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Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian
rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two gui ...
formed in 1988 in
Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough (; 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, Roug ...
. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached mainstream success in Canada when their debut with Reprise Records, '' Gordon'', featuring the singles "
If I Had $1000000 "If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album '' Gordon''. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a l ...
" and "
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...
", was released in 1992. The band's popularity subsequently spread into the US, beginning with versions of "Brian Wilson" and "
The Old Apartment "The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and first Mainstream Top 40 hit, appearing on the albums '' Born on a Pirate Ship'', ''Rock Specta ...
" off their 1996 live album ''
Rock Spectacle ''Rock Spectacle'' is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." T ...
'', followed by their fourth studio album ''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...
'', their breakout success in 1998. The album featured their highest-charting hit, " One Week", as well as "
It's All Been Done "It's All Been Done" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their 1998 album, ''Stunt''. The song was successful in Canada, peaking at 1 on the '' RPM'' Top Singles chart and be ...
" and "
Call and Answer "Call and Answer" is a song by the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies. It was the third single from their highly successful 1998 album ''Stunt'' (the song "Alcohol" had been previously released to radio stations, but was not sold commercially as a ...
". Their fifth album, ''
Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are vari ...
'', featuring the lead single "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their 2000 album, ''Maroon'', on August 1, 2000. The song became the band's final top-forty hit in the United States, peaking at number 15 on th ...
", also charted highly. In the 2010s the band became well-known for creating the theme song for the sitcom ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
''. Initially a duo of
Ed Robertson Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page's ...
and
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in Februar ...
, the band quickly grew to a quintet adding brothers Jim and
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a former member of the Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three albums. Career Barenaked Ladi ...
and
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Role in Barenaked Ladies Stewart met Steven Page, Ed Robertson, and Jim Creeggan at the Waterloo Busker Carnival in Waterloo, Ontario, ...
by 1990. Andy Creeggan left the band in 1995 and was replaced by
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics. Early life Hearn ...
. Page left in 2009, reducing the group to a quartet. The band's style has evolved throughout their career, and their music, which began as exclusively acoustic, quickly grew to encompass a mixture of pop, rock, hip hop, rap, etc. The band's live performances feature comedic banter and free-style rapping between songs. They have won multiple
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...
s and have been nominated for two
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
. The group has sold over 15 million albums and singles and were inducted into the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to honour Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The award presentation is held each year as part of the ...
in March 2018.


History


Indie origins (1988–1991)

Barenaked Ladies began as the duo of Ed Robertson and Steven Page. The two went to school together since Robertson was in grade four (Page was a grade ahead) at Churchill Heights Public School but were not friends until they met each other at a
Harvey's Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province except British Columbia. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. The ch ...
restaurant after a
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
concert. Each was pleased to find that the other liked Gabriel; they began talking and found they had many of the same tastes. The two became friends and bonded further when they were both counsellors at Interprovincial Music Camp located in
McKellar, Ontario McKellar is a township and census subdivision in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. Per the 2016 Census, it has a population of 1111. McKellar is named for Archibald McKellar (1816-1894), a member of the legislative assemblies for the p ...
. Page was impressed by Robertson’s ability to harmonize when they began playing songs together. Page had an extra ticket to a
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
concert at
Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National E ...
and asked Robertson to join him. Bored, they amused each other by pretending they were rock critics and inventing histories about the Dylan band. They also invented fictional band names, one of which was "Barenaked Ladies." On another front, Robertson had agreed to perform with his cover band in a battle of the bands at
Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Tor ...
for the
Second Harvest Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities s ...
food bank A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food direct ...
, but the band broke up. A week before the show, Robertson received a phone call to confirm the gig, so he improvised the band had changed its name to "Barenaked Ladies." He then called Page and asked if he wanted to do the gig; Page reportedly could not believe Robertson had given that name. They arranged three rehearsals and missed them all. Instead of competing at the show on 1 October 1988, "But they finally managed a first-ever rehearsal the morning of Oct. 1, 1988, about ''five hours'' before making a stage debut at a Nathan Phillips Square benefit concert." while the other bands set up they played every song they both knew. The show went well, and they were invited to open for another established local band,
The Razorbacks The Razorbacks were a Canadian rockabilly band that attained moderate national popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was known for its lively stage show,Horseshoe Tavern the coming weekend. Missing three more scheduled rehearsals, they improvised their set once again. These acts set a precedent for Barenaked Ladies concerts, which still almost always contain improvised raps, songs, and banter. Page and Robertson continued performing and began writing songs together. The band's first tape, '' Buck Naked'' (1989), was made using a four-track recorder in basements and bedrooms. The pair became followers of comedy group
Corky and the Juice Pigs Corky and the Juice Pigs was a Canadian comedy musical group made up of Phil Nichol (guitar and vocals), Greg Neale (mandolin and vocals), and Seán Cullen (harmonica and vocals). Their output consisted mainly of original comedic songs, large ...
, to whom they give credit for exposing them to the idea of comedic stage presence. Page and Robertson presented the group with their tape and were invited to open for the Juice Pigs on their cross-Canada tour. One night in Toronto, Page and Robertson invited friends from music camp, brothers
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a former member of the Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three albums. Career Barenaked Ladi ...
(percussion) and
Jim Creeggan James Raymond Creeggan (born February 12, 1970) is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. Early life Creeggan was born in Scarborough, Ontario. His mother taught piano lessons to neighborhood children, which Creeggan cre ...
(bass), to play with them at a Christmastime club show. Featuring the two new band members, ''Barenaked Lunch'' (a.k.a. ''The Pink Tape'') was released in 1990 despite being mastered incorrectly and playing too fast. After six months, Andy Creeggan went on a student exchange trip to South America, leaving the band without a percussionist. While playing at a buskers' festival in
Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County). Waterloo is situated about west-southwest of Toronto. Due to the close proximity of the ci ...
in the summer of 1990, they met drummer
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Role in Barenaked Ladies Stewart met Steven Page, Ed Robertson, and Jim Creeggan at the Waterloo Busker Carnival in Waterloo, Ontario, ...
, and he took over the position. During Andy Creeggan's travels, the band gained attention winning the 1990 YTV Achievement Award for Best Band/Musical Group. and by squeezing into a small " Speaker's Corner" video booth in Toronto to perform "
Be My Yoko Ono "Be My Yoko Ono" is the debut single by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies. The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, '' Buck Naked''. It was also included on their second and third ...
". The popular clip noticeably increased the band's fanbase. Andy Creeggan returned in early 1991 to find that Stewart had taken over the role of percussionist. Causing him some concern, Creeggan began playing keyboards more, though he still performed on some songs with
congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
and other percussion. The band would soon embark upon their first full Canadian tour.


