arts - November 6, 2013

Barenaked Ladies invaded the UB Center for the Arts (Amherst, NY) last night with a vigor and humor that has been a trademark of the band over their 25 year run.  With fourteen shows under my belt, this is the first time I had seen the band since the departure of co-founder Steven Page.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s as if Barenaked Ladies never missed a beat.  Front man Ed Robertson took the lion’s share of vocal duties, as you might expect, but turned over the mic to Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan (aka the tall, skinny red head) and even drummer Tyler Stewart for some great moments throughout the night.

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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