My Ode To The Barenaked Ladies

Sunday, Jeremy and I pretended to be real adults and went to a concert. An awesome 4 hour concert at an outdoor venue I had never been to. We were smart to get there early and score not only lawn chairs (cause you couldn't bring your own) and also killer seats.

The concert was Cracker, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Blues Traveler, and Barenaked Ladies. That's just such an awesome lineup and I have to thank the amazing Erin who got me the tickets as a birthday present. I couldn't think of anything more perfect.

See the excitement in my face? That's because I really and truly love the Barenaked Ladies. Like with all my plus sized heart. 

I realize that not everyone may be familiar with their music which I find terribly sad, so it's really my duty to share it here. It's interesting because the concert was a 20 year celebration for a local radion station and BNL said this summer was also the 20 year anniversary of their first big album.

So these guys have been around a while. They're no flash in the pan kind of band. They are Canadian Gods of rock....or something.

People who don't know there music will still most certainly know them as the singers for the theme-song to The Big Bang Theory. If you don't know Barenaked Ladies OR The Big Bang Theory, I feel sorry for your quality of life.

Just for your listening pleasure here is my BNL top 5.

5) A few years ago BNL released a kid's album called 'snacktime'. It's my favorite kids album we have because it's fun for adults to listen to as well. (in general I don't even believe in the idea of 'kids music' but you know what I mean). At the concert they said they were going to play '7 ate 9' from their kids album and I got super excited. Apparently our neighbors didn't have kids cause they seemed oblivious. THIS song is one of the best kid's songs in the world, about the life cycle of tadpoles:


4) One thing I've always loved is the creativity of their lyrics. Listening to the music is fun, but listening to the lyrics can sometimes be even better:


3) Following the same theme as #4, I've always loved the lyrics to this song. For reference, Brian Wilson was one of the beach boys who is known for a history of mental illness and being compulsive. This song uses the comparison to feeling crazy, losing your impulse control or feeling 'Brian Wilson Dead'. Or maybe I'm overthinking it and it's a reference to drug use. Who knows. Sure is catchy though, for a song about being insane.


2) It's no secret that I love Christmas music. Like more than the average person. The BNL/Sara McLachlin version of this songs makes my list of the top 5 Christmas songs ever. It makes my holiday season every year when I hear it pumping through our decorated house (and their whole Christmas Album really.). This is a piece of heaven:


1) Sheesh. I just love this song. I love the rhythm of it, I love the lyrics. I love the idea of looking back fondly on a terrible time in your life, and actually missing it a little bit even though you are happier now (pay attention to the words at the bridge!)  I love the idea of finding a place has changed from your memory of it, and even though it's better now it's still not right because it's not the way you left it. I love that he uses the word 'tableaux'.