Heading into April 8th's concert, long time Barenaked Ladies fans certainly had a lot of questions. Just how good would the first show in Calgary be without Steven Page?

The answer? Phenomenal. With a set list filled with familiar hits, incredible energy, tight harmonies and a huge dose of funny, Barenaked Ladies put on one of the most entertaining concerts I have been to in awhile.

A simple white screen hung at the front of the stage, and the show started with the band being lit from behind on the screen before it dropped, to cheers from the crowd.  They launched into Testing 123 and the first crowd sing-along The Old Apartment. Losing Sleep lead to one of the first of many funny moments, as singer Ed Robertson cracked up during the song.

"There is supposed to be a sample that goes Holla Holla Holla but it didn't work and instead I just heard Tyler (Stewart, drums) yell holla holla holla." This would become an ongoing joke throughout the evening. Any time they had technical issues or awkward moments, it was solved by a "Holla Holla Holla."

The humor was a huge part of what made the show so great. An adlibbed freestyle about Calgary weather got many laughs, as well as the back and forth banter between the band. At one point Stewart commented "We've been together twenty years folks!" to which multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn replied "19 wonderful years" - the only reference to the struggles the band has had in the past year and a half.
 
The snowstorm that hit that evening (and wiped out power in a good chunk of the city) was apparently nature’s way of saying "Calgary needs another kick in the balls," according to Robertson. "Everyone thinks the line about waiting five minutes belongs to their city, that's THE WEATHER!! It's how it works!!"

When fans started yelling out songs to play, Robertson said "thank you for the input, we will take it under advisement." He couldn't resist a little girl in the front row holding a sign requesting Eraser from their Snacktime children's album. "I can't promise we know this song" said Robertson, and the result was more hilarity as they tried to remember lyrics.

The show highlighted many songs from the new album All In Good Time including Every Subway Car, Another Heartbreak, Four Seconds and current single You Run Away. The last song, along with Lovers in a Dangerous Time showed the emotional side of the band to balance the comedic songs like the theme from Big Bang Theory.

"This song terrifies me more than any others," Robertson said of the fast paced, scientifically accurate theme song.
The show hit its stride as it neared completion, with One Week, It's All Been Done, Pinch Me, and If I Had a $1,000,000. Apparently if Hearn was to buy you an exotic pet, it would be "an Emu, or a Kraken."

"We had this big Kraken that came from the ceiling onto the audience and blew fire on everyone, but the Fire Marshall wouldn't allow it," quipped Robertson.

The main set ended with a cover of Pilot's Magic that featured a choreographed dance sequence with Robertson, Tyler, and bassist Jim Creeggan that had to be seen to be believed.

The show ended on a softer note, with What a Good Boy. In talking with people afterwards, the feeling was that the Barenaked Ladies will be just fine. It's not quite "Steven who?" but the group certainly put on as great a show without Page, as they did with him. After twenty years, BNL isn't going anywhere.

Setlist

• Testing 123
• The Old Apartment
• Who Needs Sleep
• Too Little Too Late
• Every Subway Car
• One Little Slip
• Vanishing
• Ordinary
• Lovers in a Dangerous Time
• Eraser
• Four Seconds
• Another Heartbreak
• Blame It On Me
• You Run Away
• Big Bang Theory Theme
• On The Lookout
• One Week
• It's All Been Done
• Summertime
• Pinch Me
• If I Had $1'000'000

Encore

• Life, In A Nutshell
• What A Good Boy