A kind soul on Dimeadozen who goes by the moniker of “fuzzpsych” presently is in the process of digitizing his massive cassette collection of live and rare recordings, recorded in the Toronto area during the 80’s and 90’s.  It seems that his wife gave him a gentle nudge and suggested that the space currently being occupied by said cassettes could be reclaimed for a better purpose, and putting that item on his honey-do list translates to a win for us humble music fans hanging out on the internet.

Because wouldn’t we all like to hear a complete FM broadcast of the final show from the Barenaked Ladies’ Gordon tour?

Sure we would!

(If you’re not a BNL fan, your answer doesn’t apply here.)

Gordon came out in 1992, and my first exposure to the album came via my boss at the record store I was working at in high school.  He had a Canadian friend that would send him tapes/CDs of Canadian bands/artists worth nothing, and a CD of Gordon arrived one day at the record store.  When I came in for my shift that afternoon, my boss was very excited to play me a new CD from a band that was unlike any other band he had heard before.  Listening to Gordon, I had to agree, it was different and I instantly became a BNL fan.  And if you saw the early pressing of Gordon with the original cover (pictured below), how could you not be curious?

It would be more than two years before I’d finally get to see Barenaked Ladies, who made their Cleveland debut in September of 1994 at a sold out show at the Odeon Concert Club, touring in support of their second album, Maybe You Should Drive.  Outside of the Odeon, my friends and I winced in disgust at the clever Clevelanders who had arrived wearing either Canadian hockey jerseys or carrying a Canadian flag.  How creative. Not.

Although I love the goofiness of the early material from Gordon, I really loved the serious slant that their material began to take with the release of Maybe You Should Drive.  The band previews some of that material during this tour closing show, including “The Great Provider,” which is way up there on my list of favorite BNL songs.  It’s interesting to me the way the Toronto crowd seems to be full of screaming little girls – almost as if the band had already released “One Week” – you know, the moment that the world discovered BNL, and made them a little bit less fun?

Anyway, it’s cool to hear a full show from the Gordon tour, and although this isn’t the best BNL show I’ve ever heard on the improv/comedy side, there are quite a few choice moments – and I’ll leave you to discover those for yourself.  There’s also a cover of Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” – one of many great covers that the Ladies have trotted out over the years.

And hey, guess what – with a new Steven Page-less album (All In Good Time) in stores now, BNL are back on the road again, coming to a concert venue near you, unless you live in Cleveland.

As for Mr. Page, he has a new solo album on the horizon, and the promise of tour dates to follow.  I enjoyed his previous solo excursion quite a bit, so I’ll be looking forward to hearing the new disc when it comes around.

But enough talking – here’s that show that I’ve been telling you about for the past few minutes….flashback and enjoy!

Barenaked Ladies
Massey Hall
4/4/93

FM broadcast

complete zipped download

Download full-res files from Dimeadozen

disc one:

01. intro
02. Enid
03. New Kid on the Block
04. Hello City
05. The Same Thing
06. Crazy
07. Box Set
08. Great Provider
09. Be My Yoko Ono
10. I Love You
11. Wrap Your Arms Around Me
12. Lovers In a Dangerous Time
13. Say Hello to the 70’s
14. Break Your Heart

(dig the sound of the cassette tape running out at the end of the song!)

disc two:
15. Blame It On Me
16. Fight the Power
17. What a Good Boy
18. Grade 9
19. Lame Joke
20. If I Had $1,000,000
21. Rap Medley
22. Mama Says/Brian Wilson
23. King of Bedside Manor
24. Say You, Say Me
25. You Will Be Waiting