Barenaked Ladies hit the town

Anyone who has ever bashed Canada clearly hasn’t heard the Barenaked Ladies, an upbeat Canadian pop group. Since forming in Toronto in 1988, the group has sold 10 million records worldwide and has released eight albums along with a “best hits” album. The Barenaked Ladies has drawn in younger generations with hits like “One Week,” and “Pinch Me.” Their most recent release, “Everything to Everyone,” continues the band’s tradition of combining wit, humor and simple riffs to create feel-good, catchy songs. The Barenaked Ladies will have you laughing out loud with their hilarious, random lyrics, like “someone is sending me stationary filled with chimpanzees,” from “Another Postcard,” and “I just made you say underwear,” from “Pinch Me.”The band’s positive energy and laid-back style evident in their albums extends to their live performances. Their trademarks include crowd interaction and bits of stand-up. The Barenaked Ladies have been known to poll the audience and take suggestions on what to play or make up songs on the spot.In addition to their unusual performance style, their recording sessions are unorthodox, to say the least. During the recording of their album “Gordon,” a producer recommended that the group jam naked to loosen their nerves. Since then, the band has recorded one song on every album naked, including songs “Sign Me Up” and “Everything to Everyone.” Luckily for anyone who lives in Rochester, the Barenaked Ladies are coming to our very own Blue Cross Arena on Wednesday, March 3. If you have not gotten tickets yet, you can find them through Ticket Master for $40. The event is being sponsored by WBER.And remember the next time you partake in some Canada bashing, remember to think of our good friends, the Barenaked Ladies. The Barenaked Ladies are one prime – and possibly only – example of why the Canadians don’t really suck as much as you may think they do. Keller can be reached at rkeller@campustimes.org.