Browsing Tag

Barenaked Ladies

Concert Review: Chantal Kreviazuk

The setlist at Chantal Kreviazuk’s show Friday night at Centennial Hall made it seem like fans were privy to a unique live performance of soundtracks from popular films of the 90s and early 2000s. When she wooed everyone by playing popular hits like “Time,” this brought back memories of watching MuchMoreMusic before the channel’s re-branding, not to mention climactic melodramatic scenes from Dawson’s Creek.

Her career may have peaked in the 90s, but Kreviazuk’s commentary between songs was definitely timely for a concert in 2012. While introducing “Feels Like Home,” she shared that many couples gush about it being their wedding song, and then emphasized how divorces and multiple marriages have changed how people feel about it. Her anecdotes can be summarized by the themes of remarriage, rowdiness and rock stars’ lifestyles. Evidently an Apple customer, Kreviazuk also spoke about how much she loves FaceTime, especially when either she or her husband, Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, are touring.

Early on, Kreviazuk made self-deprecating remarks about forgetting lyrics 12 times, joking that she needed a teleprompter, even though such errors weren’t noticeable. What was more frustrating, however, was how Kreviazuk repeatedly faced the orchestra rather than the paying ticketholders. Although she was understandably impressed by the orchestra’s seamless collaboration, it would have been nice to see more of her facial expressions while singing emotionally-driven lyrics, no matter how “honoured” she was to play with them. Apparently she assumed everyone was a major Orchestra London supporter, but the weak applause when she acknowledged them indicated otherwise.

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Concert Review: The Barenaked Ladies

Not a million-dollar performance

According to an Orchestra London poster, the Barenaked Ladies’ show at Centennial Hall on Friday night was supposed to be the “hottest ticket in London,” but the famous foursome didn’t entirely live up to such high expectations.

Beginning the show with hits including “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” and “Another Postcard,” the band garnered the most excitement when they played “Big Bang Theory Theme,” which they made for CBS’ sitcom. Other songs performed on Friday included “Pinch Me” and “One Week,” until they closed with “If I Had $1,000,000,” the latter of which featured an excellent violin solo from an orchestra member.

When forty-something lead singer Ed Robertson joked about his old age, this fazed neither the middle-aged couples cozy in the balcony’s plush seats, nor the other patrons enjoying pitchers of beer while sitting around tables in the mezzanine. The band joked about the unusual seating arrangement by announcing “the next number is B9,” as if they were bingo callers.

Among the many jokes cracked throughout was Ed’s suggestion that they pass around a wireless microphone to each member of the orchestra, so they can say what an honour it is to play with the Barenaked Ladies. Albeit a poor testament to the band’s comedic expertise, the crowd seemed amused.

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Ted Finally Reunited with the Slutty Pumpkin, Eh?

“The Slutty Pumpkin Returns” — Ted (Josh Radnor) and Naomi (Katie Holmes) revisit the rooftop Halloween party where they first met on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, Monday, Oct. 31 (8:00 – 8:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS © 2011 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

After hearing great hype about tonight’s How I Met Your Mother episode, I was curious what sorts of hilarity the show would entail. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of Canadian humour, though I didn’t quite understand why Robyn chose to dress up as a hockey player from Vancouver of all places, but maybe that’s just due to my lack of NHL knowledge. Speaking of comparisons between the States and Canada, I wonder if Dunkin Donuts in the States sells as many pumpkin flavoured treats as Tim Horton’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Katie Holmes’ Slutty Pumpkin character knew Barenaked Ladies’ songs by heart, especially because it served as a throwback to a time when Steven Page was still with the band. Though I consider myself a loyal fan of Dawson’s Creek, I much preferred Britney Spears and Rachel Bilson’s guest appearances on HIMYM to Katie Holmes’ stint tonight.

As I watched Ted and his friends at the rooftop party, I noticed that there were far too many store bought packaged costumes that exhibited far too little creativity for a show that’s known for its original concepts like “pregnancy brain” and the “hot-crazy scale.” Barney made an amusing entrance as per usual and it was nice to see a change in his wardrobe this season from the yellow duck tie he’s been sporting since September.

I’m looking forward to seeing what other terms CBS will introduce to our lingo this season. In the meantime, whether you’re tricking friends, enjoying treats or merely tweeting, Happy Halloween!