Save the Date!

I have always been a planner.

I like things organized and I like schedules...my sister used to make fun of me for putting “take shower” on my to do list.

I have also always, OK, most of my life LOVED one band.  Before I loved one man and married him, I fell in love with my musical husband(s), Barenaked Ladies.  

I fell hard in college with their album Born On a Pirate Ship and Rock Spectacle (If you pronounce it Speck-tacle, I will have to hurt you (just like “those in the know,  don’t throw”—BNL fans get the reference.)

Anyway, I worked at an alternative radio station (remember when those were a thing??) in Cleveland, Ohio (my hometown) and the morning show co-host Tobin loved them and he made me love them.  I saw them live so many times that first year, it was incredible.  They toured non-stop and because we were just across the lake they came to Cleveland A LOT!  

Every show was so fun and different.  These guys had a sense of humor!  They interacted with their audience!  I fell...hard.  Well, I danced and sang and I’m not THAT coordinated so I prolly literally fell too.

Ed was always my favorite.  The first time I met the band I was the nerdiest of the nerd.  Let’s just say before Big Bang Theory (Bang!) made nerds cool, there was me.  I was alone, my radio pass only admitted one.  I brought each guy a Kraft macaroni necklace.  I was wearing the most hideous shirt...which I still own.  

I used the necklaces as an ice breaker to talk to each guy (cringeworthy!) and Ed was so disarmingly friendly (damn Canadians!) He told me he could get something for me to drink and I must have had pure panic on my face because he then told me “Like a Pepsi, it doesn’t have to be alcoholic!” (I just did the math and I was 22!  😂)  If I remember right, he wasn’t drinking either.  He talked to me about his dog I think.  

I’m sure I couldn’t string two sentences together, but I wanna say he even introduced me to the other guys in the band (Steve, Jim, Tyler, I don’t think Kevin was there but it was a lot of years ago.) He prolly just wanted to share the wealth so he wasn’t stuck talking to needy me the entire time, but he didn’t make me feel like he was handing me off.  He was sweet to a star-struck giant-rimmed glasses girl.  When I got home from the meet and greet at Club 1142? 1148? 11SomethingOrOther I turned on the TV to find out Princess Diana had been in a car accident and died.  That’s how long ago it was. Before the everyone had notifications on their phone...before everyone had phones!

Anyway, I saw like 20 shows in a year.  I went to a tent in Pittsburgh (still my fav show), I saw a million crappy festivals (it was the 90s and everyone had a festival, even our little radio station.  I believe BNL played there two years in a row in fact.) BNL definitely did a noontime Christmas show for the station too and I used to have a cassette of that.  (Have your grandparents explain that hot audio item kiddos cause we’re moving on.)

I bought every album, went to every show within 3 hours, bought up ALL the merch.  FOR YEARS.  I played only Barenaked Ladies songs during the dinner portion of our wedding.  I have their book, videos, keychains, a belt buckle I’ve never worn, and a lot of signatures.  My husband has been my plus one on so many inconvenient nights many hours away from our house (now in Iowa BTW). This summer, it was 110 degrees and they were the opening act and I danced and sweated to their music more than I’ve ever sweated in places I didn't know I could even sweat.

I am saying I am a fan.  A big one.  I have shadow boxes of tickets, pictures, and signed t-shirts hanging on my walls.  

So in this age of incredible asks and random viral acts of kindness, here’s my question.

I would love BNL to play in my town for my 50th birthday...in six years.  I'm not even talking about a pathetic backyard barbque.  I have a friend who runs entertainment for a big concert/casino venue here. I have friends who will sell out this show.  (At least I hope I do.)  

I would love for BNL to pencil in Sat, September 27th, 2025 as a concert date in Dubuque IA (we have an airport Ed so you can fly in, you pilot you!). Technically, my bday is on a Monday and you can’t get a least desirable day of the week, but I am not picky and willing to settle for ANY date you have open in September, 2025.  October even!

You don’t get what you don’t ask for 100 percent of the time.  So I’m throwing this out into the universe.  I would LOVE BNL to play in Dubuque IA in fall 2025.   How bout an Autumnal Equinox show guys?  Guys?!?!  

I have loved you long time. (If you put an accent on that last sentence, that’s on you.) The world is weird.  You never know what can happen.

A college kid in my state just raised $2 million dollars for a children’s hospital after throwing a marker and messy poster board together asking for beer money!!  

(Incidentally, he just got into hot water for some tweets he made at age 16 which you do not have to worry about with me because when I was 16, Twitter wasn’t invented yet...prolly not when I was 26—just looked it up, thanks Google! turns out I was 30!)

So, BNL if you would be so kind as to at least entertain the idea or allow my people to call your people (you know I don’t have people, right?)  

