8/7/10 Barenaked Ladies, Ben Kweller, Angel Taylor in Boston, MA

On Saturday August 7, 2010, I had the privilege of seeing my favorite band in concert. This was my 31st Barenaked Ladies concert, my 2nd Ben Kweller concert, and my first time seeing Angel Taylor. I went with my two younger siblings Seth and Carissa. I made Seth drive!

Before the show
The three of us left Central Massachusetts around 4:30 pm. I bought myself an iced coffee, and we ate lunch at b.good on Newbury St. I like their fast food better than at Five Guys. I guess I’ve eaten a lot of burgers and fries in the past three days.

Here’s proof that I bought an iced coffee. I’m also wearing some of my favorite clothes! I don’t really wear glasses, and those don’t carry a prescription and I also don’t think they’re mine. Someone gave them to me at some party some night and I figured it would be some fun to wear them sometime.

My brother Seth LOVES! to eat. That’s my orange soda you see though.

Angel Taylor
I sat down and listened to her set. Mostly I remember that she covered “Creep” by Radiohead. I had mixed feelings about it, and then mixed feelings about said mixed feelings. I’m a big Radiohead fan, and I’m frequently parading how great Pablo Honey is, and, specifically, “Creep.” But for some reason, when she announced that she was going to play a Radiohead song and then it turned out to be “Creep,” the snob in me just felt annoyed and pretentious, like, Of course it’d be “Creep.” For some reason the song that keeps coming to my head that I wanted her to cover instead is “Electioneering.” I’m not really sure why!

She’s a very strong singer, and she had really solid musicians backing her up. I’d never heard of her before seeing her tonight. At one point Carissa said, “I think she’s from American Idol,” but I looked that up and I’m not sure if that’s true. I also had to look up what order her name went in, since “Taylor Angel” felt equally possible to me.

Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller’s set really rocked. I think it’s unfortunate that I was like, the only person dancing around during his set. Sometimes I like to dance and rock out at concerts, and sometimes I like to just stand back and watch everything. Last night I felt like rocking out. I’m sure I look really ridiculous jumping up and down and oh man what do I do with my arms? But I don’t really care because I’m happy to just have a good time. I think some people got a kick out of my enthusiasm Sometimes I feel a little bad dancing when everyone is sitting, but I don’t think I should. I think if I felt like sitting down chilling and someone in front of me was bopping around and maybe obstructing my view, I’d take more joy from their happiness than I would from having the better view.

I was glad to hear “On My Way” and also “The Rules.” I’ve been listening to Ben Kweller for a long time, but most heavily before his third album came out, so I know Sha Sha and On My Way the best. Still, I made sure to go through Charging Horses before the show, and so I was pretty familiar with everything he played. The new track that stands out to me the most is “Wantin’ Her Again.”

I think we should all take some time to listen to BK, and then thank him for filling that hole where I want to put a blend of rock, blues, and country, with sliding guitars, walking bass lines, howls and growls, and someone who has done an acoustic cover of “Ice Ice Baby” (actually rendered “BK Baby”).

Ben Kweller Meet & Greet
The Ben Kweller meet was poorly organized and operated in my opinion. At the end of his set, he announced that he’d be heading to the merch table if anyone wanted to say hi. Since the concert had assigned seating, I figured why not, I’ll go stand in line until BNL starts up and maybe I’ll get to talk to him. So we all went to wait in line. It wasn’t too long, and we were getting to the front. Then some woman (who I’m guessing works for the venue) came down the line and asked everyone if they had merchandise for Ben Kweller to sign. She brought every person with a CD or T-shirt ahead of anyone not seeking an autograph. To me, it was a really crappy move. I’ve been listening to Ben Kweller since before I went to high school, and I’ve bought a bunch of his CDs, and this was my second live BK experience. I’m not going to buy music I already own or spend $30 on a t-shirt I don’t really want just so I can keep my place in line.

I just really resent being treated like a “second-class fan” because I didn’t want him to sign anything. In general I don’t really care a lot about autographs. And frequently I pass up opportunities to meet artists because I get really shy. But I’m trying to get over that, and I had a lot of energy from enjoying his set, and he seemed happy about inviting people to come talk to him, and plus my recent experiences with Kevin Devine have me used to artists being really accessible at their merchandise tables. And this wasn’t an official signing, nor was it introduced as such, and so I don’t think I should have been made to feel out of place by not having a CD in my hand.

