Steven Page, former frontman of Canadian pop group Barenaked Ladies, embarked on his first solo tour this fall. Having released his first album, "Page One", he set out to introduce himself as a solo act to his faithful BNL fans. Following a much publicized split with his band two years earlier, and an even more publicized cocaine arrest, Page took the stage this night in Royal Oak, Michigan looking a bit nervous, but still with the swagger his fans had come to know.
Like any great band, BNL was headed up by a two man partnership, this one comprised of Page and Ed Robertson, friends since early adolescence. Through 20 years, 10 albums and countless tours, the two had grown apart. Us BNL fans like to think it was an amicable split, but surely there were deeper issues than just creative differences. The thought that these two, who had so much chemistry together in the studio and onstage, would not be friends anymore is difficult to process. They both state publicly that that is not the case, and we hope so.
Steven Page opened his show with a track from his new album called "A New Shore", his thoughts on his new career direction. Throughout the night, he rotated between BNL songs and his own. Every other song was from his old band. This was clearly expected, and a treat for me as I prefer his songs to those of Robertson, in most cases. He sounded good although his voice didn't hold out quite as well, as you could see the embarrassment on his face when he flubbed a note. The crowd reaction was positive, and he was brought back for two encores, to standing ovations.
The odd part was the lack of chemistry with his back up band. There were no exchanges of witty banter between singer and band, and the band were playing from sheet music, as if performing in a high school assembly. The sound was good, they were tight, but they looked uncommitted.
Page himself seemed awkward, especially when he nearly apologized to the crowd for being on his own. He said for those who had seen BNL as a quintet, then a quartet, he thought it might be weird to see him by himself. Then he quickly added, "Well, I'm not by myself, I'm with these awesome people here.", as he gestured to the band. It seemed an awkward faux pas that spoke volumes about the fact that his new band was not BNL, and he thinks we wish they were.
He played a song called "Enid" from BNL's debut album, "Gordon". Quite simply, it's about a failed relationship, and the singer wants to get out with his dignity intact. He introduced it by saying that this song could describe the troubles he's been through over the last two years (the arrest, the split with his band and writing partner). Clearly, Ed Robertson has taken on the persona of Enid in his mind. Publicly he has said that leaving the band was what he wanted, but he still seems to be hurting over it.
Steven Page will be alright. This is his first solo outing, and apparently there is a learning curve that he didn't see coming. The split is still fresh, and he needs to work through that. We hope that future tours will find him more confident, and more comfortable in his role as solo artist, rather than band member. He has much to offer, and I can't wait to see what he does next. He will only be limited by his own demons,which hopefully, will be exorcized as time passes.