Early Canadian success (1991–1992)

The full band's first commercial release was 1991's ''
The Yellow Tape ''Barenaked Ladies'' (more commonly known as "The Yellow Tape"), is the Barenaked Ladies' third indie tape release, after '' Buck Naked'' in 1989 with just Ed Robertson and Steven Page, then '' Barenaked Lunch'' (also known as the ''Pink Tape'') ...
''. A demo tape originally created for the band's performance at
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
, it was the first recording to feature all five members and cost them $2,000–$3,000. They sent copies to all the labels in Canada; all of them refused. As they began selling more and more copies off the stage, through word of mouth people began asking for the tape in local stores. When retailers began asking the band for more tapes, the demo became a commercial release. Sales began to snowball based merely on word of mouth and their live shows. Page's father, Victor, created the independent label Page Publications to handle the cassette's manufacturing and distribution. (After the band signed to a major label, Page Publications remained in operation, later releasing albums by artists such as
The Lowest of the Low The Lowest of the Low is a Canadian alternative rock group formed in 1991 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, '' Have Not Been the Same: The Can-Rock Renaissance 1985-1995''. ECW Press. . They were o ...
,
Leslie Spit Treeo Leslie Spit Treeo were a Canadian folk-rock band in the 1980s and 1990s. The band took its name from the Leslie Street Spit area of Toronto Harbour."Leslie Spit Treeo still true to street-busking roots". ''Toronto Star'', May 11, 1990. History ...
, Annette Ducharme,
David Gogo David Gogo (born March 18, 1969), is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and bandleader who is currently signed to the independent Cordova Bay Records label. He was formerly signed to EMI Records. Between 1994 and 2014, he released 12 s ...
, and Bodega.) During this era, the band garnered radio airplay with a live cover of
Dean Friedman Dean Friedman (born May 23, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano, keyboard, guitar and other instruments, including the harmonica. Although considered a one-hit wonder in the US, he has had multiple singles chart in other terr ...
's "I'm in Love With a McDonald's Girl", which included a rap break incorporating lyrics from
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar, programming) ...
' "
Hey Ladies "Hey Ladies" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, featured on their album ''Paul's Boutique''. It was the album's only charting single, hitting #36 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It is also the first single in history to chart in ...
". Another major break for the band came in November 1991 when Barenaked Ladies contributed a cover of
Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, p ...
's "
Lovers in a Dangerous Time "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, originally released on his 1984 album '' Stealing Fire''. The song was a top 40 hit for Cockburn, peaking at No. 25 on the Canadian charts the week of August 18, 1984. Background Accordi ...
" to the Cockburn tribute album ''
Kick at the Darkness ''Kick at the Darkness'' is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time": "gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight". The album wa ...
''. The song became the band's first Top 40 hit in Canada. Sales of ''The Yellow Tape'' were jump-started when the band was removed from the lineup of the 1991 New Year's Eve concert in
Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Tor ...
outside
Toronto City Hall The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened ...
because a staffer for then-mayor June Rowlands believed the band's name objectified women; the decision was affirmed by city councillor
Chris Korwin-Kuczynski Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (born 1953) is a former Canadian municipal politician. He served as a councillor in Toronto from 1981 to 2003, and was the city's deputy mayor for a time. He was born in Toronto, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in po ...
."Barenaked Ladies ban prompts new city rules". ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
'', February 25, 1992. The group shrugged it off and booked another show at
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
. However, the media picked up the story and presented it as an example of
political correctness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
gone too far. The first article earned the paper a large quantity of mail against City Hall's decision as the story became increasingly prominent. A week after New Year's, the band was asked to take a photo in front of City Hall for the front page of the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
''. The newer stories targeted Rowlands even though she had not been directly involved with removing the band from the concert and was out of town when the decision was made. The following week, sales of the ''Yellow Tape'' exploded — by February 1992, it was outselling even
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
's '' Dangerous'',
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
' '' We Can't Dance'', and U2's ''
Achtung Baby ''Achtung Baby'' () is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release ''Rattle and Hum'', U2 shifte ...
'' in some downtown Toronto record stores. They received enough publicity from the incident that
MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, ...
offered them its second-ever ''
Intimate and Interactive ''Intimate and Interactive'' is a television program which aired on the Canadian channel MuchMusic. The show was not a regularly scheduled program, but aired on average three or four times a year, and featured contemporary artists live in concert ...
'' special on 17 January. The tape eventually became the first-ever indie release to achieve
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
status (100,000 copies) in Canada. By the end of February,
Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022. Structure The c ...
revised its rules for event bookings at Nathan Phillips Square in the hopes of avoiding another similar controversy. The City Hall story has followed the band ever since; Robertson credits the scale of the story to it being a slow news week.


First albums (1992–1997)

