What have they done for you?

[iambe]

Since it came up in the other thread and because I absolutely love these stories, I decided to start a new thread here. I'll tell a couple to start.

Two of my favorite BNL stories:

Story #1
S&D III. After years of teasing MfSD about his celebrity, Andrea and I decided to make it official with MfSD fan club t-shirts. A bunch of people bought them and we planned a surprise get-together on the ship to wear them. Somewhere along the line the idea of buying one for Ed and trying to get him to the get-together came up. We approached him about it on the ship, and when he heard it was for MfSD his whole face lit up. He was disappointed he wouldn't be able to make the get-together, but then he asked if it would be okay if he wore the shirt at the alumni show. We calmly and rationally considered it for .0008 nanoseconds, then screamed "yes!".

The recording from the show and the glee in Ed's voice when MfSD knew the words to Wizard of Magicland and he realized he had the perfect lead in still make me incredibly happy every time I hear it. It's a guaranteed spirit raiser for me.

Story #2
Primm Nevada, 2009
Halfway through the show Ed, apparently tired of the four empty seats directly in front of him, headed out into the audience and found four fans he recognized. He took them by the hand and personally upgraded them. I'm not sure Martha has washed that hand yet.

One more, just because it's funny.
Borders show, several years ago.
They were taking requests from the audience and we ended up writing them down on slips of paper and sticking them into a box. At the last second I decided to be funny and write a song I knew they would NEVER sing on a dollar bill and stick that in as well. Ed pulled it out, read the song title, said he doesn't know the words and threw it over his shoulder. A few minutes later Steve noticed the dollar on the floor and pocketed it. After the show at the signing table I asked Steve for the dollar back because they hadn't played the song. He refused to return it. We ended up arguing about whether it was a bribe that wasn't accepted or an investment that failed. I won the argument and he gave the dollar back. After I walked away one of my friends asked what that was all about and I told her it was just "two Jews arguing over a dollar." Steve apparently overheard me, because when he signed her poster he drew a yarmulka and sidelocks on his picture.

[DaWezl]

Well, a long long time ago, there was a new keyboardist in the band, who'd only recently been named an official member. To welcome him into the BNL fold, I gave him a box of precooked bacon, which at the time was a completely unheard of product--I think our grocery store was a test market for it. That night at the show, he sang a very special song about Bacon, just for me. :D I have a really crappy boot of it somewhere on cassette tape, lol.

[RockShrimp]

For some reason, the only things coming to mind are all "sad trombone" moments- like when Ed tried to let us pick a song and we all forgot the names of all of their songs.

or the time Steve was giving out chunks of chocolate to the folks who waited out for them in 8 degree weather in Hershey and I chipped my tooth on it.



Tyler recommended Terroni for dinner last time I was in TO, which was one of the best pizzas I ever ate, does that count? :)

and of course, the band helped me out by giving me excuses to hang out with awesome people I'd never get to see otherwise. (/sappy)

[BlamingMe]

Tyler recommended Terroni for dinner last time I was in TO, which was one of the best pizzas I ever ate, does that count? :)
and of course, the band helped me out by giving me excuses to hang out with awesome people I'd never get to see otherwise. (/sappy)

Terroni was a great place....with awesome people there! :)

[TheHYPO]

I love this thread topic, and think it's awesome. I can't begin to answer the question, though. I feel like the instant answer is, what haven't they done for me?

The first time I met a band member, I saw Ed play at a small songwriters event called Bluebird North at a Toronto club (I'm sure you can imagine, if it didn't happen this way to you too, meeting a band member for the first time at a club that seats about a hundred after having seen them only on TV, and on stage at a fairly large amphitheatre, and probably never having met a real "celebrity" before.) After having a casual joke at my expense, he happily handed me his guitar pick, signed my program and recorded a message on my mp3 player wishing my girlfriend at the time (who couldn't be there) a happy birthday very sincerely, and with some comedy thrown in. I was nervous asking him for the guitar pick in those days, so you can probably imagine how I felt asking him to take the time to record a personal message to a stranger. I'm not with that girlfriend anymore, and the message itself no longer has meaning to me in a relationship context, but it will always remind me of how Ed took the time when he probably wanted to go home ASAP to do something for a complete stranger. [PS: was anyone else at that show? I love to find stuff like that out years later]

That was the first of the things the band has done for me. I can't say I've never done anything for the band; but it's always been in reciprocation for their generousity to me. I've been very fortunate, and I'm very appreciative to have way more stories to post here than a lot of fans, I would guess. Some other examples:

I attended the 2003 Humble & Fred radio show - a former TO radio morning show that had a christmas show every year at a local restaurant/club that sat maybe a hundred or two people in a big empty ballroom with a few risers set up as a stage on one side. Ed showed up and played alone at the end of the show. After waking up at something like 4am to head downtown and line up on Dec 24 morning for the 6am start of the show (which I had thankfully won a pass to that week), the show didn't end until 9. It was a long snow-stormy morning. I created my first Christmas parody song/video that year (which looking back sounds just awful, lol) and being the eager naive child I was, wanted Ed to hear it. After signing some autographs for the mostly casual fans (those shows back then were great for chatting because often you were the only non-One Week fan in attendance who actually wanted to chat). He could have said hi and just run home (on Christmas Eve morning). Instead he actually sat down and talked to me, again giving me his pick and talking about his then-new Taylor guitars and took the CD, saying he'd check out the video on it. The next time he saw me, two months later, he actually remembered who I was and (I believe he remembered without my prompting him) asked me to blog him a link to the video because the CD hadn't worked. Many artists would have tossed the CD or forgotten all about it, but he really wanted to see what I had done and that's the kind of interest that is above the call of duty for a band.
At the next year's Humble & Fred xmas show, Ed again had a lot of people chat him up after the show... but after all of that, sat down next to me and, when I asked him if he'd mind signing a few things, he told me "give me everything you've got" and spent some time signing and chatting. He then grabbed a pair of headphones and listenined to the christmas parody I'd done that year on my mp3 player. He even complimented the way I sang one line and told me he'd have to steal it. He never did, I don't think, but it was still a nice thing to say. Again, this is 9am on christmas eve morning (maybe it was dec. 23 that year). And he must have spent at least 15 minutes hanging out with a complete stranger just to make my day.
I have to say that the most unexpected, and perhaps unforgettable thing any of them have ever done for me, is being asked by Steve (pretty much completely out of the blue) to be a part of his band (for the first cruise). I don't think I'll ever forget that moment.
For someone who hasn't actually been in the band since 1994/5, Andy Creeggan has always been kind, chatting for long whiles with me, including to give me advice and encouragement after he heard that I'd be playing with Steve.
More than my fair share of set lists and guitar picks they've passed to me after shows since almost day one
Any number of other things that I don't need to post about here.


