Chicago's Thirty #&!@* Miles Away! - Barenaked in Rosemont, IL (12/31/01)
Jan 02 '02
The Bottom Line A nice way to say good-bye to a very bad year.
"Chicago's thirty #&!@* miles away!" is the line I'll remember most from the Barenaked Ladies' 2001 New Year's Eve show. It was part of their best rap of the night. Unfortunately, the Allstate Arena's acoustics and a pair of drunken concertgoers prevented me from hearing much of what the guys said most of the night. But, I'm going to try to relate an overview of the show from my perspective.
The Allstate Arena, located in Rosemont, IL, is home to the Chicago Wolves hockey team. Basketball is played there, and concerts are held there, too. I've heard bands in all sorts of settings, and I have to declare Allstate Arena the worst venue of all. It seemed that everything that was said and sung bounced off the back of the arena.
I know the words to every BNL song, so I was able to follow along. However, it was difficult to understand a lot of what the guys said in their onstage banter and in their raps. We were seated 5th row center and friends were seated in the lower level about 2 sections from the right side of the stage. One of the first things we all commented on when we hooked up after the show was the poor sound quality. So, I know the problem wasn't just from the drunks sitting next to me. Those two darling boys must've thought their singing was better than BNL's 'cause they subjected us all to their very loud performance in each song. They didn't have any interest in what went on between songs though, so I heard all about their personal lives and how great they were feeling instead of hearing what the band had to say. Luckily, they left before the show ended, so I was able to hear the last couple of songs in peace and also avoid prison because thoughts of strangling at least one of them came to mind.
After experiencing one of the best Barenaked Ladies shows ever (Buffalo, 12/31/99), I've been waiting for a letdown of a show, and I guess this one was it. HOWEVER, I want to be perfectly clear when I say that it was NOT BNL's fault. They were doing what they do best: entertaining their fans. The gods of concerts just weren't watching over us all night.
Steve's voice was strained, and he said he'd do his best. Well, he did better than I would've expected after hearing the difference in his voice. If I didn't know what he usually sounds like, I probably wouldn't have known there was a problem. He belted out all the great classic BNL tunes in fantastic Steve Page fashion. They even did "Break Your Heart", which has to be the most difficult song for him anyway, let alone when his throat is sore. It was funny to watch him prepare for some of the difficult parts of various songs, like the end of "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" when he kicks it into high gear. He'd look at the crowd with an expression on his face as if to say, "I'm going to go for it and we'll see what happens." He didn't disappoint.
It was obvious, however, that everyone was tired. The shows on New Year's Eve always get a late start so the guys can be onstage when the clock strikes midnight. Action Figure Party was the warm-up this night, and they came on around 9:30pm. Jim even sat in with them on a couple of songs in their set. It was well after 10pm when BNL took the stage. And they played until after 12:30am but performed just one song in encore.
After the balloons fell from the ceiling at 12am, and after everyone had popped most of them or batted them onto the stage, the guys started in on "Auld Lang Syne". Ed informed us that they had discovered the lyrics to ALL of the verses, so each guy then sang one verse by himself. It's something we look forward to every New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, this year's was tinged with a bit of regret because the guys had stated that they would be taking some time off. Well, to put it more bluntly, Tyler's verse included a thank you to all the fans, but he also said they were going to take some "mother &*#$! time off!" Kevin's verse was sweet, as always, as he wished that in the new year we could live in peace and no one would have to live in fear. If only...
As Steve noted during the show, the band has been working and touring nearly non-stop since 1995. If they're not in a town near you, that means they're performing somewhere else on the planet. They've given us 2 original albums and a Greatest Hits CD in the last 3 years. They've hit the airwaves via TV shows on all sorts of networks. "Barenaked In America" was made, and they performed in 2 Pay-Per-View events. And, if that's not enough, they have been involved in various side projects, like performing "Little Green Bag" with Tom Jones or making "Green Christmas" for the Grinch movie. Then there are the CD's and performances that Jim has done as part of The Brothers Creeggan and that Kevin has done as Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. And, let's not forget that Kevin was battling leukemia for a couple years, too.
We can all agree they deserve a vacation, but it will be a long year without them.
Barenaked Ladies have given me many years of happiness through their albums and their live shows. Each time a tour ends, I look forward to the announcement of the next one so I can start making plans to catch at least one show. We saw them 3 times in 2001 alone.
Now we can look forward to their next album and the accompanying tour. And I'll be there, whenever & wherever that might be.
Set List (*not* in correct order)
The Old Apartment
Get In Line
Pinch Me
It's All Been Done
Thanks, That Was Fun
Be My Yoko Ono
It's Only Me (The Wizard Of Magic Land)
One Week + Chicken Dance + Big Guys Kissing While Wearing Black-Rimmed Glasses
Lovers In A Dangerous Time
Jim's Solo, including Now I Know My ABC's & If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands
Conventioneers
Falling For The First Time
What A Good Boy
Enid
Too Little Too Late
Break Your Heart
Auld Lang Syne + BNL's Extra Verses
Million Dollars + Medley + Homeboy Dance Routine
Encore:
Brian Wilson
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Epinions.com ID:
shmoopie13
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Member: Leslie
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
Avid fan of hockey and Barenaked Ladies. Postcard collector. Traveler.
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