The band was signed to
Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehre ...
in April 1992 after a long period of being rejected by every label they approached. The band's first full album, '' Gordon'', was released in July 1992 and was a big success in Canada; by the end of August, it had already been certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
. It included some of the band's most well-known songs, including " Enid", the first single; "
Be My Yoko Ono "Be My Yoko Ono" is the debut single by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies. The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, '' Buck Naked''. It was also included on their second and third ...
", the single which helped fund the album; "
If I Had $1000000 "If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album '' Gordon''. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a l ...
", which spawned a tradition of throwing
Kraft Dinner Kraft Dinner (KD) in Canada, Kraft Mac & Cheese in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, Cheesey Pasta in the United Kingdom and internationally is a nonperishable, packaged macaroni and cheese product. It is made by Kraft Foods Group ...
during live shows, which the band later discouraged; and "
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...
", named after
Beach Boy ''Beach Boy'' (1997) is the debut novel of Indian novelist Ardashir Vakil. It is a coming-of-age story (''bildungsroman'') set in 1970s Bombay, the novel won the Betty Trask Award. It was first published by Penguin Books Penguin Books is a ...
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...
(who later covered the song on a live album). ''Gordon'' benefited from a number of its songs (including the latter three) being live favourites and had been recorded for past releases like ''The Yellow Tape''. Although the band was doing remarkably well in Canada, they found it translated into little success in the US. The band's second album, ''
Maybe You Should Drive ''Maybe You Should Drive'' (commonly abbreviated MYSD) is the second studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in August 1994 and went double platinum in Canada, reaching No. 3 upon its release. It was also their first album to chart in ...
'' (1994), was much less popular with the Canadian public. Their tour of the US was deemed a failure and lost money despite an appearance on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
''. Before the next release, Andy Creeggan decided to leave the band. He had become disillusioned with the direction of the band and was not comfortable with their new fame. According to Page, he had considered leaving as early as the rehearsals for the ''Drive'' album; the rest of the band convinced him to stay to record that album and for the subsequent touring. Also, Creeggan wanted to attend
McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...
to study music further. Tyler Stewart has also suggested that Creeggan had never fully accepted his replacement by Stewart as a percussionist. Andy Creeggan's departure came during a time in which members of the band were starting to become sick of one other, with Page and Robertson rarely communicating. Stewart cites the departure as worsening the situation. Page also began struggling with alcohol abuse and depression. In an attempt to correct the band's downward slide, they signed with Terry McBride and
Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...
as their management. The band released ''
Born on a Pirate Ship ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' (sometimes abbreviated ''BOAPS'') is the third full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies (BNL), featuring the songs "Shoe Box", "The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart". "The Old Apartment" would bec ...
'' as a quartet in 1996. The album received two large boosts from the inclusion of the song "
Shoe Box "Shoe Box" is a song by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, released as a single from their 1996 album, ''Born on a Pirate Ship''. It is notable for being featured on the first soundtrack to the television series ''Friends'', as well as the last tra ...
" on the ''
Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...
'' soundtrack and from the
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...
-directed video for "
The Old Apartment "The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and first Mainstream Top 40 hit, appearing on the albums '' Born on a Pirate Ship'', ''Rock Specta ...
", which got notable U.S. airplay and while the album had stronger sales than ''Maybe You Should Drive'', it still did not match the success of "Gordon". The group appeared as the guest band on an episode of ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ...
'' ("Spring Breakdown" original airdate: 2 April 1997), immediately preceding their 1997 tour; they performed "The Old Apartment", "Life, In A Nutshell", and "Brian Wilson" at the Peach Pit After Dark night club. Tyler Stewart invited his friend
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics. Early life Hearn ...
to replace Andy Creeggan as a keyboardist for the tour, ultimately joining the band full-time. The group also had a cameo in the Canadian film ''
The Wrong Guy ''The Wrong Guy'' is a 1997 Canadian black comedy film directed by David Steinberg, and starring Dave Foley, along with David Anthony Higgins, Jennifer Tilly, Colm Feore and Joe Flaherty. It was written by Foley, Higgins and Jay Kogen. The scrip ...
'' with Dave Foley in 1997. They performed the song "Gangster Girl" as police officers in an alley on their break. From two dates on the ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' tour during 1996, Barenaked Ladies recorded and released a live album called ''
Rock Spectacle ''Rock Spectacle'' is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." T ...
'', which had a modest American radio hit with "Brian Wilson". The album became the band's first gold record in the United States, and the success of "Brian Wilson" and "The Old Apartment" led to a new situation for the band. They knew their next album would be their chance to make it big in the States.


Breakthrough success in the United States (1998–2004)

''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...
'' (1998) became their greatest mainstream success, buoyed by the single " One Week", which spent—coincidentally—one week at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''Stunt'' reached No. 3 in the US '' Billboard'' 200 and No. 9 in Canada. Kevin Hearn was diagnosed with
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
shortly after the album was released, eventually receiving bone marrow transplants from his brother and missing most of the ''Stunt'' tour. The band toured, with friends
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...
and
Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs ...
both filling in on keyboards until Hearn recovered enough to rejoin them on tour. The singles "
It's All Been Done "It's All Been Done" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their 1998 album, ''Stunt''. The song was successful in Canada, peaking at 1 on the '' RPM'' Top Singles chart and be ...
" (used as the opening theme song on the short-lived animated television series '' Baby Blues'') and "
Call and Answer "Call and Answer" is a song by the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies. It was the third single from their highly successful 1998 album ''Stunt'' (the song "Alcohol" had been previously released to radio stations, but was not sold commercially as a ...
" (which later appeared in the film ''
EdTV ''EDtv'' is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebecois film '' Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (Louis 19, le roi des ondes)'' (1994), it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrels ...
'') were also modest hits. The band was asked to contribute a song (" Get in Line") to the soundtrack of the Fox cartoon ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...
.'' Barenaked Ladies also had a guest appearance in a 1999 episode of '' Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place''. Led by the "Pinch Me" single, in the US ''
Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are vari ...
'' (2000) did not perform as well as ''Stunt'' had, reaching only No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100, however, it topped the Canadian charts. In 2001, they released a compilation album entitled '' Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991–2001)'', referencing a line from "Box Set". It contained 15 singles from previous albums, two singles from other compilations, and two new tracks (dubbed "our new greatest hits" by Robertson during the subsequent tour). After finishing a tour on 31 December 2001 in
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...
to promote the compilation, the band decided to take a year off, occasionally playing shows such as the Medals Plaza at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before returning to the studio in April 2003. ''
Everything to Everyone ''Everything to Everyone'' (commonly abbreviated ''E2E'') is the sixth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include " Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3" ...
'' was released on 21 October 2003, coinciding with the first show of the unique Peep Show tour. The first single off the album was " Another Postcard (Chimps)", which received modest radio play. " Testing 1,2,3" was the second single from the album and received a video, but no CD single, while "
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in spor ...
" was released later in the UK with a CD single, but no video. "Maybe Katie" (and an edited version of "For You" from a concert in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
) were also released as singles to radio. The album was their weakest seller in years and had a short chart life. The release fulfilled their contract with
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
, and they did not re-sign. This made the group independent for the first time since 1992 (though they retained a distribution relationship with Warner Bros. Records). On the subsequent Everywhere For Everyone tour, in early 2004, the band began offering their full live shows for purchase as a download or CD-R via their website, as well as subsequent studio releases. The band recorded the theme song for the 2000 children's program '' Seven Little Monsters''. They also appeared in "The Honeymoon's Over", the premiere of ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...
''s third season, performing "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their 2000 album, ''Maroon'', on August 1, 2000. The song became the band's final top-forty hit in the United States, peaking at number 15 on th ...
" onstage at the fictional night club P3. In 2003 they recorded the theme song for ''
Odd Job Jack ''Odd Job Jack'' is a Canadian adult animated sitcom starring Don McKellar, about one man's misadventures in temporary employment. Seen on and produced for The Comedy Network, a cable specialty channel, Adult Swim and MuchMusic in Latin America, ...
''.