I don’t deserve this, I’m not saying I’m owed.  Simply, I am happiest when listening to your live music and I want my 50th year to be a celebration of my happiest times, so please consider this wholly not-at-all tempting offer and keep a date open for me.

Thanks Universe for getting this love letter to my fav band in the land, Barenaked Ladies —who hopefully have google alerts and are notified of this completely random blog which at least a dozen people have read (13 if you include my mother).

XOXO BNL

Laura

PS I actually went back and read an old post I wrote and have been thinking about this for at least 15 years...that's dedication...or a sick obsession.  Tomato/tomahto.

Once a geek, always a geek

OK, anyone that knows me knows I adore one particular band. We're talking crazy obsession here (but of course, not in a stalker way, that would be weird).

Barenaked Ladies have been a part of my life since college. When I was interning at 107.9 The End in Cleveland, one of the morning show co-hosts (wat up Tobin!) introduced me to those wacky Canadians and it's been ear-love ever since. Plus, I've always had this tiny little crush an appreciation for the witty lyrics of Ed Robertson, the lead singer.

BNL have been with me through a few boyfriends, their songs played exclusively as dinner music during my wedding, and they even made an appearance in my delivery room (c/o iTunes of course). Needless to say, they have been an important influence and support system in my life.

Here is me and Ed on August 31^st, 1997. No, I don't have great memory or record keeping, I just know when I got home from the show it was all over the news that Princess Diana was in a car crash.

Yes, I was a HUUUGE geek. I even brought all the band members their very own macaroni necklaces. The necklaces were awful but they were gonna be my way to approach the band members and break the ice to get a conversation started. This is the first time I ran into what I now call 'BNL breakdown'. It seems when I get into a room with these guys, my brain overloads and I wind up a blithering idiot. Instead of asking pertinent questions about themselves or the albums, I always wind up talking about how I'm freaking out in front of them. I literally start to shake and my brain goes numb. The band members are always nice and welcoming, but they have to think I'm a spazz who they should prolly look into a restraining order about. My husband has been with me enough times that he just shakes his head and laughs. He usually has big, funny conversations with the BNL guys and I'm always extremely jealous but as he always explains, they are just guys. For some reason, I cannot compute.

This is my BNL wall. It is comprised of a few BNL items I've collected over the years. I wish I had taken better care of my BNL related paraphernalia…I have such a poor memory I can't even tell you how many shows I've been to. I can tell you the best one was a general admission show in Pittsburgh in '97 and I travelled to NY to watch them usher in the new millennium (but this geek had to take her brother to that show) and there are shows I remember from Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and of course Cleveland that were amazing. But, it all starts to bleed together. I'm pretty sure I saw them in Columbus, Toledo, and in Akron, but I might be lying. Oh well…anytime I have seen them, it's been a good time. And I've been very fortunate to have met them at all.

So, when I heard they were coming to Davenport…a short 1 ½ hour drive…for a Sunday night show, I bought tickets. I was disappointed I could no longer afford to be in their fan club (hey, a stay-at-home-mom's gotta do what a stay-at-home-mom's gotta do) thus goodbye good seating and possible meet and greets and hello regular BNL masses. But I was very excited to be going to a show.

Then an amazing thing happened. When you are known for loving one band, the awesome part is people call you when they hear about that band. Friends I hadn't heard from in eons were texting me to see when the new BNL album dropped and certain radio program directors called me to ask if I wanted tickets. Full disclosure, I have a very nice life and very wonderful friends.

So, I was lucky enough to meet them again, and I had my usual BNL breakdown and life was incredible. I forgot how much I had missed their live shows. I would recommend them to ANYONE.

Oh, one last thing. I knew enough about myself to know that my hysterical-ness is not particularly prone to being able to converse, so I wrote them a small note to thank them for their music. Yes, once a geek, always a geek. In my panicked haze I almost forgot to give it to them, but luckily Ed came around last and my husband nudged me to throw it his way.

And that letter just so happened to include this blog address. So, if you ever happen to read this Ed, Jim, Kevin, or Tyler, thank you. You guys rock…errr…rock on…errr…geez, I really AM a geek!

P.S.  OK, I've spent far too long on the computer this morning but I learned two things:  1) My husband's fav song and my fav song were both played at the BNL show the night before, so we came up a day late and a dollar short on that one...still a great show; and 2) There is photographic evidence of Ed reading (or at least skimming) my letter.  I can die happy.  http://gallery.tourphotographer.com/p/20100516_bnl_davenport/20100516_bnl_davenport_0105_55_35

P.P.S. I heard they do a lot of private and corporate events.  Coincidentally, I am starting a fund, feel free to donate to the charity henceforth known as "Laura's 50th birthday party starring Barenaked Ladies."  The event will be in approximately 15 years so mark your calendar and please donate early and often!  Thank you.