I would have to say though, probably behind any of the above things, that the most important thing the band has ever done for me was to teach me guitar. Playing guitar has become something that has probably become an identifying trait about me, and I pretty much owe that to Barenaked Ladies. If not for this band, I would likely never have learned a Bm chord, or gotten past the very basics of playing. I admit that I didn't pick up the guitar to play their songs, but they are the reason I held onto it. I have two answers to the question "where did you learn to play guitar". The first is "I taught myself", and the second is "Ed Robertson taught me". While that's proably misleading at first, it's pretty true that I learned most of my guitar basics from video and audio of Ed's playing. He has also always been completely open, patient and helpful when I've had questions about songs, culminating in an amazingly helpful one-on-one session we had where we actually went over a bunch of songs that allowed me to complete a number of tabs accurately for RIOS that I couldn't otherwise find video of (I admit, I still have a few of these songs to write out and post). This is way beyond what I expected of him and I am grateful to him and all the other guys in the band for everything they give to their fans.

But mostly what they've done for me is produce a ****load of great songs that I love, toured at a [most of the time] affordable price, usually within a fair distance of me, and made those concerts extremely enjoyable. That is really all anyone could ask of a band, and anything above that is probably considered a bonus.

I should also point out that there are plenty of stories just like these that involve their crew too, who have also been more than generous folks themselves.

As I read through my old blogs about some of these shows from years ago, I actually start to remember the excitement I had as a new fan, posting every unique moment from every show so I'd remember it, and to inform my friends. I think sometimes it's easy to forget how the littlest thing can be exciting in the beginning of a fandom that has now become mudane, and it's a lesson not to be cynical when you see other new fans excited about seemingly silly things. This is an actual line from one that is so far from anything I'd ever bother to blog about today:
"Acoustic Sellx3 was really good. It was cool as Ed backed off to stand with the other guys when he was backing Steve for the 'iv league' type parts and then moved up for the duet lines. He didn't just lean back for them, he actually moved and stood in a line in the back. It sounded really good."

Ah, nostalgia

I'm sorry this post got long, but that seems to be happening quite a bit in the last few days with me. I guess I figure that if there's a post that's going to go long, it might as well be the praising the band for how awesome they are. I don't really do that enough, I'm afraid.

[Liam]

Fantastic post, Allan. You have some really great stories.

I think I'm gonna need to sit down with a lot of time to spare to get mine together - but in a nutshell, the band have been fantastic to me. :) I'll get writing....

[garyrulez]

On the cruise, they were awesome to my 3 year old daughter AND 64 year old mother. Enough said, right?

[Suebee42]

Even though he's left, I was very fortunate to work with Flagship Recordings, and help bring The Vanity Project album to the world. Steve was involved from the very beginning, and actually chose the sketch that would eventually become the Flagship logo. A few months later, I introduced myself as "the person working with Flagship Recordings" at the first Jackson-Triggs show (Labor Day weekend 2005), and he said, "Oh! You're Sue!" before he signed my advance copy.

I about died.

My other memory is Tyler walking down the line outside the venue after the Rochester Peep show, offering everyone baked goods left over from catering. The weather was horrible (Ed almost got taken out by a wayward roof shingle, it was so windy), so it was so great to be offered a snack to pass the time... LOL! "Baked good? ...Baked good?"

In 2006, I snagged front row tickets at Blue Cross Arena, right in front of Ed. It also happened to be his birthday, so I decided to make some Birthday hats for everyone. During "Pinch Me," my husband (who has better aim) tossed one up there, and Ed put it on. Another person in the audience got pictures, both when it was on his head and when it was on his face as he made crazy bird sounds, and I have an 8x10 of the latter framed on my family room wall. :)

http://www.suebeedesigns.com/images/edbird.jpg

Beyond those little moments, the MAIN thing they have done for me is connect me with countless new friends that have almost become family to me. Nothing is more important than that.

[Philip]

Entertained me - and that's more than enough.

[PolyesterAngel]

Entertained me - and that's more than enough.

Same here. And allowed me to get awesome lemony chewy British candy :)

[becky11]

I was very fortunate to get into a sound check in Portland, ME in 2005 and I brought my brother & infant daughter with me. (Say what you want about my parenting skills, but I had her VERY bundled up and it wasn't as super loud as a full-on show.) Someone on stage saw me out there with her and had someone bring some child headphones out to put on her. (I didn't know of their existance or else I would have purchased some, and have since done so.) After sound check was over, I brought them back to the side of the stage, and Ed, Jim, and Tyler came to 'meet' my daughter, and Tyler still asks me about her whenever I see him. He has something in common with her, so it's kind-of special. ;)

She also got quite a bit of 'stage love' at the Universal Orlando show. To see her face light up when she sees them play, or hears their songs, is PLENTY enough for me. If only I can get them to play "Pollywog in a Bog" for her.... :D

Oh, and at the Universal show, we were lined up while they were doing soundcheck, so we could see the stage. I have been begging for YEARS to hear 'Long Way Back Home' in concert, and during soundcheck, after they played it (or was it before) I heard, "That's for you, Amy." I could be crazy, but I swear I heard it. :)

[DaWezl]

In my midnight haze, I forgot to add that of course, that was only one of many MANY kindnesses shown me by the band. Some have been big, and some have been small, but I've definitely appreciated all of them. :)

And not to really quibble with Allan's very thoughtful post, but instead of "mundane" I would describe my fandom as "evolved". Things like hearing a new song or a different arrangement still make me giddy--I've just heard a lot more than most, so it's a less frequent occurance than it used to be. When I first started going to shows, they were in small clubs where the band would head over to the bar afterwards and chat with anyone who wanted to talk (and back then most people just took off). So I never had an "OMG, these guys are STARS!!!" kind of feeling blocking me from talking to them. More often it was just my awareness that beyond "I love your music!" I didn't always have much else to talk about. If anyone is a newer fan who is nervous about talking to them, it would be hard to sound dorkier than me the first time I said hi (for the record, show #4, and it was part of a formal autograph session). I think I was trying too hard to overcome the awkward one sided nature of that type of conversation, lol. :) Even now, I tend to hang back and not push forward to talk. I was going to say hi to Tyler and Kevin at Albany, but they each moseyed off, and I am not the type of person to rush over to catch them before they left, when all I was going to do was say "hey". I just assume our paths will cross when it's meant to be, and that while I appreciate their music and they appreciate my appreciation of their music, it's not something that we have to talk about every single time I get within ten feet of them.

