Barenaked Ladies Rock the Palace

Last night, I journeyed out into the frozen tundra (btw, if this is what December looks like, our winter is so screwed) to see the Barenaked Ladies perform a holiday show at Cleveland’s Palace Theatre (which is part of Playhouse Square – one of the country’s largest entertainment complexes). Sure, they’re a rock band, but there were plenty of mandolin and banjo solos – not to mention accordions, an underrated folk instrument if I ever saw one. The Barenaked Ladies are one of those bands that really shine when they are live on stage. They write great songs with good hooks and clever lyrics, so the albums are swell. But, in concert, they somehow bond with the audience. Maybe, having two lead singers (Steven Page and Ed Robertson) tempers the ego quotient a tiny bit. This show had a holiday theme, so as Folk Alley’s resident Christmas music screener, off I went. BNL is now selling digital downloads of all of their live shows, so you can actually enjoy the same show I did last night. Click to read my full review (and of my adoration for Kevin Hearn).