Me, Ben Kweller, Carissa. I think this is a bad photo but whatever.

Eventually I got to the front of the line (I was going to just leave but my sister really wanted a picture) but I still felt pretty down from being treated so poorly and abruptly by the venue workers. And Kweller himself seemed to be in a rush, which plain just made me feel insecure. He was really nice, and even came by after to take a second picture in case the first one didn’t come out right, but still there was an air of…hey man this is cool but really I just want to get out of here.

I think Ben Kweller’s a great musician, performer, and I’m sure he’s also a really nice guy. Maybe he had something to do or stuff on his mind, but I’d rather have an artist who’s unavailable to fans than one who you can tell is in a rush. He was really nice to take a picture with me and Carissa, but for me that was just a plus, and I really just wanted to say, Hi Ben. I think you’re awesome. Thank you so much. I think I got some of that across, but I wish I hadn’t felt like I had to blurt it out stupidly or lose my chance completely.

Barenaked Ladies
I’m going to copy the setlist from the night, and try to address key moments sequentially. I’m embedding some videos from YouTube, which were taken by other awesome fans.

Who Needs Sleep?
I LOVE this song, and lately I’ve been on a 2nd-half-of-Stunt kick. I have one really happy memory of seeing them do this song in Portland, ME a few years back, and I frequently listen to a live recording of it. Ed’s live vocal performance on this song really blows me away, it’s got this buzz and power that makes the studio recording sound dull, even though the studio recording of this song is totally awesome. I missed the flute part, but let’s talk about that later.

The Old Apartment
Alright, I’m not a huge fan of this song. This was the first instance in the evening of experiencing delayed audience reaction: it’s clear to me by Tyler’s drumbeat that they’re doing OA next, but most people don’t realize that until they hear the first two big hits on guitar. Of course, I could have very well known it was coming by memorizing their current set-list formula, but I tried not to do that for this tour. Besides that, I used to be able to guess exactly what they were going to play based on the guitar (and sometimes keys, banjo, mandolin) set-up. I’m a little rusty nowadays, and obviously many things have changed now that Steve’s not in the band. Even so, I can remember that Ed rarely uses his Strat, and “Old Apartment” is one of those rare occasions.

The reason this might be my least favorite BNL song is it just sounds a little cloudy to me, whatever that means. I think it’s just hearing it so many times, and also my opinion that “Shoe Box” would’ve been a better choice for Rock Spectacle over this song. This did rock though, and Ed really comes through the lead vocal part with a lot of power. Tyler’s another member who really comes through in this song. Since Ed’s on lead, he can no longer do that really low harmony he likes to do in this song. But Tyler came through, and nailed them perfectly.

I love an acoustic version I have of this song best, and I hope that one tour they’ll do this song as an acoustic number.

Falling for the First Time
What’s one of the best things about this song in my opinion? Acoustic rhythm guitar. I think acoustic rhythm guitar and good harmony are the two biggest things missing from a lot of music. Sometimes it sounds okay, but a single thread of melody over a flood of electric guitar just gives me a headache. BNL is the only band I’ve heard that nails everything. There aren’t any empty corners or pockets in their songs that shouldn’t be there.

Every Subway Car
Hey this is the single right now I guess.

Light Up My Room
This song is a long-time favorite that everyone knows is beautiful, I think.

Easy

How Long
I feel like the set this summer doesn’t focus as much on the new album as much as it tries to sweep the catalog. I was hoping to hear more tracks off of AIGT, but I’m glad we got at least one of the really rockin’ ones. This song makes me want to get a megaphone and go to a really crowded place and scream, “SO GIVE IT UP FOR ANGER.”

Another Heartbreak
I was really happy to hear this song. I really think this track is gorgeous. This song reminds me that you can’t really quantify how good something is—as in, it’d be very easy for me to pick apart tiny things and say, “Man, heartbreak/heartache is a pretty cheap rhyme.” But just because something is easy to criticize doesn’t mean it’s worth criticizing, because I think the simplicity of the chorus is a perfect representation of the song. Good songs are like fractals. This track is a sweet, beautiful gesture from a guy who’s just trying to do his best, to not hide anything, to just be himself, and the simple chorus achieves that spirit with ease.