Return to independence (2004–2008)

The band's next album was ''
Barenaked for the Holidays ''Barenaked for the Holidays'' is a holiday-themed studio album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's ...
'', released on 5 October 2004. It was their first independent record since ''The Yellow Tape'', as well the first album recorded at Page's recently-completed farmhouse studio, Fresh Baked Woods. The band created the record label Desperation Records for this album. In January 2005, the band taped a television pilot for a variety show, tentatively titled ''Barenaked Ladies Variety Show'', which was ultimately rejected by the Fox network. Later that year, the band was asked to write music for the
Stratford Festival of Canada The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...
's musical production of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...
''. Page wrote most of the music (Shakespeare had provided lyrics in the play), and the band recorded it for the actors to sing over. The recording (with Page's vocals) was available on CD from the festival as well as the band's website. On 2 July they participated in the Live 8 concert in
Barrie, Ontario Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...
. Following several writing sessions throughout 2005, that fall the band entered the studio at Fresh Baked Woods to begin recording 29 songs. They broke from the studio in November and December to play a 22-show holiday tour, playing one of their new songs each night. An iTunes Originals – a collection of interviews and live songs (coupled with some old album tracks) was recorded while the band was in the studio. It was released in February 2006, when the band went back into the studio to finish up the recordings they started the previous fall. Initially unsure how to release so many songs, the band decided to release a single-disc album in early September entitled ''
Barenaked Ladies Are Me ''Barenaked Ladies Are Me'' is the seventh full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was their first original-material album since '' Everything to Everyone'' in 2003. It was released in September 2006 internationally. Th ...
''. Several alternate versions are available, including downloadable versions and a
USB flash drive Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply ( interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A bro ...
version. The B.L.A.M. tour in support of the album and its follow-up, ''
Barenaked Ladies Are Men ''Barenaked Ladies Are Men'' (sometimes abbreviated ''BLAMen'' or ''Are Men'') is the eighth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, and the second release of material from the 29-song session that bore the companion albu ...
'', which hailed from the same sessions, ran in fall 2006 and briefly in June 2007 for the US, February 2007 for Canada, and later in 2007 for the UK. That same year the band wrote and recorded the theme song for the television series ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
''. On 6 May 2008, the band released an album of original material aimed at children entitled ''
Snacktime! ''Snacktime!'' is a children's-themed studio album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008 by Desperation Records. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for ...
''. The album features artwork by Hearn in its
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are des ...
, which is also available in the form of a hardcover book with CD included. The album was promoted with a series of television and in-store appearances at bookstores in the US northeast, the West Coast, and Toronto. Complications began in July 2008 when the band cancelled several appearances at several Disney Music Block Party concerts following Page's arrest on allegations of cocaine possession. In August, Robertson crashed his single-engine plane (without casualty) and his mother passed away that December. Band members lamented how the events of the year marred their 20th anniversary festivities (1 October 2008).


Departure of Page (2009–2011)

On 24 February 2009, Barenaked Ladies and Steven Page separately announced that Page had left the band by "mutual agreement." The remaining members continued as a quartet while Page pursued solo projects, including theatrical opportunities. In July, it was announced the band had left Nettwerk management and had hired the newly merged management firm CAM 8. Robertson commented on the departure of one of the band's founding members: Barenaked Ladies entered the studio as a quartet in May 2009 to record a new album with producer
Michael Phillip Wojewoda Michael Phillip Wojewoda is a Canadian record producer and musician. He has been nominated for eight Juno Awards and has received one for Recording Engineer of the Year and one for Producer of the Year. History Wojewoda began recording bands ...
. "You Run Away", the lead single from the new album, was released to Canadian radio on 8 January. '' All in Good Time'' was released 23 March 2010 in Canada and 30 March in the US. On 6 January 2010, the band announced that it had signed an exclusive worldwide distribution deal with EMI Label Services. The same announcement implied that following the departure of Page, the band has created a new label called Raisin' Records. ''All in Good Time'' was generally well-received by critics. The band toured the U.S. and Canada during the summer of 2010, with an autumn leg in the United Kingdom. When asked about Page's departure, Tyler Stewart said, "We don't keep in touch, but we certainly we wish him the best, and there's good will there." In October 2010, Page stated that he has no plans to rejoin the band soon, other than a possible one-off performance. He added that it felt strange the group continued to use the same name and perform the songs that he wrote and performed. Page commented in August 2011 that around the subsequent time of his arrest for cocaine possession, "the band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn't been joyous for a long time before that. It wasn't that we didn't put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night," he added. "But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product." In September 2015, TMZ uncovered court documents showing that Page sued Robertson over the "Big Bang Theory Theme" song, alleging that he was promised 20% of the proceeds but Robertson kept the money.


