Martin's Musings

The news today that Steven Page is leaving Barenaked Ladies effectively puts an end to my young adulthood.

I’ve been a BNL fan since my freshman year in college in the fall of 1992, back when the guys were overweight geeks, Gordon was their only album, few people outside of Canada or college campuses had heard of them, and I couldn’t get any radio station to take my request to play them. (For the record, my copy of Gordon has the original cover on it.)

Since then, I’ve seen BNL live about 15 times — more than I’ve seen any other singer or band — including a show at the tiny Somerville Theater and one on New Year’s Eve at the Fleet Center. I was even at the huge free show in Government Center the night before the release of Stunt, the one with the overwhelming turnout.

Over the years I’ve watched all the band members lose weight, raise families, deal with Kevin Hearn’s battle with cancer, become the house band for Mix 98.5, and mature as artists. Heck, I’ve been a fan so long I can even remember Andy Creegan, and I remember being bummed when he left the band before the release of Born on a Pirate Ship.

Steven Page, though … he holds a special place in my heart. Continue reading →