Pollywog In A Bog
Oh! my! god! During “Another Heartbreak” I think I sort of mellowed out my dancing, and this song brought all the energy back for me. At first, I was expecting “I Saw It” and then bam, that bass line. The bass line to this song is so great and distinctive that I’m sure most people can tell you what the starting pitch is if you just ran down the low notes on a piano. During the bridge I calmed down, stopped jumping and stuff, because I remembered Steve’s harmonies. I think the singing in “Pollywog” is some of the best the band has done, and the harmony on the bridge is some of my favorite harmony in music. The other guys were able to fill in all the notes

Sound Of Your Voice
So this is the spot in the show where we get a special acoustic rendition of a song. Kevin reclaims the lead vocals on this track, and instead of playing piano last night, he accompanied the band with a beautiful showing of arpeggios on acoustic guitar. The other three guys stood side by side around one microphone, snapping their fingers and adding backup harmonies, doo-wap style. My favorite part was when they sang what is usually a piano solo. I think right before this song they discussed Kevin’s experience at a barber shop, and this is the kind of thing that would fit in nicely outside of a barber shop, sometime in the 1950s or so. Here’s yet another performance that separates Barenaked Ladies from many musicians…quality entertainment, clear talent, and vivid reinvention.

It’s All Been Done

Too Little Too Late
Two big Steve tracks back-to-back. Ed does a really good job singing these, like he does with every song, and like you would expect him to. Still, I can’t help but miss Steven Page. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I took a lot of silent moments last night to remember previous BNL shows, to imagine a ghost of Steve jumping around on the stage and clapping, especially during TLTL. I feel this is better than straight-out ignoring his absence and telling myself that it’s just a different band, a different thing. I miss Steve, but the guys don’t sound empty without him. Or rather: I miss Steve, and the guys sound like a full band without him. You know? If I lost touch with a person I really loved and cared about, I would miss them terribly, and I would still love my other friends and family members. No contradiction there, and that’s a really important thing for me to realize.

Let There Be Light
This was a fan request, and I’m really glad it was filled. This is one of my favorite Kevin songs, and I think it’s a great bonus track on All In Good Time. This song is catchy, and tells a story. And if you’ve been having a bad decade, this could be the story for you.

They shared banter and stories with us throughout the night.

You Run Away
Simply put, I think “You Run Away” is beautiful. What can I say? I’ve loved this song since the day I first heard it. To me, this song is flawless. This song makes me fall in love with music all over again, and reminds me why I love BNL so much: beautiful melodies; heartfelt lyrics; thoughtful and precise harmony, instrumentation, and layering; and spot-on story-telling. I’m reminded that being a BNL fan is something I am every day, and not something I became once and just kept at because it’s all I know. This song gives me faith. This song tells a story I’m not part of, but a story which describes a little pocket of my life perfectly.

The most common negative thought I’ve heard of this song is many fans think it’s inappropriate and too obviously bashing Steven Page. I don’t see any bashing here, and nothing is too obvious. Whatever happened between Steven Page and the other guys will fade, seem less important and less tense in time. People will fight with fire in their eyes, but before long they’ll look at each other again and not be sure what the big deal was. I don’t hear anything in this song about one person being right and another being wrong. I hear a story of friendship, from one soul to another, and I simply hear a speaker wishing he could be there for his friend, and not knowing how. The harsh realization that it’s not you, it’s nothing you can do or change, and you’re just not what your friend needs at this point in time.

Musically, this song tugs me in and doesn’t let go. The layered vocal parts at the end bring me back to BLAM‘s “Maybe You’re Right” and I think it’s just as brilliant an idea here as it was there.

I approve of this song as a single more than any other track they’ve chosen for that role. Last night’s performance of this song delivered everything and left nothing to be desired, and I look forward to hearing this song at many shows in the future.

Four Seconds
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this song. The consensus I’ve gathered is that people think this song totally mother-fuckin’ rocks. I can see where they’re coming from, but at the same time I feel like I’d rather have heard this kind of thing on Snacktime! and not on a proper record. It makes me laugh, it does rock, it’s clever and great. It highlights a part of BNL that I both love and resent: I love it for what it is, and resent it for what too many people perceive it to be. I’ve spent a lot of time defending them as a “real” band or a “serious” band, because a lot of people who don’t really know their music get caught up in their silly image and write them off as a novelty act. THIS ANGERS ME MORE THAN ANYTHING ALMOST.

