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With its infectious pop hooks, the wit and humor of its lyrics and an obvious crowd-pleasing mentality, Barenaked Ladies is a band that defies easy categorization...
But after watching the band show Tuesday before 3,000 folks at Nautica Stage, its spiritual soulmate may be the Grateful Dead.
A Barenaked Ladies show never will feature a 10-minute drum solo or be mistaken for a Dead show, but the Canadian quintet has the same knack for creating an anything-can-happen atmosphere that breeds a fanatical, cultish following...
Page and Robertson's ability to find humor and inspiration in the crowd, their surroundings and their everyday lives (Robertson's eye infection inspired cracks and one-liners throughout the night) makes each Barenaked Ladies show a unique experience. Barenaked Ladies played about 22 songsin just under two hours, playing more than half of its new disc, "Born On A Pirate Ship", as well as songs from its first two releases.
The band effortlessly shifted from slower, more introspective songs like "When I Fall" to uptempo crowd pleasers like "Alternative Girlfriend." In addition to "When I Fall," "This Is Where It Ends" and "Shoe Box" stood out among the new tunes. The Ladies--Page, Robertson, Tyler Stewart, Jim Creeggan and Kevin Hearn -- also included snippets of everything from LL Cool J's "Going Back to Call" to fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know." A more faithful and full-length cover song was a stunning acoustic rendition of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Danger Time."