Modern day (2011–present)

The band released a second greatest-hits album, '' Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before'', through
Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was originall ...
(a division of their former parent label,
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...
) on 27 September 2011. Another Rhino album, ''
Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before ''Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before'' is a compilation album by Barenaked Ladies which includes rare recordings dating between 1992 and 2003. The album was originally planned as a companion to ''Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before''; how ...
'', containing previously-recorded but unreleased rarities, was planned for release later in 2011 but was delayed until 8 May 2012. Barenaked Ladies was commissioned to compose the original score for a musical based on '' National Lampoon's Animal House''. The project was announced in early 2012. However, by mid-2013, the band had been dropped from the production. The band returned to the studio in May 2012 to record a single, "Boomerang". The session was produced by Gavin Brown. The band indicated plans for "Boomerang" to be released as a single during the summer of 2012 in conjunction with their Last Summer On Earth tour on which the song was performed nightly. The single was also performed on the late 2012 Symphony Barenaked Tour but remained unreleased. The band had mentioned the possibility of abandoning the album concept and releasing only singles and EPs. However, the band went into the studio in February and March 2013 to work on a full album, which was released as ''
Grinning Streak ''Grinning Streak'' is the tenth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, released on 4 June 2013 on Vanguard Records. It is the band's first album on Vanguard. The album is the band's second studio album since the depar ...
'' on 4 June 2013. The band then signed with Vanguard Records for the release, their first label album of originals since going independent following 2003's ''
Everything to Everyone ''Everything to Everyone'' (commonly abbreviated ''E2E'') is the sixth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include " Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3" ...
''. "Boomerang" was added to the new album tracks and was released as a single on 26 March 2013. Two further singles were released: "Odds Are" in late 2013 and "Did I Say That Out Loud?" in mid-2014. Each of the latter singles had a music video produced by
Rooster Teeth Productions Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warne ...
. Looking to maintain a high profile, the band began work on a new album in December 2014. The band's 11th studio album, '' Silverball'', was released on 2 June 2015, three days before the band kicked off its Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour with
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 200 ...
and
Colin Hay Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist. Hay's music ha ...
. The lead single, " Say What You Want", was released on 28 April 2015. The music video for the next single, "Duct Tape Heart", contained live footage of the band's performance at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind ...
on the Last Summer On Earth 2015 tour, was released on 19 October 19 to coincide with the start of the Canadian leg of the Silverball tour. Barenaked Ladies released their second live album, ''
BNL Rocks Red Rocks ''BNL Rocks Red Rocks'' is the third official live album from Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. The album was formally announced on 1 February 2016 via the band's official Twitter page and was released on 20 May 2016. It was recorded at Red Rocks ...
'', on 20 May 2016. It was recorded at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind ...
on the Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour. The band also held a Last Summer on Earth 2016 tour with
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin C ...
and Howard Jones in conjunction with the new live album. ''BNL Rocks Red Rocks'' is the band's first commercial live release since the departure of Page in 2009. On 23–24 October 2016, the band recorded an album with
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
a cappella group,
The Persuasions The Persuasions are an American a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s. The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their ...
and producer Gavin Brown. The album, '' Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions'', consisted of new versions of existing Barenaked Ladies songs (along with one Kevin Hearn song and one Persuasions song). It was released on 14 April 2017.
 The band returned to the studio in the winter of 2017 to record their 12th studio album, '' Fake Nudes''. The lead single, "Lookin' Up", along with "Bringing It Home", were made available for download to those who pre-ordered the album. The album itself was released on 17 November 2017. On 25 March 2018, the band was inducted into the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to honour Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The award presentation is held each year as part of the ...
at the
Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
. The band performed alongside former members Steven Page (who was included in the induction) and Andy Creeggan. This was Page's first performance with the band since his departure in 2009. Despite his presence at the ceremony, Andy Creeggan was not inducted into the Hall with the other five members. Though there are reportedly no plans for another reunion, neither side has ruled it out. In the summer of 2019, Barenaked Ladies took a break from their own Last Summer On Earth tours and opened for
Hootie and the Blowfish Hootie & the Blowfish are an American soft rock band that were formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band ...
on that band's 44-date Group Therapy Tour. It was the band's first tour as an opening act since the early 1990s. On 4 October 2019,
Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...
released a new greatest hits collection titled ''Original Hits, Original Stars'' exclusively on vinyl. On 14 January 2020, Robertson stated he was working on songs for a new album, with a tour to follow supported by
Gin Blossoms Gin Blossoms is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, ''New Miserable Experience'', and the first single released from that albu ...
and
Toad the Wet Sprocket Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Barbara, California, in 1986. The band at the time consisted of vocalist/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss, ...
. The tour was slated to begin on 3 June in
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabi ...
and end on 23 July in Toronto but was delayed until 2021, and delayed again until 2022, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. In conjunction with the original tour announcement, the band also launched the "Barenaked Bytes"
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
, allowing fans to gain access to ticket pre-sales, VIP packages, news, and discounts on merchandise. Starting 29 March 2020, the band began releasing a series of
webcam A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripher ...
-based performances that they have dubbed #SelfieCamJam on their
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel in response to the need for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their 13th studio album, '' Detour de Force'', was released on 16 July 2021, aided by the singles "Flip", "Good Life" and "New Disaster". In September 2021, Robertson revealed that Barenaked Ladies are working on a "secret project" with Rush bassist
Geddy Lee Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...
.


Band members

Current *
Ed Robertson Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page's ...
– lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars (1988–present) *
Jim Creeggan James Raymond Creeggan (born February 12, 1970) is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. Early life Creeggan was born in Scarborough, Ontario. His mother taught piano lessons to neighborhood children, which Creeggan cre ...
– double bass, bass guitar, backing and lead vocals (1989–present), keyboards (1995) *
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Role in Barenaked Ladies Stewart met Steven Page, Ed Robertson, and Jim Creeggan at the Waterloo Busker Carnival in Waterloo, Ontario, ...
– drums, percussion (1990–present), backing and lead vocals (2008–present) *
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics. Early life Hearn ...
– keyboards, lead and rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals (1995–present) Former *
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in Februar ...
– lead and backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars (1988–2009) *
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a former member of the Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three albums. Career Barenaked Ladi ...
– percussion (1989-1990, 1991-1995), congas, keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1991–1995), drums (1989-1990) Timeline


