July 23, 2023

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If I had a million dollars...I would hire the Barenaked Ladies to play in my back yard at least once a year! There is only one word to describe a BNL cncert, and that is FUN! Everyone in the audience, everyone in the band, even everyone working that night was having fun! The energy on stage was reflected throughout the pavillion as people danced, smiled, and sang along with the group! BNL started the evening with “Matter of Time,” “It’s All Been Done,” and, “The Old Apartment.” They played and sang a rap/band introduction that was personalized to Cuyahoga Falls. The lyrics were quite clever, and ended with a little Taylor Swift cover of, “Shake It Off.”

The night was filled with great music, as well as great ad-libbed stores. Everything from spending the night in Cleveland the night before, at the Hyatt Arcade. Ed Robertson, the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band, could not believe the unusual size of the shower in his room. The water wouldn't drain properly, and he was so intrigued that he snapped a picture of it and sent it to his tour manager and bandmates. The manager replied that Ed's room was different, and it had a handicap shower. The manager also replied that Ed should look at the photo he sent, and that his reflection in the bathroom mirror was quite interesting! He also stated that the photo could be used on the new, upcoming album...and it could be called "Full Frontal!" Other stories about CBGB's, the
architecture in Cleveland, great cofee shops, and the newly released Barbie Movie, were fun to listen to.

Ed, Jim Creegan, Tyler Stewart, and Kevin Hearn played all the hits any BNL fan would expect. "Lookin' Up," "Big Back Yard," "Pinch Me." "The Big Bang Theme," and "Brian Wilson" all sounded amazing. We even heard "When I Fall" dedicated to the young man who requested it from the front row. The new song, "Loving Life" is a great song with a fantastic, catchy chorus. It is supposed to be included on the new album being released this September. “One Week,” is one of those special songs that once you hear it, you try to sing along. The band put all of the words on the screen behind them to help us, and the band hit every word without the use of teleprompters!

 

“If I Had $1,000,000,” followed, and the entire crowd was on it's feet! The band ended the night with an incredible medley of covers that included, “If You Could Read My Mind,” by Gordon Lightfoot, Miley Cyrus’, “Flowers,” “As It Was,” by Harry Styles that led nicely into a-ha’s, “Take on Me,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and, “So Long, Farewell,” from The Sound of Music, and rounded out with, “Rock of Ages,” by Def Leppard! The night ended on a high
note with a cover of Steve Miller’s “Jet Airliner!”

Opening the show was Del Amitri, a band from Scotland, formed in the 1980's. The crowd's biggest response came when they played their top 10 hit from 1995, "Roll To Me."

 

Up next was the the band Five For Fighting. The crowd had grown and they were much better received. John Ondrasik's hit the song's you would expect. "Can One Man Save The World," "Superman," and "100 Years" were all played with expertise. Ondrasik ended his set with a sing-a-long version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

 

Again, it was a perfect night of FUN!

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Review and photos by Dave Whitman

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