And nowadays, another element is that I feel like I don't want to take away from newer fans getting a chance to meet them, since I've already had the chance. If I'm talking to a band member, and I see someone come up to ask for a photo, I'm happy to step aside and let them get a snap and chat. Just the other day I was talking to a woman who was nervous and excited because she'd never had a chance to meet them after going to a bunch of shows. I was so thrilled to see her posing for pictures with them afterwards--I'm sure it made her day! :D I've also never--and perhaps this is why I've remained a fan for so long--developed too much of a BTDT feeling. I still feel as thrilled by Old Apartment and $1,000,000 as the first time I heard them live, only now the emotions are less about the newness of the songs, and more about the way all of this music has become intertwined with my life.

Which brings me to honestly the biggest thing BNL has done for me, which is that beyond the impact of their music, beyond all of the small kindnesses that they routinely have shown me & many many other fans, the biggest thing I have to thank them for is that they've brought so many incredible people into my life. Outside of the BNL sphere (i.e. Guster, Gaelic Storm, etc), the performer I've seen the most number of times is Paul Simon. I've even had the pleasure of being introduced to him. But despite having seen him perform multiple times, listening to his songs almost nonstop at times, and being enough of a fangirl that I even rushed out to buy tickets to Capeman (http://www.wbr.com/paulsimon/capeman/cmp/story.html), there is not a single person in my life that I have met through his music. OTOH, I can't even begin to count the number of friends I've made through BNL. Yeah, our initial connection was that we all liked the way a group of guys played certain instruments, but these friendships have developed way beyond a mutual interest in Canadian music. There have been some pretty tough times where I don't know how I would have made it through if I didn't have BNL friends to lean on, and there have been some really amazing times that were made a thousand times happier because I was able to share them with so many great BNL friends. I truly believe that the generosity of spirit that BNL shows to their fans attracts many MANY like-minded people, and I feel very fortunate that I've had the opportunity to meet a good number of them.

Now where's the "verklempt" smiley when I need it? ;)

[PolyesterAngel]

Also, might I add, that BNL quite literally saved my life. On the morning of September 13th, 2006, I skipped my morning class to watch them on Live with Regis and Kelly. At 12:42pm, on September 13th 2006, Kimveer Gill started a shooting rampage at my school. Had I not done so, I would have followed my regular schedule and would have been in the cafeteria/atrium when he started shooting. 19 people were injured, one killed.

[becky11]

Oh yeah, how can I forget that were it not for BNL and it's 'fandom', I never would have met my husband. :D

And we're not the only Barenaked Couple either. :)

[westielover]

Last year while on the cruise, our oldest son turned 21. He unfortunately could not come with us as we pay for college not cruises and he was in classes! Anyway, we decided to get signatures in a book from people he knew wishing him a happy 21st. We got every one of the boys to sign the book and Tyler's was our favorite!

Happy 21st Birthday Ted, your parents suck!

Classic and he shared that one on his radio show, Ted that is! It was a special thing for someone's 21st birthday, who did not get to come on the cruise, that each of the boys took the time to sign a nice little note!

[Michelle in WI]

I mentioned this on the other thread, but, making me (random fan) feel as though I was missed on Ships and Dip III.

My husband and I cancelled our trip last-minute so that we could adopt our son (who, as some of you know, with a due date of January 24th, had the nerve to NOT be born until after the cruise was back). Many of you Dippers know that Dominic's adoption process was, at times, a bit of a nightmare, so all the love was most appreciated. Thanks to some awesome Dipper friends, we received an autographed postcard in the mail, the "I survived Ships and Dip II" shirt I had printed up was autographed by all (even Andy signed that one), and best of all, Crystal (unbeknownst to us) had prited up an "Official Barenaked Baby" onesie which they signed, and she sent along a letter in which she quoted all of their congratulations to us.

Getting a metric ton of postcards from Dippers was also very cool.

[Amicustoall]

When I think of BNL I think of joy. Not only has their music directly brought me joy, but I have experienced joy in so many other ways related to BNL. Just few are:
1. ketchup and I flying to Vancouver with my son for the Tsunami concert. I met some incredible people there, and watched as the guys brought joy to so many people there (as well as ketchup and I), while also bringing joy to me that a band that I loved was so willing to give of themselves for others. I also got to watch a young man in college at the time that had managed to scrap together enough for a ticket stand and rock out to BNL throughout their entire set, while the remainder of his section sat Canadian still. He was easily visible from the floor from the sheer joy that he was transmitting like a beacon.
2. Me flying to Vancouver to meet up with some wonderful BNL fans that I have met from across North America for the WWF concert. Again, it was a proud joyful time knowing that BNL was giving of themselves for a good cause. Again, I got to watch the joy screaming from the same college student, especially when after holding up a sign that said "Will Woodblock for Free" he was asked to come up on stage and woodblock with the band. I do not need pictures to remind me of the joy that we all experienced through him. We had purchased VIP tickets, which allowed us to attend a cocktail gathering after the concert. It was pure joy to enter to discover a small stage off to one side, where we were given a huge gift, a short all acoustic set. I was standing so close I could have tuned Ed's guitar. All of the guys were having such fun. What a treat. After their set all of the guys worked the room, having their pictures taken, giving autographs and chatting with attendees. I am much more of an observer, but what a night of joy for all. I think the highlight for me was when I handed Kevin an ice cream bar. He had commented to someone he was taking pictures with that he did not know they had ice cream, and he was not able to move, so I went and got him one. He seemed genuinely happy that someone would do that for him.
3. ketchup and I went to the Borders in store performance for BLAM. We purchased two more copies of BLAM and got first priority wristbands. When they let us into the store, we found a place very close to the front of the stage, but off to a side. In a short time a young man, probably 12, approached us with his very pregnant mom. She was trying to find him a place to stand and watch. I motioned for him to come stand with us, and when the guys took the stage, I almost had to pushed him go in front of us. The joy that he experienced and then gave back to me as I watched him was worth more than I can tell. After the set, his mom came over and thanked me and they went to go over to the signing table. I noticed in had a much lower priority bracelet. I reached in my purse and pulled out the first priority bracelets we had, stopped them and told the boy and his mom to take them as they could get to see the guys faster. He was so funny and very polite and said, not those are yours. I explained that we were not going to use them and he should. I can still see the smile that appeared on his face as he looked to his mom to ask if he could take them. As he almost floated across the store to line up with his mom, I felt pure joy.
4. The same college student mentioned above several times and I have been friends for years now, and he was telling me one day that he thought he could scrap enough money together to attend the BLAM show in Vancouver, but not more than one. Knowing just how much joy that BNL brought to him I bought him tickets for a show that was close by. Being the great kid he is, he refused to take it at first, so I had to "hire" him to do a review for me in order for him to take the ticket.
5. During the BLAM tour, I was traveling to Detroit and Cleveland, I ended up with an extra ticket (it might have been two) in the second row for Detroit. After we entered the arena, I walked to back of the floor section, and recognizing a fan from one of the boards (that I have never met), I walked up and handed her the extra and then left. The look on her face was priceless as they say.
6. Watching a sound check in Cleveland, it was amazing to see the joy that each of the five seemed to experience as they worked on their music in preparation for the show.
7. Watching Andy and his wife interact and deal with their little ones on the cruises are truly joyful experiences that I treasure.
8. Watching Jimmy and his wife and little one interact on one of the cruises was amazing, and certainly brought to me more joy than they will ever know.
9. Being exposed to tons of other great artists. They include Guster, Mike Doughty, Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, Mike Evin, and I am sure I am forgetting some others. Each of them as become one of my favorite bands and I have my own joyful encounters with many of them, including exchanging jabs with Alan Doyle several times on the the second cruise from my balcony, and watching Sarah interact with her kids in the pool on the last one.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, the joy of friendship for the many friends that I have made because of BNL.

