Hubby and I have been huge Barenaked Ladies fans for years decades.  Back in 2004, my sister and I had the opportunity to see them perform live on the Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza.

Nine years later (and two more kids later), another opportunity presented to see the BNL live once more when Busch Gardens brought the Barenaked Ladies to Tampa as part of their new Bands, Brew and BBQ series.

We were so there!  Only this time we brought our kids, but it’s Busch Gardens, an amusement park made for family fun!  Though we had three kids in tow, the BNL were one less.  Sadly, Steven Page left the group back in 2009.

My kids  are almost as big BNL fans as hubby and me.  After all, my kids learned the alphabet with the help of BNL’s Crazy ABCs.  And who doesn’t love If I Had a Million Dollars?

With a stage facing a huge open field as their venue, it felt like a concert in the park.  My girls studied the map and our roller coaster course of action while we waited for the show to start.

Many concert guests had spread blankets in grass, but my kids and I were too busy dancing along to the music to lie down and listen to the music.  Also, it was way too chilly by Tampa standards to sit still.  The Canadian band joked about bringing the cold weather with them to Tampa.  Apparently, they play better in cooler weather.

The Sheikra and Gwazi roller coasters were scenic backdrops to the show and often led to impromptu songs by lead singer, Ed Roberston.  He even encouraged the audience to join him on an epic naked roller coaster ride entitled Streaka!

In true BNL fashion, there offered many funny and not quite PC one-liners about the animals and the American Sign Language interpreter.  Ed Robertson wondered if the interpreter really was interpreting.  Robertson also encouraged all the children in the audience to take an animal home today as a parting gift from Busch Gardens.

Of course, they played all their classic BNL songs such as The Old Apartment, Brian Wilson, Pinch Me, One Week and If I Had a Million Dollars.  (The video quality on my phone videos isn’t great, but you should click play and just listen anyway.)



And they even offered an amazing cover of Talking Heads’ Burning Down the House.   Of course, most of the audience only wanted to hear the Big Bang Theory theme song and the crowd cleared shortly after that which is too bad because they missed my favorite part: a hip-hip dancing mash-up of Forever Young, Party Rock Anthem, Call Me Maybe, Dynamite, and Good Feeling.

It was such a fun show!  We definitely enjoyed the “band” part of Busch Gardens’ Bands, Brew and BBQ event.  Next month, when we return to hear the Goo Goo Dolls, we’ll also partake in the “brew”and “BBQ” portion of the program.

What music has you moving this week?

For Music Mondays, I’m teaming up with my good friend and fellow Marathon Mama, Chrissy.

Visit Xmas Dolly and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday.