The Barenaked Ladies played through old classics, shared new hits, and joked around with the crowd during their show at the National Arts Centre’s (NAC) Southam Hall on Nov. 29.
The band was in town for the second-last Canadian date of their Fake Nudes Tour, to promote their 15th studio album, which was released on Nov. 17.
In a previous interview with The Charlatan, keyboardist Kevin Hearn said he wrote more songs for the new album than he had on any other previous Barenaked Ladies record.
“There was a stage of making our records where we sort of show our cards, so to speak, and show what we’ve been working on,” he said. “I just put everything on the table and said, ‘These are all the ideas I have going.’”
Hearn also explained that the title, Fake Nudes, has two meanings: the first being a play on President Donald Trump’s infamous “fake news” catchphrase, the other, a play on their band name.
“We always hear this joke from people: ‘Hey, you guys are called Barenaked Ladies, but you’re not ladies, you’re a bunch of dudes and you’re all wearing clothes,’” Hearn said. “It’s something we always sort of laugh at, but we’ve never really used it for anything until now.”
Before the Barenaked Ladies took to the stage at the NAC, the crowd was treated to a performance by Ron Sexsmith, a three-time Juno Award winner and singer-songwriter. Accompanied only by his guitar and his voice, Sexsmith started off the evening soothingly and peacefully.
Once Sexsmith finished his performance, the Barenaked Ladies began with a very small on-stage set up. With all the members in a straight line, they played a brief acoustic set, featuring new hits such as “Canada Dry,” “Sunshine,” and “The Township of King.”
After taking a quick break offstage, a large curtain was removed, revealing the band’s full set-up. From there, they went back to play more songs from Fake Nudes, as well as some of their classics. Although the crowd was relatively small, compared to the capacity of Southam Hall, loyal fans often got up from their seats to sing and dance to classics, such as “One Week,” “If I Had A Million Dollars” and “Pinch Me.”
The band also made sure to play the theme song they wrote for The Big Bang Theory, arguably their most popular song. They concluded their set with a medley of covers, which included “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, and “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin.
Individual band members took the time to display some of their other talents. Guitarist Ed Robertson spent a lot of time between songs making jokes with the audience and his bandmates. He also occasionally showed his ability to improvise lyrics and freestyle rap.
Bassist Jim Creeggan got an unusual request from a couple, who had printed a large banner asking him to come to their wedding next spring. Creeggan acknowledged their request and said that he would look at his calendar, but that was where he left it.
Overall, the band put on a fantastic show. Even if you are not one of the band’s long-time loyal fans, you probably still would have enjoyed the show for both their music and humour.
Even after all the changes they have gone through, the Barenaked Ladies still know how put on a great performance, engage fans and have a good time doing what they do.