[katezilla]

They were the soundtrack of my years at UMass-Amherst. And since graduation, the soundtrack of my life, I guess! ;)

We have so many great memories that involve BNL shows -- esp. the Stunt show at Government Ctr. in Boston in 1998... all 3 cruises, and my first trip to Canada to see them at Massey Hall in December 2008.... front row, with a bunch of great friends! I'll never forget after the encore, Ed handed me his pick. :)

I, like many here have already stated, have met some of The. Greatest. People. because of the band, whom I talk to every day and love dearly! No other band that I'm a fan of has done that for me.

[TheHYPO]

Tyler still asks me about her whenever I see him. He has something in common with her, so it's kind-of special. ;)

Oh come on, surely your daughter has grown some hair since 1995?... ;)

[MoodyCat]

In 2006, I snagged front row tickets at Blue Cross Arena, right in front of Ed. It also happened to be his birthday, so I decided to make some Birthday hats for everyone. During "Pinch Me," my husband (who has better aim) tossed one up there, and Ed put it on. Another person in the audience got pictures, both when it was on his head and when it was on his face as he made crazy bird sounds, and I have an 8x10 of the latter framed on my family room wall. :)

I loved that!!! At that same show, Suebee's husband tossed a birthday card I had gotten for Ed up on stage and he opened it right there showing it to the crowd.

Probably the best moment of all though, was them picking out my son at the Massey Hall Dec 6th show in 2008 and talking to him during the concert. They even made up an ad-lib song based on what they were telling him.

There's many more moments, but those are just the quickest 2 that came to mind.

[Suebee42]

I loved that!!! At that same show, Suebee's husband tossed a birthday card I had gotten for Ed up on stage and he opened it right there showing it to the crowd.


I totally forgot about that! :eek: :D

[cynical]

Oh, and at the Universal show, we were lined up while they were doing soundcheck, so we could see the stage. I have been begging for YEARS to hear 'Long Way Back Home' in concert, and during soundcheck, after they played it (or was it before) I heard, "That's for you, Amy." I could be crazy, but I swear I heard it. :)

You are not crazy - Tyler gave you a shout out - heard it too!

[cynical]

Oh come on, surely your daughter has grown some hair since 1995?... ;)

now THAT was funny -:p
I can vouch. She has a lovely head of hair!

[Sally]

Suebee---those baked goods were courtesy of the late, great Shelby. An amazing woman with an amazing heart; and no doubt the oldest fan prior to her passing. She was a true fan and friend of the band, and she welcomed fans into her coffee shop with smiles and love. BC had a few shows at her joint, and each one was more welcoming than the next. Truly a gift, she was.

Anyway...I could go on all day about how much this band means to me, how many things I've done because of it, and how much I owe to them as musicians and people. They have given me some of the best friends in the world who I will treasure forever, they introduced me to hardcore interneting (just out of sheer wanting of everything BnL...chatting, merch, boards, etc.). My fandom started out as what I called an accident for a really long time (sneaking into a club at the age of 15) but now I realize was more fate than anything else. I can't go everywhere to see them anymore even though I can afford it a lot easier, but that job gets in the way, you know? It doesn't matter--my respect and admiration has not waned in one bit.

I mean, I went to a show at my college in '96 and was expecting to see Andy and saw Kevin. Though gobsmacked that such a thing had occurred...I went with it and got it. I wasn't really interneting at the time, just a bit (I was a busy college student) so I had no prior knowledge; but when BC came out with their first album, I still had my Andy fix. When Steven left the band last year, I cried for a couple of days. I had seen it coming, but the confirmation was nuts. Definitely in a different stage in my life, I was able to look back at everything that I had gone through with the music and was gobsmacked at the years I had spent with the band in my life. Again, I moved on and realized that "my band" (as my mother started calling them in '99 or so) would still be "my band." And I would have Steven's solo stuff to still love.

I have so very many memories and things they have given me that I could spend days listing them all out, but the times and friends in #bnlmusic, #bnl, MYSD.net, bndotnet, a little bit of the S&D board, and now here...priceless. Here are a few standerouters beside what I've mentioned:

--I went on my first cruise. Holy schnikes.
--Starting a collection of "Ty holding a drink" photos
--I was at that Icon show that many of us have boot of (that was the accident)
--NYE '99 Buffalo
--all the other music I've been introduced to: Guster, Vertical Horizon, Gavin DeGraw, and the countless Canadians I've been loving since I was 17 or so because "they were Canadian like BnL" and some who opened for them (Moxy Fruvous, Rheostatics, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sarah Harmer, The Tragically Hip, etc. etc. etc.
--Weiners, sausages, and buns
--The shows I went to in the '01 summer tour
--Drums, Chicken, and Poop: made by two of my very favorite friends in the entire world, Mace & Thales
--Having Tyler approve of a 2 CD gift I made a friend, to make sure the mix was right
--Countless outside aftershow lineups in the wind, rain, and snow...we were like a family, dudes! Straight up!
--My Barenaked Road Trip in February '04...first time to Maine, Connecticut, and Philly. And I got tied to a fence with a scarf...thanks, Morgan
--Joe Self being straight up rad
--Traveling all over with my friend Lynette. Including all kinds of BC shows all over Ontario.
--Syracuse ON Center show when Ed threw a pick at my friend NyQui's cleavage intentionally...and he made it.
--Not catching a drumstick for years...until I went to the Turning Stone Casino show and a little birdy gave Tyler a heads up and he threw all of his drumsticks at me, in one big clump. Every. Single. One. (I am gracious though, and gave most of them away).
--Crying at Andy's participation in the final show on S&D3
--The riding crop dance with Cece at every show we are at together
--Finding love and compassion and hurt and anger and friendship and kinship and every other emotion and feeling through every song lyric, every chord, every note of the songs I love and even the ones I don't love...who can ask for more than that?