Big Bang Theory
“This song is from…television.”

Frequently when I listen to music, songs come on and I am like, “MAN, I really need to cover this.” Tonight this was the #1 song I wanted to cover. This song is reminiscent of “Ballad of Gordon,” which I’ve always thought was the catchiest song I’ve ever heard.

One Week
I think last night I enjoyed this song more than I usually do. I was able to give up on the image of it and just enjoy that it’s a great song that’s really fun to dance to.

Pinch Me
What’s most memorable about this song was someone threw Superman briefs to the stage, and Kevin sported them for the rest of the night. Kevin’s a little nicer here than Steve has been in the past, and kindly says, “Ed exists,” after the line, “It’s hard to tell if I exist.”

True story.

Million Dollars
At this moment in the set, I usually zone out a bit. For a long time I’ve wished that the band would retire IIHAMD but I’m sure that won’t happen anytime soon. I think they like stuffed monkeys getting thrown on stage far too much to ever do that. This is a fun live song, but having heard it at almost every one of their concerts, I’d usually just rather hear something else, especially since this takes so long to play, what with all the banter and so on.

After this, Kevin went into “Magic” by Pilot, and Ed started rapping. He rapped, Thank you for coming to see us tonight / we’re Barenaked Ladies, did we do alright? Then the crowd exploded, and Ed started beat-boxing. I’m glad they’ve revived the rapping at the end of the show. The only thing is, I’ll have to start listening to more radio music so I actually recognize most of the songs. I think we heard some Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry, at least.

Alcohol
Tyler sang this! I’m sure this was a mutually beneficial exchange between Ty and Ed, as Tyler got to sing and dance around, and Ed got to rock out on the drums. Once, on a Ships & Dip cruise, my younger sister was interviewed and she was asked, “Who is your favorite band member?” And she said, “I don’t know, but I don’t like Tyler.” I think what she really meant was, “Tyler is my favorite and I think he’s goddamn hilarious,” because that seems to more accurately reflect Carissa’s views on Tyler. This song was a lot of fun, and everything Tyler lacks as a lead-singer, he makes up for in energy in charisma, easily. Since Ed was on drums, Kevin had to cover the guitar part, and so the piano in this track was greatly missed (‘specially the solo) but I think that’s the only thing I regret about this performance.

Tyler Stewart calls alcohol the “next substance.”

Brian Wilson
Ed does a good job singing lead here and I really appreciate it.

After this song, walking out of the venue, someone came up to me and said, “You’re a really good dancer,” and that made me feel good about myself.

Overall, I am filled mostly with gratitude. Last night I was trying to think about what music really does for me. And a sentiment I’ve heard from many people is that music offers an escape: a tunnel through which you can forget all that tedious stuff in your life and just enjoy something. But I realized that, for me, music—and books, movies, comics, art in general—isn’t about forgetting. I don’t want to think of my life as something that needs to be escaped or forgotten. I’m happier to think that truly enjoying something is about remembering. That high, that happy concert buzz I feel, that’s not a feeling I want to have to escape my life to experience. When I feel that charged and energetic, I’m remembering how I would like to always feel, and the music is just a reminder, a little push in the right direction.

Every day is another step in a journey to hang onto all those feelings, to do a better job at it, to let the joy I feel move through me and leak—no, flood—into every part of my life. To be happy and friendly, and slow to anger. So, mostly, I would like to express thanks toward every musician last night, who pushed me to remember something that I too frequently forget, and who have renewed me with the hope that, one day, I may be able to do a better job of remembering it every day, without so much prompting.

I truly loved the concert last night, and like always, the experience makes me want to go to more shows. I’d really like to attend S&D 4 next February, but I’m currently not booked because I’m not sure how possible that will be for me, both financially and academically. I am happy with the experience I’ve had, though.

What did I buy?
After the show, I bought an awesome baby blue wife-beater tank.

I figured I needed this shirt, because wearing it will provide a great opportunity for me to display my jacked rock-climbing arms.

To hear a recording of this show, check out this thread on barenaked.net (the best fan forum to exist ever).