Barenaked Ladies Delight Alive@Five Crowd In Stamford

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Canada's Barenaked Ladies rocked Alive@Five on Thursday, and for one family newly arrived in Stamford from Australia it was a delight to be up close to a hit-making band.

Ed Robertson sings during the opening song of their concert at Alive@Five Thursday.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

The crowd was a mixture of awe, delight, rapt attention as Barenaked Ladies launched into their first song at Alive@Five. Oh yeah, and a guy in a classic, Buffalo Sabres baseball cap.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

A triumphant Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart leads the band out on the stage at Alive@Five.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Annette and George Anderson and their daughter Darcy moved to Stamford from Australia this summer and one of the first things they did as a family was take in Alive@Five Thursday.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Barenaked Ladies bassist Jim Creeggan in silhouette during Thursday's performance.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

The set list for Barenaked Ladies minutes before they came out on stage.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Pizza was a popular attraction as people lined up to grab a slice
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Alejandro Lopez, one of the owners of the newly opened Gastro Bar and Azuca, in Columbus Park watches the crowded scene at his establishment during Alive@Five Thursday.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Supporters of fired Stamford Animal Control officer Laurie Hollywood hold a protest outside of Alive@Five.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Ed Robertson of Barnaked Ladies sings while stuffed animals lay on the stage behind him at Alive@Five.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

Frank MacEachern

07/18/2014 5:00 a.m.

"In Sydney, you could never get this close to the stage, even if they (the band) are hopeless," Annette Anderson said with a laugh minutes before Barenaked Ladies hit the stage in front of hundreds of fans in the downtown park.

She moved to Stamford a few weeks ago due to a job transfer and was joined by her husband, George, and their daughter Darcy last week.

Their arrival killed any plans she had of seeing KC and the Sunshine Band last week, she added with a smile. Not only does she like being up close to the stage, she said the quality of bands impressed her noting she wanted to see Sugar Ray and the Beach Boys later in the Alive@Five concert series.

Although they have enjoyed Stamford's summer weather so far, George Anderson joked he was waiting to see what the winter will be like.

The band mixed in some of their hits with some newer songs, with singer-guitarist Ed Robertson joking about how much the fans wanted to hear their newer songs and not their hits. The concert kicks off a 30-date tour, which has a three-month break beginning at the end of October before it resumes for five late-January shows in Miami.

Next Thursday promises to be a lively one as Blues Traveler, Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray perform as part of the Under the Sun tour.

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