Innovation and technology

Barenaked Ladies has often attempted to use new technologies to promote themselves and their music. They were among the early adopters of computers for promotion when they released an "Interactive Press Kit" on a 3.5-inch
floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined ...
for ''Maybe You Should Drive'' in 1994, which earned them a MuchMusic Video Award. They used their website to allow fans to choose between two songs ("Be My Yoko Ono" and "Alternative Girlfriend") for inclusion on their greatest hits CD '' Disc One'' (though polling was nearly tied and both songs were included). Beginning in April 2003, the band started a
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...
on its website to keep fans updated personally, coinciding with the band's return to the studio for ''Everything to Everyone''. During a subsequent studio session for ''Barenaked Ladies Are Me'', Ed Robertson began a
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
in addition to the blog, which ran from February to August 2006 (with a series of four videos added in early 2007 with highlights from the band's first cruise). The band has adopted many of the current online social networking sites, including accounts on MySpace,
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
, and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. The Twitter feed has been integrated into the band's website, and it also typically announces new blog posts with a link. These accounts have been used for contests and to debut new tracks. Different band members have also had individual accounts on these sites at times. Barenaked Ladies has sold recordings of almost all of its live concerts since early 2004. Initially, shows were sold on
CD-R CD-R (Compact disc-recordable) is a digital optical disc storage format. A CD-R disc is a compact disc that can be written once and read arbitrarily many times. CD-R discs (CD-Rs) are readable by most CD readers manufactured prior to the i ...
or as
MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
downloads. By the end of 2004, lossless
FLAC FLAC (; Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio coding format for lossless compression of digital audio, developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation, and is also the name of the free software project producing the FLAC tools, the reference softwa ...
files were also offered. Professionally printed copies of some concerts were later offered through some isolated record stores, and some shows have been added to the
iTunes Music Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,000 ...
s and other digital retailers. The band was praised for a unique use of
USB flash drive Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply ( interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A bro ...
technology. The group offered its 2004 ''Barenaked For the Holidays'' album on a customized flash drive in MP3 format, with extras including bonus tracks and photos and videos from the studio sessions for the album. The band used a 128 MB USB flash drive, limiting the bitrate of the music included. The group described the product as a test of the technology and the market for that technology. It subsequently released ''Are Me'' in the USB format as well (on a 256 MB flash drive). The band also incorporated the technology into its live music sales, offering fans a copy of concerts in MP3 format on a USB stick at the merchandise booth directly after the show. In 2009 the band took part in an interactive documentary series, ''
City Sonic ''City Sonic'' is a documentary series about Toronto-based musicians and the places that influenced their music.http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2009/8/Watch-This-City-Sonic-Film-Series The first five ''City Sonic'' films were previewed at Toronto's 2 ...
''. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, includes Tyler Stewart reflecting on his memories of the (now closed) Ultrasound Showbar. The films were accompanied by an iPhone application, which uses
Global Positioning System The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite ...
(GPS) technology to unlock more videos when the user is close to the specific location. In February 2013, Barenaked Ladies participated in what was billed as the "first space-to-earth musical collaboration" involving the band and
Chris Hadfield Chris Austin Hadfield (born August 29, 1959) is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, and musician. The first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also se ...
, a Canadian astronaut and commander of the
International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest Modular design, modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos ( ...
, along with the Wexford Gleeks, a Canadian student choir. The group, Hadfield, and the choir performed a song "I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)" that was commissioned by the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the governmen ...
and the
Canadian Space Agency The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; french: Agence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the national space agency of Canada, established in 1990 by the ''Canadian Space Agency Act''. The president is Lisa Campbell, who took the position on September 3, 202 ...
.