Sorry, that was more than a few, but I love these kinds of threads.

I love every friend that I have made through this band...many are on this board, many are on others, many aren't so much into the band anymore, but each and every one of you have influenced my life in one way or another. There are far too many people to mention, so know that most likely if you know me, you're one of them.

"I love fishsticks, but I love you."

[therealshell]

They have bought joy to my frequently dour life.

[Suebee42]

Suebee---those baked goods were courtesy of the late, great Shelby. An amazing woman with an amazing heart; and no doubt the oldest fan prior to her passing. She was a true fan and friend of the band, and she welcomed fans into her coffee shop with smiles and love. BC had a few shows at her joint, and each one was more welcoming than the next. Truly a gift, she was.

--Syracuse ON Center show when Ed threw a pick at my friend NyQui's cleavage intentionally...and he made it.
--Not catching a drumstick for years...until I went to the Turning Stone Casino show and a little birdy gave Tyler a heads up and he threw all of his drumsticks at me, in one big clump. Every. Single. One. (I am gracious though, and gave most of them away).


Thank you, I had forgotten that. I never "met" her, but I was sitting near her at the Barenaked Circus show, and remember Tiny coming up to chat with her (someone else told me who it was).

I wish I had spotted the cleavage shot... I must have been too distracted by Steve om nom nomming on the giant underwear tossed on stage for me (that you got a picture of) and Jules playing drums. That really was a memorable show! LOL!

I totally remember the drumsticks! That was SO freakin' funny! Weeeeeee shower of drumsticks!

Tyler handed John a stick after the Shea's Buffalo Show, after trying to throw one to him at at least two other shows, and failing (John's tall... people remember him... including Ty LOL).

[sandimas]

I'll repeat Allan's sentiment of gosh, what hasn't the band (or certain bnlfan folks) done for me? A list of memorable encounters, from earliest to latest (or as I can remember them):

-Ed happily taking a cassette tape and book my first graders made of what they'd do if they had a million dollars during the Maroon tour. He told me how much he appreciated it at a tour stop later.

-Steve picking me out for Beat the Crew in Las Vegas and thus where I became known thereafter as MfSD.

-Steve picking me for a song request at Borders, and Ed apologizing for messing up "Same Thing".

-I got picked for a question for the Songwriter's Panel during S&D 1.

-That shirt....and all those people who would later show up the next day in that shirt! :)

-Numerous shoutouts from the deserts of Tempe to the hinterlands of Huntsville, Ontario.

-Ed to Matthew, my boy: "We talk about your dad all the time."

-Conversing with Tyler about the hockey tournament during the cruise.

But even if none of these wonderful things had happened and I wasn't MfSD, this band has done plenty for me by lifting me up numerous times when I've been stressed or down and out. Everything else that you see above has just been icing on the cake.

Michael, thankful :)

[garyrulez]

-Steve picking me out for Beat the Crew in Las Vegas and thus where I became known thereafter as MfSD.

Wow, Michael- I was at that show! It was my bachelor party. Mandalay Bay, right?

"HOLY SHIT! EUCALYPT?!?!?!?!"

[DaWezl]

But even if none of these wonderful things had happened and I wasn't MfSD

Michael, dear, you have ALWAYS been the awesomeness that is MfSD. BNL just had the good sense to publicly recognize and celebrate that awesomeness. :p

(And yes, my family will attest to the fact that I have always been a weasel--in fact they gave me the name *years* before BNL even existed)

[becky11]

Wow, Michael- I was at that show! It was my bachelor party. Mandalay Bay, right?

"HOLY SHIT! EUCALYPT?!?!?!?!"

Yep - that's the show. I was there, too. I had just returned from a deployment. Only time I've ever been to Vegas. :)

[garyrulez]

Wow- I know other people who were there too- that's crazy. The thing I remember most about the show is that despite how much I had to drink (a lot) I still remember it. Vegas, baby.

Also, my all-time favorite show to listen to on download.

[bnlmom]

I wish I had the experiences alot of you have had,but I came into this fun late.However I can say the band has given me alot of great music and entertainment. My son's first concert was the 2003 Peepshow in Cleveland and he was able to meet the band after the 2005 Holiday show. Also I've been exposed to some other great bands too!

[Mobitz]

I'll repeat Allan's sentiment of gosh, what hasn't the band (or certain bnlfan folks) done for me? A list of memorable encounters, from earliest to latest (or as I can remember them):

-Ed happily taking a cassette tape and book my first graders made of what they'd do if they had a million dollars during the Maroon tour. He told me how much he appreciated it at a tour stop later.

-Steve picking me out for Beat the Crew in Las Vegas and thus where I became known thereafter as MfSD.

-Steve picking me for a song request at Borders, and Ed apologizing for messing up "Same Thing".

-I got picked for a question for the Songwriter's Panel during S&D 1.

-That shirt....and all those people who would later show up the next day in that shirt! :)

-Numerous shoutouts from the deserts of Tempe to the hinterlands of Huntsville, Ontario.

-Ed to Matthew, my boy: "We talk about your dad all the time."

-Conversing with Tyler about the hockey tournament during the cruise.

But even if none of these wonderful things had happened and I wasn't MfSD, this band has done plenty for me by lifting me up numerous times when I've been stressed or down and out. Everything else that you see above has just been icing on the cake.

Michael, thankful :)



I thought you singing a couple lines when Steve couldn't remember them during the Double dippers show was fantastically fun! (I was a person or two behind you-We could feel the excitement!)

[Suebee42]

Wow- I know other people who were there too- that's crazy. The thing I remember most about the show is that despite how much I had to drink (a lot) I still remember it. Vegas, baby.

Also, my all-time favorite show to listen to on download.

