What the Barenaked Ladies Know
I don’t need to go to concerts much any more. I don’t like waiting in line. I don’t like standing around. My ears hurt if it’s too loud (too much heavy metal as a high school kid). And honestly, I don’t connect the same way with a big concert hall full of people.
But a guy playing guitar in the bathroom? I’m right there with him:
What if YOUR media was that personal?
Thanks to Sandy for turning me on to this song.
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Comments
Fantastic! This reminds me of the first time I met/heard BNL, back in 1991 (pre-”Gordon”, and fame, and fortune) at a seedy little bar in Ottawa. They were ecstatic just to have a gig at that point. I did one of their first TV interviews, which they were also thrilled about.
What impresses me about these guys is that despite their world fame and recognition, they are pretty much the same guys as they were back before they were famous…they haven’t lost touch with their roots and their love of just making music.
They are also brilliant marketers - because you’re damn right, after hearing that song, I’m off to download the album.
Was this before or after his band mate was arrested for coke possession in Syracuse? Sometimes you have to make media like this because this is your only outlet because record companies will no longer touch you.
I got to see BNL exactly once and would give my eyeteeth to see them play again. They’re awesome. Thanks for this, Chris. I hadn’t heard this one yet.
Great post. Love the BNL. Rock Spectacular was particularly amazing as a CD. Every track was A-MAZ-ING
I like the latest videos from Imogean Heap on YouTube. I just wish she would sing a little more–they tend to be talking oriented than musically oriented.
BNL knows exactly how to use media to speak to their hardcore fans, and break new ground with social media. They own all their own masters, so they can do whatever they want with their music - check out their label, Nettwerk, to see a different philosophy on the music biz.
They also host a cruise every year (Ships & Dip), and invite about 20 of their favorite bands to join them onboard, and *that* is a truly amazing fan/fun experience. Their opennness and sense of joy permeates the ship, and they really take the opportunity to listen to what the fans want. There’s always a heart-to-heart session with the band, their label and the fans on the last day onboard, and through the next year, you see some of those things come to fruition. Not many bands read their core market that well.
I got the chance to see BNL this summer, and was impressed with how genuine and funny they are in person. As good as the music was, their banter in between songs was even more entertaining.





Bathrooms tend to have have harder finishes, glossy coverings, and less furnishings than other rooms in a home. This means a nice amount of natural reverberation is possible. You sound a lot more pleasing and smoother as a result.
The same might be said for showers. But, I’m not sure that’s something all YouTube folks could pull off without laptop fatalities.