Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Barenaked Ladies best album with this exciting, local tribute show!
Ask anyone to list their favourite Canadian records of all time, and you’d hear “Gordon” by The Barenaked Ladies appear more often than not. Mixing acoustic pop music, five-part harmony vocals and a long list of jazz subgenres, Gordon is difficult to pin down, but remains one of the most beloved Canadian records ever. So, on the 30th anniversary of Gordon, a group of Cape Breton BNL-obsessed musicians (Aaron Corbett, Adam Young, Donnie Calabrese, Shannon Ezzat and Thomas Allen) have come together to bring it–in its front to back pop-brilliance–to the HAT.
Fans of the record will know that a dense and diverse performance background is required to do the record justice, and this group brings it! From pop groups like the Tom Fun Orchestra and AIRPORT! to Celtic groups like Coig and Sprag Session, the members of the show have been honing their musical and theatrical chops to make a memorable show out of an unforgettable record.
After a one-night-performance last summer, we knew we had to bring this show back for a Mainstage run. Even Steven Page from the original Barenaked Ladies loved the show, tweeting the following in response to a video: “Wow! Grade 9 sounds exactly like us. That’s the best imitation of me I’ve heard. So good!!”