I wasn't there, but I did buy it, and I also love listening to it. I picked it up because I liked some of the rotating songs they chose, and about choked when I heard MfSD in there. LOL!

[NiceyDoodle]

I don't have an amazing story to share.

All I can tell you is I love no other band like I love this one. They make me happy and make me sing and dance. Ive been on all 3 cruises. Saw a Holiday show, saw BLAM and went to Orlando to see them as 4 for the first time. That's it. All I know is mostly from the cruise. They've always been entertaining and very accommodating.

They are genuine and Ed is my boyfriend. My boyfriend helped me meet my bestfriends.

[RockShrimp]

People reminded me - I also got to ask a question during one of the peep shows in DC... My mom still claims they got the idea to do the holiday CD from me (my mom doesn't necessarily understand any of my nonsense, but she's accustomed to it by now at least). I think afterwards was actually the first time I was old enough to stay out afterwards by the busses to meet them. :D


(also, rena's cat story reminded me of a different story about the first time I realized they knew my name but I don't know if it counts as something they did for me or just a horribly embarrassing moment)

[iambe]

(also, rena's cat story reminded me of a different story about the first time I realized they knew my name but I don't know if it counts as something they did for me or just a horribly embarrassing moment)

You can make it small but you still have to tell the story. :D

[momtokka]

Tyler recommended Terroni for dinner last time I was in TO, which was one of the best pizzas I ever ate, does that count? :)



That is an excellent restaurant! :D

[PilotMal]

I figured I'd jump into this thread. Hope you guys are down with it! I know I haven't been around the BNL forum scene for long, and for that I feel kinda bad. But here goes.

- The camraderie and amazing friendships formed between myself and some other BNL fans, as well as the general awesome community that seems to revolve around this band

- A song for every single day. Seriously. No matter what mood I'm in, no matter whats gone down, there's a BNL song for it.

- The AMAZING opportunity to interview Ed after he was promoted to Honorary Colonel of 424 Search & Rescue Squadron at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. I was reporting for my high school newspaper and was one of the few media members at the event; Ed was gracious enough to not only answer my questions, hook me up with an autograph and a picture, but also to give me a lot of time and just chat about music and aviation (we share those in common!). I really appreciate him for that.

- Sort of a strange one, but my first top ten ribbon at a big Arabian horse show was the freestyle reining (here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od8lj_FOkh8) to show you what reining is) routine to "One Week". I couldn't move on to Nationals because...well...thats far too expensive! But thanks BNL for providing a great song to do a routine to ;)

- OUF! Forgot to mention that Aluminum is my Solo Song! This being the song you sing to yourself your first time flying solo in an aircraft. Its a HUGE tradition and something a lot of pilots can still recount.

[Suebee42]

You keep that picture as your avatar, and you can spend allllllll the time you want here. What is it about a man in uniform? *mrowr* :D

[PilotMal]

You keep that picture as your avatar, and you can spend allllllll the time you want here. What is it about a man in uniform? *mrowr* :D

Oh man. Agreeeeeed. I should post the pictures I took at the actual event some time.

Ed looks STELLAR in blue ;) An air force man if I've ever seen one!

[Den of Antiquity]

Great topic. Basically, BNL single-handedly brought me back to doing my own music. After years of playing in bands in high school and college, I graduated, "grew up" and started a family. And stopped playing music for almost 6 years. My daughter was 4 years old when I discovered BNL and at the time I didn't even own any instruments. I soon bought an acoustic guitar and started learning all the BNL songs I could and played them for her at night to put her to sleep. Her favorite was "When I Fall." Many of my family members have video of my daughter and I doing our duet of $1,000,000.

Soon I started writing again and did my own home studio pop CD largely influenced by BNL. Eventually I started playing in bands again, and now will soon be releasing a CD of new original classic rock with my band Den of Antiquity. I can honestly say NONE of this would have happened without BNL as my re-inspiration. They will always hold a special place in my musical soul.

Oh yeah, and they also inspired me to get naked on a boat twice with a couple hundred other crazy cruisers...

[JaneInANutshell]

I LOVE this thread. I don't know why I waited so long to join the forum over here (I've been on bn.net since 2005). Anyway, BNL has brought me so much joy....I still remember the first time I heard them....IIHAMD on the radio. Since then, any time I've gone through a rough patch, they have cheered me up countless times and have given me the best concert experiences I could ask for. I still can't believe it when I realize I've been a fan for 19 years!!! No matter how many times I get sidetracked by other bands, I somehow always come back to my "imaginary" Canadian boyfriends. :D;)

Also I should add - and this is NOT meant in a stalkerish way - they really might be some of my favorite people ever, especially Ed. I so love that they're such nice guys and that they treat their fans so well. I really, truly admire them.

[just blame craig]

I have not been a fan as long as most of you (found them in 1999) but I would say I am a pretty big fan. Because of them I've made friends from all over the globe that I talk to on a daily basis. They got me to take my first cruise because I never would have went without them. I loved that I was able to get my picture taken with each member of the band at different times on S&D V. (Again late to the party I missed the first two.) But mostly they have me looking to the future for more ways to be happy.

[Marthie]

Story #2
Primm Nevada, 2009
Halfway through the show Ed, apparently tired of the four empty seats directly in front of him, headed out into the audience and found four fans he recognized. He took them by the hand and personally upgraded them. I'm not sure Martha has washed that hand yet.



:) This was basically the ONLY time I felt I HAD to go up to Ed (or any of the guys, for that matter) after the show to thank him for that. It put that one show in direct contention with the whole of S&D III and S&D V for the best BNL experience ever.

"We can rock better now that those seats are full." JC

[bearnaked]

:) This was basically the ONLY time I felt I HAD to go up to Ed (or any of the guys, for that matter) after the show to thank him for that. It put that one show in direct contention with the whole of S&D III and S&D V for the best BNL experience ever.

"We can rock better now that those seats are full." JC

My favorite quote(s):
Ed: "I didn´t mean to pick such a tall guy, and plus he´s german, so he can´t understand it"
Ty: "Ma`am, enjoy the crack of his ass!"
Kev: "There´s four empty seats up there if you can´t see"
...and that very lady complaining after TLTL that we should sit down, b/c she couldn´t see the band (and her leaving two songs later)

But that was just the cherry on the icing on top of the cake...