Awards and nominations

In 1993, Barenaked Ladies were nominated for their first four
Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
: Canadian Entertainer of the Year, Album of the year for ''Gordon'', Single of the Year for ''Enid'', and Group of the Year, which was their only win. The group was again nominated for Entertainer of the Year in 1994 and Group of the Year in 1995. Requires running a searches for "Barenaked Ladies" and "Ed Robertson". Additionally, the yearly summary menu shows the years each award was active. Barenaked Ladies' first
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination came in 1999 for "One Week" in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category but lost to
Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...
's "Jump, Jive an' Wail". The song, and its album ''Stunt'', brought the band three more Juno Awards that year, for Best Single, Best Pop Album, and Best Group. Robertson lost to
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
in the newly revived Best Songwriter Category. The video for "One Week" was nominated for an
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video categor ...
for Best Art Direction, but lost to " Doo Wop (That Thing)" by
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
. The band was nominated for their second Grammy in 2001 for "Pinch Me", again in the Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group category, but lost to "
Cousin Dupree "Cousin Dupree" is the first single from Steely Dan's 2000 album '' Two Against Nature''. The song's lyrics describe the sexual desires the titular Dupree has for his attractive cousin. In 2001, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performanc ...
" by
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...
. They also won three more Juno Awards for ''Maroon'' under Best Pop Album, Best Album, and Best Group, bringing their total to seven. "Pinch Me" was nominated for Best Single but lost to "
I'm Like a Bird "I'm Like a Bird" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West for her debut studio album, ''Whoa, Nelly!'' (2000). Released as the album's first single, it became ...
" by
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired de ...
. Additionally, Page and Robertson were nominated in the Best Songwriter category in its penultimate year for "Pinch Me", "Too Little Too Late", and "Falling for the First Time". Five more Juno nominations have followed, totalling 18 nominations for the band (in addition to the two songwriting nominations). In 2004 they were up for Pop Album of the Year for ''Everything to Everyone'', as well as Group of the Year. In 2005, they were up for Music DVD of the Year for the documentary ''The Barenaked Truth''. In 2006, they were again nominated for Group of the Year. They were nominated for and subsequently won a 2009 Juno for their children's album ''
Snacktime! ''Snacktime!'' is a children's-themed studio album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008 by Desperation Records. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for ...
''. ;Billboard Music Awards The
Billboard Music Award The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of t ...
s is sponsored by ''Billboard'' magazine and held annually in December. Barenaked Ladies has received two awards from two nominations. , - , rowspan="2", 1998 , , rowspan="2", " One Week" , , Best Clip (Alternative/Modern Rock) , , , - , Maximum Vision Award , , ;Grammy Awards The
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s are awarded annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
of the United States. Barenaked Ladies has received two nominations. , - , , , " One Week" , , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group , , , - , , , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their 2000 album, ''Maroon'', on August 1, 2000. The song became the band's final top-forty hit in the United States, peaking at number 15 on th ...
" , ,
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...
, , ;Juno Awards The
Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
is a Canadian awards ceremony presented annually by the
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is a non-profit organization responsible for promoting Canadian music and artists. It administers the Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the MusiCounts music education cha ...
. Barenaked Ladies has received eight awards from 18 nominations. , - , rowspan="4", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Entertainer of the Year , , , - , Barenaked Ladies , ,
Group of the Year The Juno Award for Group of the Year has been awarded annually since 1970 in recognition of the best musical group or band in Canada. It is presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). The five nominees in the category ...
, , , - , '' Gordon'' , ,
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
, , , - , "Enid" , , Single of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Entertainer of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Best Group , , , - , ''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...
'' , ,
Best Pop Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
, , , - , " One Week" , , Best Single , , , - , rowspan="4", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Best Group , , , - , rowspan="2", ''
Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are vari ...
'' , , Best Album , , , - , Best Pop Album , , , - , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their 2000 album, ''Maroon'', on August 1, 2000. The song became the band's final top-forty hit in the United States, peaking at number 15 on th ...
" , , Best Single , , , - , rowspan="2", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , ''
Everything to Everyone ''Everything to Everyone'' (commonly abbreviated ''E2E'') is the sixth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include " Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3" ...
'' , , Pop Album of the Year , , , - , , , ''The Barenaked Truth'' , , Music DVD of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , , , ''
Snacktime! ''Snacktime!'' is a children's-themed studio album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008 by Desperation Records. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for ...
'' , , Children's Album of the Year , , Further, the band members and other individuals have been nominated for four Junos for their work in connection with the band. , - , , , Marc Ramaer ("Hush Sweet Lover" by k.d. lang and "Jane" by Barenaked Ladies), , Recording Engineer of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2" , , , Ed Robertson ("One Week") , , Best Songwriter, , , - , John Rummen, Jay Blakesburg (''Stunt'') , , Best Album Design , , , - , , , Steven Page and Ed Robertson ("Pinch Me", "Too Little Too Late", "Falling for the First Time") , , Best Songwriter, , ;MTV Video Music Awards The
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Barenaked Ladies has received one nomination. , - , , , " One Week" , , Best Art Direction (Art Director: Paul Martin) , , ;MuchMusic Video Awards The
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
(MMVAs) is an annual awards ceremony presented by Canadian television station
MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, ...
that honours the best music videos. In the past, the awards included some vote-in People's Choice categories that were not specifically tied to videos. Barenaked Ladies has received four awards and several other nominations. , - , rowspan="2", 1992 , , rowspan="2", "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" , ,
VideoFACT Award The following is a list of the MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Vide ...
, , , - , People's Choice: Best Group , , , - , 1993 , , "Brian Wilson" , , People's Choice: Best Group , , , - , 1995 , , ''Maybe You Should Drive'' , , Best Canadian Band Interactive Press Kit , , , - , rowspan="3", 2001 , , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their 2000 album, ''Maroon'', on August 1, 2000. The song became the band's final top-forty hit in the United States, peaking at number 15 on th ...
" , , MuchMoreMusic Award , , , - , rowspan="2", "Too Little Too Late" , , People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Group , , , - , People's Choice: Favourite Video by a Canadian , , ;World Music Awards The
World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world' ...
honours recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
. Barenaked Ladies has received one award. , - , 2000 , , Barenaked Ladies , , World's Best-Selling Canadian Group , ,


Beyond music


Biography

Barenaked Ladies have an authorized biography, which was released in 2001, titled '' Public Stunts Private Stories'', written by a friend of the band and fellow Scarborough native Paul Myers with input from the band. It is published in Canada by Madrigal Press. An updated version of the biography was released in 2003 in the US with a different cover, several corrections, and additional information about ''Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits'' and ''Everything to Everyone'', which were released after the initial printing.


Canadian Music Creators Coalition

In May 2006, Barenaked Ladies, along with other prominent Canadian musicians, formed the
Canadian Music Creators Coalition Canadian Music Creators Coalition is a group of Canadian music artists opposed to introducing legislation similar to the United States' DMCA into Canadian intellectual property law. The group was officially formed April 26, 2006. An editorial from ...
in response to plans by the Canadian government to revisit and update copyright laws. Steven Page has acted as a conduit between the CMCC and the press, urging the government to focus on the Canadian cultural scene. Page has said the formation of the CMCC was in response to what he believes is the wrong direction taken by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
and the major labels, by suing fans for filesharing.


Barenaked Planet

The band has also become a proponent of environmentalism, following from Page's passion for greening (he is himself a board member of World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF Canada). The group began bringing an "eco-village" organized by the Reverb (non-profit), Reverb organization on their 2004 Au Naturale tour. The band has since partnered with Reverb to form the "Barenaked Planet" project, which is the group's label for their project to progressively "green" their touring. Efforts the band have made include ensuring backstage materials are recycled, using biodiesel in their tour vehicles (B20 as of December 2006), and carbon offset, offsetting carbon emissions with wind power. This includes both band-sponsored offsets for their own emissions, as well as having volunteers sell "Barenaked Planet" stickers to concertgoers with the money going to offset their drives to the venues.


If I Had 1,000,000 Flavours ice cream

Barenaked Ladies is the first Canadian band to receive their own ice cream flavour, following in the footsteps of other band-themed Ben & Jerry's flavours such as Cherry Garcia (Jerry Garcia), One Sweet Whirled and Magic Brownies (Dave Matthews Band) and Phish Food (Phish).


Artists Against Racism

Barenaked Ladies are a member of Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and has worked with them in the past on awareness campaigns. WE Charity Barenaked Ladies have made several appearances during WE Day events, performing in front of thousands of teenagers, empowering the young students to get involved in their communities and to promote social activity through WE Charity, WE charity's work. Rock CAN Rol Barenaked Ladies have supported hunger relief organization Rock Can Rol and together with their fans have helped to feed people in need.


