Barenaked Ladies promises plenty of hijinks, classic tunes at new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs
In the past 35 years, Barenaked Ladies has left a considerable mark on pop culture.
Dip into the band’s canon and you’ll find songs that plug into generation-spanning sitcoms such as 1990s behemoth “Friends” (“Shoe Box”), appearing as a guest band (the three-song set included “The Old Apartment”) on the fictional Peach Pit After Dark nightclub in “90210” and, more recently, recording the theme song for CBS’ megasuccessful “Big Bang Theory.”
And while the band experienced some major lineup changes since starting in 1988 (percussionist Andy Creeggan left in 1994 while vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Steven Page departed in 2009), the current foursome of singer/guitarist Ed Robertson, drummer Tyler Stewart, bassist Jim Creeggan and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hearn have carried on with a combination of passion, kooky humor and pop smarts.
For Stewart, the joie de vivre he and his bandmates experience being a part of the group is a key to why the band is trucking toward its fourth decade of playing together. Barenaked Ladies will perform Saturday at the new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs.
“Our longevity can be attributed to a couple of factors, starting with blind stupidity,” he said with a laugh Monday. “But I would also say it’s the fact that we communicate pretty well, get along and give each other space, and respect each other’s creativity and personalities. It takes a long time to get to know somebody intimately. We make sure that we take care of each other and take care of the band in the process.
“I think making new music really helps. If you can go to the well still and find the inspiration to write and record new songs, it keeps everybody energized and I think that really propels us forward.”
That drive has yielded 14 studio albums with the most recent being last year’s “In Flight.” And given that 2023 was Barenaked Ladies’ official 35th anniversary, the band released an expanded version with a batch of live tracks recorded at Toronto’s famed El Mocambo nightclub. Now touring with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Stewart promises more of the band’s hijinks that fans have come to expect.
“We’ve been really fortunate over our 35-plus years in the band to always have a great audience,” he said.
“We try to deliver a great show every time by sprinkling in stuff from new records and deeper cuts from our long career. It also provides a little variety for the audience while keeping us on our toes.”