...standing in the freezing cold december night in London, watching the band take their time with their fans, while Fin (unsuccessfully) tried to usher them to the bus, Ed and Kev and Ty returning to the fans again and again... at 1:35 a.m., with their plane for Canada leaving at 7 a.m.
...so many songs that signified (and sometimes accompanied) important periods in my life
...so many wonderfully crazy people I met at their concerts (and cruises)
...being caught on the S&D III-video, blaring away to 'Aluminum' during the alumni-show
...chatting with Ed and Ty and Tini and Kev (although I´m not sure he even noticed us) at the bar after the Primm concert for almost an hour `till 2 a.m., although I was "the new guy" (15 concerts, only 4 on dry land...)

...and so many more things, events, emotions, too numerous for me and my dwindling memory to recollect...

[Shardith]

I felt I had to resurrect this thread because I know there are more stories out there waiting to be shared. I was fortunate enough to meet Ed for the first time just this past January after one of their radio shows. I'm still delighted he took the time to chat with me and answer my airplane related question. It seemed like he really enjoyed talking about it too! Jim, Kevin, and Tyler were also out posing for pictures and circulating with the fans waiting by the buses. I'd been going through a rough few months leading up to that time, and this event was a sorely needed boost of happy. What other fans are so fortunate as BNL fans to have so much opportunity to meet their band, not just at some special event but on a fairly regular basis?? :D

[Belyha]

Thanks for resurrecting this, Shardith- I had not seen it and it contains a lot of funny and beautiful sentiments...

I have been a fan for a long time, and honestly, I listen to them and think about them everyday. They have been with me through so many things, and are my favorite people I know I don't really know (and I should add that I have a certain fondness for some of you regulars on this board, who I don't really know as well) They are my musical prozac, my moral compass (What would Tyler do?), the voice of my generation- my Beatles... I went through a really dark period of loss, very serious illness, and depression, and still deal with chronic medical issues-but I knew I was back among the living when I re-focused on the band, started following this board, got back to going to shows...so I thank them and you all- what a fabulous, intelligent community we are, with such excellent taste in music and human beings. We recognize our own. Long live BNL!!!!!

[ProudMommy77]

I'm sure I'll have a better story after the Massey Hall concert in November (for my first M&G, and after 19 years of fandom, I think it's about time to meet the band)!

However, I will always remember during the BOAPS tour, when Kev was new, them just razzing the little town near me for it's tourism.

Ed kept saying "It's a market, people! They have those EVERYWHERE, seriously!", to which Steve quipped "Yes, I don't really get it myself. I believe vegetables are available in supermarkets now."

Ah, it's not likely funny to anyone who doesn't live near St. Jacobs, but damn, I almost peed myself laughing!

[squirtle]

Kevin Hearn said he liked this drawing I made
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=285de69cd5&view=att&th=122606df6ee7cb69&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_fwxpu2vc0&zw

REAAALLLY big file.

I wanna show him this drawing next
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss271/Greeniebuttons/drawings/s640x480.png

My friend 桃 drew it. Also I think I wanna meet Jim next and tell him he's my favorite furry.

[McGerkey]

This one time Steve complimented me via the myspaces on a retarded song about bagels I had written and uploaded.

You are welcome for that very interesting and exciting story.

[Jen7667]

Ed handed me a pic during the peep show and then during a holiday show he handed me another pic and wrote on it and Ty personally gave me a drumstick during the Maroon tour and Jim always remembers me. Little things like that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy:D

[JellyBelly]

Lawdy this is such a brilliant thread that I had to register to respond to it :D
Just reading all your stories made me all a bit teary eyes

I dunno seems like the best thing the band has done for me was introduce me to some of my best friends in the world, kind people who have always been there for me for the smallest and biggest things. At the time when I was REALLY getting into the band (casual listener and concert goer before) I was a teenager who had just moved to a new (old) country which was very lonely and it was something very special for me to have friends on the interwebs to get me through everything then and since (and band related those friends among other things have gotten me closer to the stage in concerts, gave me signed limited edition CDs, and bought me albums when I couldn't buy them myself - just amazing).

Buuuut if I have to tell non-mushy stories ;)...
At the circus I had a sign regarding coming from a far for the concert and Steve saw it and tried to throw me a pic. Which someone else caught because I'm super short. So he threw another one. Which was caught by someone else again. So he threw another one (I think this was throughout the entire show and not one after the other but my memory is vague) and finally someone who caught it gave it to me. That just seemed like a really sweet thing for him to do.

They also have recorded voice and video messages for me (again going back to my awesome friends) which was super kind of them to take the time to be willing to do that.

And not something they did directly but my favorite story- at a concert in 2000 in Dallas I was pretty far back but rocking out and someone came up to me and said that he's from a radio station and he saw I was singing all the lyrics so he wanted to give me 2 front row tickets. It took me a minute to realize this was not a joke (or a creepy pedophile as I was a teenager) and then my brother and I *sprinted* up front. First real amazing concert going experience and one of the best nights of my life.

Oh I'm getting myself so excited for seeing them next month :p
Cheers.

[Appleblossom28]

I've been a fan of this band since I was 13 years old. They've giving me some of the best memories of my lifetime. While I miss Steven. Ed was always the one that jumped out at me. He has a free bird personally that I always wished I had. When he's on stage everything bad just disappears. So as long as he has that joy up there I will continue to love this group.

[luminarias]

I want to contribute but don't even know how to pick. So I won't. :D

The all-time was when Ed called my friend's mom after Peepshow. My friend had been holding up a sign saying HEY ED MY MOM THINKS UR HOT so when he spoke to her mom he said, "Thank you for thinking I'm hot." What Ed does not know is that her mom had been in a crushing depression following the death of her husband, and this was one of her first glimmers back to life following that event. I will never, ever forget he did this.

Peepshow was the same show where Tyler deliberately held some drumsticks out of the way of a lot of grabby hands until my friend could grab them. He later told her it was because he felt bad for her because she was short and right up against the stage, and "All I could see was eyes. It was like some kind of muppet."

The time I got sad because I got given a huge rash of &^% by the &*%^%$ing security guards at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for having a camera, and suddenly I felt a pick bounce off the top of my head, and when I looked up, Ed was singing right at me. I got so instantly happy that Ed's smile in response was just amazing.

That was the same show where the security guards started giving the same rash of &%$ to a very pregnant lady, and Tyler walked right up to the edge of the stage and started YELLING "Feliz Navidad" at the security guard, to the ovation of the entire audience.

When I volunteered for Barenaked Planet in San Diego, and when Ed came up to me, he said, "This is your second show on this tour, right?" It was actually my third, but that was the moment I realized I was officially on the roster of "superfan."

Jim seeing me in the crowd, recognizing me and waving to me as he took the stage of Petapalooza in Vegas earlier this year.

