At work we’ve been promoting our video sharing site Stage6 and as a part of that we decided to co-sponsor the tour for BT’s new album This Binary Universe. I went and caught the show at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on Nov 29th. Thomas Dolby opened and while I’m not a fan of his music myself, he does put on an good show and is very interactive with his fans. BT came on the stage after about an hour and I’m not sure the entire crowd knew what to think about This Binary Universe at first because it’s a bit of a departure from BT’s usual fare, but those that stuck with it were in for a real treat. TBU starts out a bit slow but it does pick up and reaches a few highly energetic crescendos made even more so thanks to the 5.1 surround that it’s mixed in. It was an incredible show and I’m glad that I went.
Just this past Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing the Barenaked Ladies at the Rimac Arena at UCSD. I’ve been a fan since Gordon (1992) and I’m surprised it’s taken me moving to San Diego to actually see one of their concerts. BNL definitively didn’t disappoint with their unique comical styling (I was in the “Balls” section of the arena as apposed to the “Buns” and “Nuts” sections) and interaction mixed in with their music, playing some of their new music along with everyone’s favorites. The concert was a lot more low key than the BT show, but I ended up enjoying it more – maybe it was the little taste of home that it brought. I don’t know.
One really cool thing about the Barenaked Ladies and their label Nettwerk is that they’re one of the few artist/label combos that “get it”. You can buy any BNL album or concert recording from their website for iTunes-like pricing in either MP3 or FLAC formats. When I found this out it’s an understatement to say that I was shocked and surprised. I’m glad they’re doing it and it makes me even more proud to say that I’m a fan of this unique and entertaining Canadian band.