Side projects

Tyler Stewart, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, and Ed Robertson all have past or present side projects during their time off from Barenaked Ladies. Stewart was part of a short-lived trio called Don't Talk Dance, which released a self-titled album in 1995 featuring
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...
(who later sat in for Hearn with Barenaked Ladies during his late-90s cancer treatment). The album was made for charity, and all profits went to Casey House, an AIDS charity in Canada. Stewart also plays occasionally with the rockabilly band Pogo Rodeo which he first joined in high school. The band reunited in the early 2010s and has since played occasional concerts Jim Creeggan formed the alternative/jazz group The Brothers Creeggan, with brother and former Barenaked Ladies member Andy Creeggan, later joined by Ian McLauchlan (who died in 2009). The group (variously as a duo and a trio) recorded four albums between 1995 and 2002. The group stopped performing regularly in the mid-2000s and have only played together on rare occasions, such as for the Barenaked Ladies' cruises. Andy Creeggan also has several solo albums, with the most recent one released in 2021. Since 1995, Kevin Hearn has released four albums as the frontman of Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle and three others with solo billing (with members of Thin Buckle as well as other musicians backing him). Hearn's albums feature a mix of alternative rock and jazz with many other eclectic influences. Hearn continues to perform in the Toronto area and occasionally tours with Thin Buckle. Hearn was also the musical director and keyboardist for Lou Reed's band from the mid-2000s until Reed's passing in October 2013. He has also released an album of love songs as "The Cousins" in 2004 with his cousin, comedian Harland Williams. Robertson joined a supergroup called Yukon Kornelius in 2008 with Dave Matthews Band bass player Stefan Lessard, singer/guitarist Adam Gardner of Guster, and drummer Eric Fawcett of Spymob. To date, the band has played four shows, but they anticipate doing a short tour when work with their other bands permit. Special guests usually join Yukon Kornelius during their shows, including Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Carl Bell (musician), Carl Bell (formerly of Fuel (band), Fuel), Tyler Stewart, and other members of the Dave Matthews Band. Robertson also hosted three seasons of the 2006 television program called ''Ed's Up'' for OLN Canada in which he flew his own plane to various locations to experience and publicize a variety of interesting occupations. Former member Steven Page had a side project called The Vanity Project. The first self-titled album was written mostly with long-time collaborator Stephen Duffy. In the wake of a band decision to try to keep songwriting amongst its then-five members, Page said that the project was an opportunity for him to write with non-Barenaked Ladies writers. He indicated that a future release might include other writers and not necessarily Duffy. However, Page did not record a second Vanity Project album before his departure from Barenaked Ladies and has released his post-Barenaked Ladies works in his own name. Page has also hosted a season of the reality television series ''The Illegal Eater'', which features Page travelling to showcase food and drink experiences that are in some way taboo, illicit, or outright illegal. Also, band members (both individually and together) have often collaborated with other artists, such as making guest appearances on their albums, performing live, or co-writing songs with them. In February 2019 all four band members joined Canadian rock musician Kim Mitchell in recording a rework of Mitchell's former band Max Webster song Diamonds Diamonds from their 1977 album ''High Class in Borrowed Shoes''. A video of the collaboration was released on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
.


Reception

In December 2008 former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney was reportedly asked by a session musician which bands he enjoys in the current music scene. The response was the Barenaked Ladies: "Their harmonies are right on. They could outsing us any day of the week. I don't think John Lennon, John and myself ever had the sort of range they do." McCartney added that he would not mind recording with the band in the future. In 2018, notable Ontarian musical historians Liam Coholan, Patrick Murphy, and Jon "The Don" Dilario acknowledge in their latest Canadian music history issue that "BNL was one of the most impactful bands when it comes to discussing the development of Canadian society in the 21st century."


Discography

Studio albums *''Gordon (album), ''Gordon'''' (1992) *''
Maybe You Should Drive ''Maybe You Should Drive'' (commonly abbreviated MYSD) is the second studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in August 1994 and went double platinum in Canada, reaching No. 3 upon its release. It was also their first album to chart in ...
'' (1994) *''
Born on a Pirate Ship ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' (sometimes abbreviated ''BOAPS'') is the third full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies (BNL), featuring the songs "Shoe Box", "The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart". "The Old Apartment" would bec ...
'' (1996) *''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...
'' (1998) *''
Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are vari ...
'' (2000) *''
Everything to Everyone ''Everything to Everyone'' (commonly abbreviated ''E2E'') is the sixth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include " Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3" ...
'' (2003) *''
Barenaked for the Holidays ''Barenaked for the Holidays'' is a holiday-themed studio album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's ...
'' (2004) *''As You Like It (Barenaked Ladies album), As You Like It'' (2005) *''
Barenaked Ladies Are Me ''Barenaked Ladies Are Me'' is the seventh full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was their first original-material album since '' Everything to Everyone'' in 2003. It was released in September 2006 internationally. Th ...
'' (2006) *''
Barenaked Ladies Are Men ''Barenaked Ladies Are Men'' (sometimes abbreviated ''BLAMen'' or ''Are Men'') is the eighth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, and the second release of material from the 29-song session that bore the companion albu ...
'' (2007) *''
Snacktime! ''Snacktime!'' is a children's-themed studio album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008 by Desperation Records. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for ...
'' (2008) *'' All in Good Time'' (2010) *''
Grinning Streak ''Grinning Streak'' is the tenth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, released on 4 June 2013 on Vanguard Records. It is the band's first album on Vanguard. The album is the band's second studio album since the depar ...
'' (2013) *'' Silverball'' (2015) *'' Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions'' (2017) *'' Fake Nudes'' (2017) *'' Detour de Force'' (2021)


Video releases

* ''Barenaked in America'' * ''Too Little Too Late'' * ''Barelaked Nadies'' * ''The Barenaked Truth'' * ''Talk to the Hand, Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan''


References


External links

* * *
Article at canadianbands.com
* {{Use mdy dates, date=July 2016 Barenaked Ladies, Musical groups established in 1988 Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music Canadian alternative rock groups Jangle pop groups Canadian buskers Sire Records artists Canadian folk rock groups Musical groups from Toronto Scarborough, Toronto Juno Award for Single of the Year winners 1988 establishments in Ontario 1990s in Canadian music Geek rock groups Musical quartets Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Group of the Year winners World Music Awards winners Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year winners Sibling musical groups Canadian comedy musical groups Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees