After watching Borat! and undergoing physical therapy Monday afternoon, the Tank was faced with a choice on Monday evening, watch the Barnaked Ladies (BNL) concert or watch the Bricks face the San Antonio Spurs. The choice was not difficult as I have dozens of opportunities to watch the Bricks lose this season or watch BNL who I have never seen before live. I wanted to see BNL with Alanis Morissette last year but had to work and/or I was angry that she was selling her album exclusively at Starbucks.
I got into BNL in college as they are I like their melodic, poppy, quirky, geeky, and solid up tempo lyricists. They can sing / kind of rap but are closer to a Generation X's successor to "Blondie". I also like BNL as their lyrics remind me of Weird Al Yankovic's parodies.
BNL performed Monday night at Radio City Music Hall. I scalped a cheap ticket and am on the main orchestra floor. Thank God! I can walk up stairs but have a hard time walking downstairs because my legs feel like lead from lactic acid.
Radio City is a great place to catch a concert because it is made for concerts, not sporting events, and even better after they improved the sound system a few years ago around the time my Twin Gil and I saw the Gipsy Kings who are playing Radio City again on February 24, 2007. (The Tank is considering going.) Radio City is also decked out in Holiday decorations. It's almost 2007. Whoa! Where did 2006 go?
Before the concert began, BNL posted informative environmental messages on Radio City's great screens. BNL uses soy based biodiesel. The Tank is psyched that BNL is part of the environmental solution. Go BNL!
Since my legs were full of lactic acid and my right knee was still injured, I had to limit my dancing but was still able to share my gifted musical voice and air guitar with my fellow concert goers. It was a great crowd. The couples in front of me were literally dancing in the aisle and twirling each other around like "Dancing with the Stars". My row of total strangers but fast friends got into it as well. There was unfortunately a dud married couple, especially a guy near me. I felt like telling him, "Dude, I know this concert isn't your cup of tea. It's not a Megadeth concert, but make the best of it and enjoy the show. You spent all this money to take your wife out. BTW, your wife is kind of hot. Do you mind if I make out with her because you're just sitting there?" As tempted as the Tank was "to make Sexy Time" (to quote Borat!) with the "Desperate Housewife", the Tank stayed a gentleman and quickly went back to focusing on the concert.
I knew the hit songs but not the new stuff yet. I knew the "Old Apartment" on the the first note and about five seconds before everyone else. In addition to their new and hit songs, they did some nice covers like Van Morrison's "Moondance". Ed played a few notes from the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan and Steve Vai to the tune of Van Halen's "Running with the D*vil". They even picked on David Gray. They are all very musically talented (rare in today's musicfacturing environment), especially the mandolin and accordion player. Boo yeah!
They explained the insanity signal of putting your index finger in the air to the tune of whatever music you're listening to. I'll use it at work instead of flying the bird. This is important because I'll hopefully get my Holiday bonus on Wednesday, November 22, touch wood.
Being clever like they are, the incorporate poly unsaturated fats and Avenue of America(s) into "If I Had $1000000". They encouraged everyone to vote.
The only down part of the night was I bought a live download for $14 and didn't want to wait the 25 minutes after the show to get the USB for $25. The download didn't work but I haven't had a chance to call customer service.
As for the Bricks, they lost to the Spurs 105-93.
All in all, I had a great time and know I made the right choice by going to the BNL concert.
Posted by the Tank live from the BNL Concert at Radio City Music Hall in NY.