The band's Friday night performance in the Smith Center was a marvelous example of a mediocre band giving the crowd what they want, and how they want it.
The theme of silliness, highlighted by giant balloons floating above the stage and a random guy dressed as a chef, veiled the well-oiled machine that is Barenaked Ladies and their crew.
The precise pacing and execution, not to mention the excellent sound and the snazzy matching red-and-black outfits, reflected the slickness and superficiality of their latest album, Maroon, yet the members still took sufficient time to banter with the crowd and goof off.
The concert began with a reading of the poem from which the album takes its name, set to cheesy Latin jazz, a nonsensical cartoon on the four giant screens strategically framing the stage.
After sufficient buildup, the band came onstage and burst triumphantly into "Too Little Too Late." The Ladies proceeded into "Alcohol" from Stunt and "Life in a Nutshell," before stopping to talk to the hysterical crowd about how much fun spinning until you get dizzy is.
There was method behind the ludicrousness, though, as the jokes and dorky freestyles always flowed seamlessly into another song, as did the one drum solo and one bass solo of the night.
While the band played them as well as technically possible, many of the songs themselves were still pretty lousy, especially Maroon flops like "Baby Seat."
The set included most of Maroon, peppered with well-timed old favorites like "The Old Apartment" and "1,000,000 Dollars." For those whose favorite songs could not fit into the set, the band included a funny but well-done five-minute medley of about a dozen of its older tunes.
Barenaked Ladies' two encores left the crowd satisfied, finishing the first one comically as the roadies came onstage with paper bags over their heads to take away the instruments. The second encore concluded the show sweetly, as the band delivered a touching version of "Call and Answer."