That'll do for now :)

[Suebee42]

"All I could see was eyes. It was like some kind of muppet."


Awesome. :D

[Janie]

There have many over the years (Ed's voicepost on my LiveJournal telling people he was locked in my basement being one) but my most recent was at Canandaigua when, after telling Ed it was my 74th show, he very seriously told me that in BNL every 74th show came with a hug and a kiss (which he then gave me).

Something for everyone to look forward to.

[Shardith]

There have many over the years (Ed's voicepost on my LiveJournal telling people he was locked in my basement being one) but my most recent was at Canandaigua when, after telling Ed it was my 74th show, he very seriously told me that in BNL every 74th show came with a hug and a kiss (which he then gave me).

Something for everyone to look forward to.

We were right next to you in line when you got your hug and kiss. Sig other jokingly wondered why it was the 74th and not the 75th show when this reward happened, but as we all know, BNL never does any traditional numbering of shows!! It was a very sweet thank you for supporting them for so long!! :D

(Edit: BTW love your avatar, Calvin and Hobbes is my all time favorite comic)

I want to contribute but don't even know how to pick. So I won't. :D

The all-time was when Ed called my friend's mom after Peepshow. My friend had been holding up a sign saying HEY ED MY MOM THINKS UR HOT so when he spoke to her mom he said, "Thank you for thinking I'm hot." What Ed does not know is that her mom had been in a crushing depression following the death of her husband, and this was one of her first glimmers back to life following that event. I will never, ever forget he did this.

This has become one of my favorites too.

[Silvestre]

Hi, great thread this.

My experiences with the band and Ed especially this last week and a half have been surreal and something I'll never forget. All I can say is thank you to all the band and their crew for the efforts they go to to play for us over here, it doesn't pay for them to do it but boy is it worth it. Their friendliness and hospitality know no bounds.

I don't need to say much more about what they have done for me (well my dad more to the point), I'll just post this youtube vid up......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ioNplMd9g&feature=youtube_gdata

[WayToSkateKate]

Oh, I loved that vid. Almost made me cry. What a precious memory of your Dad for you take with you throughout your life. Kev sure was a sweetheart.

[Shardith]

That video is phenomenal and Kevin is awesome. :D

[Silvestre]

That video is phenomenal and Kevin is awesome. :D

He was so nice to us, Dad couldn't stop smiling for hours.

Here we are thanking him after the show, burger and chips in hand.......
Signed polaroid :)

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/davejones81/Picture001-Copy.jpg

[barenakedfi]

Despite the limited opportunities to see them here in the UK, I have a few...

First headlining BNL show I was at (rather than being a support act) was the Maroon tour gig at Liverpool. I had been very ill for a year or so and in a lot of pain and the show was on the eve of the first of many surgeries I would have over the following couple of months (and years). I will never forget how they got me through that week.

In 2007, I won a soundcheck view & meeting with the band on the BLAM tour. I got a private gig of about 4-5 songs. When Steve learned my name, he remembered speaking to me online. All the band spent ages speaking to me & telling me stories. I thought Tyler would just be crazy, but (aside from crazy), he's actually really sweet and attentive when you speak to him. Ed told me the transsexual story (posted on his blog the same day) relating to the "changed into my sister's clothes" line in Pinch Me. During the show (I had circle seats right over the stage) Ed sang the line and looked up at me and grinned. I gave him the thumb's up, he sang the next line and grinned at me again and pointed his guitar at me (I have it all on shaky video!)... I was thrilled... and have boasted ever since that Ed sang that line TO ME! At the end of the show and both encores, each band member waved to me.

Won another BNL webite competition for tickets, meet & greet and t-shirt a couple of weeks ago. Tyler remembered me from Twitter. Kev asked if we had any requests & said he'd try to work one in for the other gigs we were going to. Though he didn't say, Ed seemed to vaguely recognise us from the BLAM tour.

The following wednesday, we were front row, Kev, Jim & Ed all recognised us, and kev gave us a grin of acknowledgment when they started to play my request from the previous saturday. Got a wink from Jim early in the show & a wave from Kev at the end (plus some amused smirks from Ed at various points in the show when we were singing our guts out). Oh, and I have to mention the crew member who, in response to my rather hysterical requests for a pick from the stage handed me the pick on a stage setlist!!

Waited for them after last saturday's gig. Ed asked how we'd enjoyed the tour & did a hilarious piece on video (which I then lost!!!), Jim also did a brilliant video message & Boothby did a little mess around for it too.

It's just really nice to be recognised as loyal fans... and in return, I love being able to demonstrate to them how devoted we are to their music and how much we appreciate their time and kindness.

[Shardith]

First headlining BNL show I was at (rather than being a support act) was the Maroon tour gig at Liverpool. I had been very ill for a year or so and in a lot of pain and the show was on the eve of the first of many surgeries I would have over the following couple of months (and years). I will never forget how they got me through that week.

This part of your story brought tears to my eyes. It wouldn't be the first time I'd heard of their music and their kindness helping people past a tough time in their lives.

It's just really nice to be recognised as loyal fans... and in return, I love being able to demonstrate to them how devoted we are to their music and how much we appreciate their time and kindness.

Hear hear!! BNL truly show fans their appreciation.

[barenakedfi]

I just can't believe how lucky it was that the gig was scheduled so close BEFORE the surgery.

This was the first year I've seen them that I've been physically able to stand at the front, (and get back to work so I could afford to travel to see them a few times). That made this tour, being at the front and interacting with the band during the Edinburgh show, and getting the picks and setlist all the more special.

[Kazwindy]

Love love love reading these - thanks for sharing them all, so personal and so amazing :)

[Appleblossom28]

I love reading them too. Makes me proud to stand by them.

[cjthedj53]

Lame response: Steven tuned in to my Internet radio show when I dedicated an episode to his departure, and the entire band signed a copy of BLAM for me. :)

[Silvestre]

Kev and Dad at soundcheck - Cambridge Sept 2010
Elton john 'Your Song' - with backing vocals from Kev :D



http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/davejones81/003.jpg

Kev put the soft toy next to dad for company.......

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/davejones81/0022.jpg

And one more.......

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/davejones81/0032.jpg

[jeannie76]

Such amazing pictures! Thanks for sharing such an important moment in your Dad's life with us! Just another reason why we all love these guys!

[AnotherHeartbreak]

He was so nice to us, Dad couldn't stop smiling for hours.

Here we are thanking him after the show, burger and chips in hand.......
Signed polaroid :)

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/davejones81/Picture001-Copy.jpg

I have that hat, too!