Barenaked
Ladies 620 N. Route 31, Suite C Crystal Lake,
Illinois 60012
| Taking
their name from a childhood slang term for a naked woman, the Barenaked Ladies
are, in fact, five strapping lads from Scarborough, near Toronto, Canada. They
were formed in 1988 by songwriters Steven Page
and Ed Robertson while they were students. Brothers Jim Creeggan and Andrew Creeggan
and Tyler Stewart were soon added to the line-up. The band set off on an intensive
series of club dates; word of their prowess soon spread and their first release,
a five-song EP, proved a big hit. Their debut album, Gordon, subsequently sold
more than half a million copies in their native Canada, outselling acts such as
U2 and Michael Jackson. Their melodic pop, with its strong harmonies and string-driven
acoustics, has led to them being unfairly dubbed the Fat Canadian Housemartins.
Despite their undeniable debt to the British band, the Barenaked Ladies - who
cite the Beach Boys and the Proclaimers among their influences - have carved out
a distinctive sound.
Songs such as "Be My Yoko Ono" and "If
I Had A Million Dollars' are particular crowd favorites. Live, their self-deprecating
humor, catchy songs and high energy make for a thoroughly entertaining show, captured
on 1996"s Rock Spectacle. They bounced back into the commercial spotlight
in 1998 when Stunt entered the US charts at number 3 in July, and continued generating
huge sales on the back of October's infuriatingly catchy chart-topper, "One
Week". The follow-up Maroon attempted, with mixed results, to add a touch
of levity to Page and Robertson's songwriting formula. Need
tickets to see Barenaked
Ladies? Click
here
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