Steven Page begins new chapter with 'page one'

When Steven Page left Barenaked Ladies (BNL) in 2009, the public hatched numerous theories as to what could’ve led to such an unforeseen decision.  Whether it was a burgeoning rift with bandmates or simply the product of his 2008 drug arrest, critics appeared to speculate on everything other than the possibility that he might just be traveling in a different musical direction. 

"Frankly, the band itself was a five-way democracy and one of the great things about it is that it's been about the five-way collaboration, but it's also one of the things that's made me decide to be a solo artist,” says Page when discussing his exodus.  “As soon as I’d left BNL, I told my agent to put me on as many folk festivals as possible, so no one could assume I’d slip into the clichéd role of the eccentric hermit.  I’m much more the eccentric extrovert!”

His latest solo effort “Page One” is due out on Oct. 19 and proves to be a majestically composed trove of songs that rank among his best yet.  The album explores themes of “love, loss and new beginnings” while Page exudes an aura of distilled optimism that fans might not be expecting right out of the gate. 

“I’d like to think I’m still delivering that thing that has connected with audiences for so long.  Some listeners might have expected a brooding, woe-is-me album from me but, while there is some reflection, this is not a collection of diary entries,” he adds.  “I’m excited by the album and to be performing it live as well.” 

In anticipation of his upcoming show at The Riviera Theatre on Nov. 6, I spoke in-depth with Page about the new record as well as how his life has changed since leaving the band he spent more than 20 years being a part of.  I found his down-to-earth levity to be a refreshing alternative to the often guarded nature of celebrity and immediately bought into the enthusiasm with which he approached his newfound solo endeavor.

Question:  You’ve been out of BNL for a while now.  How have you grown as an artist since your departure?

Steven Page:  I still have immense respect for those guys.  They’re a great band and I wish them the best.  For me, the best parts have been not having to rely on others and being able to make the big decisions myself.  I have more confidence in my abilities as an artist and have played a lot of live shows to establish my comfort zone.

Question:  How did your split from the band influence your approach to the new album?

SP:  Well, I didn’t have to listen to others as much or follow anyone else’s lead.  I’ve never been one to say ‘Play this’ and expect people to comply, so I essentially had the freedom to do whatever I wanted.  I’m still working and collaborating with others, which is great.  Although I’ve performed outside of BNL in several guises, with this it has a different kind of resonance, because previously I might have been playing a part in someone else’s project.  This time, I’m in charge. 

Question:  The song “A New Shore” has an uplifting tone to it.  Do you view it as an announcement of your solo career?

SP:  I think so.  It’s about me moving on and landing in a place that I feel good about.  Someone told me the other day that the song is my

‘Solsbury Hill’ and, after listening to Peter Gabriel again, I’d say that’s a great comparison.  It’s triumphant and hopeful.

Question:  “Entourage” presents a sound unlike much of what you’ve done in the past.  What was your inspiration for that?

SP:  I thought that because I could do anything I wanted to, Stephen Duffy and I would create a Bossa Nova vibe reminiscent of Trevor Horn’s production work with Frankie Goes to Hollywood.  We share a lot of the same sonic influences, so it was easy putting everything together.

Question:  The track “Over Joy” begins with such a vibrant guitar sound yet deals with downbeat subject matter.  How did that juxtaposition come about?

SP:  I like combining a dark lyric with a sprightly melody, so I see it as a sequel to ‘Brian Wilson’ in that sense.  I’ve dealt with depression my whole life and it kind of comes and goes.  I don’t enjoy it, but I also don’t wallow in it either.  I’ve always loved ploppy, toe-tapping music and this song illustrates that idea perfectly.

Question:  What about the song “Queen of America?”  

SP:  I wanted to create an up-tempo Bowie song and this is how it took shape.  It’s like my gay disco tune, because I’ve always been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys and decided to write about the co-opting of gay culture by straight culture. 

Question:  Who were some of your influences throughout the writing/recording process?

SP:  I’m really into The Mountain Goats and their focus on detailed lyrics that cause you visualize the story.  I also listened to a lot of Scott Walker.

SP:  There are a lot of people I’d like to work with.  It’s difficult, because you can’t just call someone up and say ‘Hey, we should collaborate on something’ for fear that they might not think your stuff is all that great.  I would love to get the chance to work or even sing backup for Paul McCartney.

Question:  What can fans expect in terms of BNL classics in concert?

SP:  I’ll be playing a lot of the songs that I sang lead on like ‘Brian Wilson,’ ‘Jane,’ ‘The Old Apartment’ and ‘Call and Answer.’  We’ll even break out some deeper cuts that haven’t been played in a while.

Question:  Do you still enjoy playing those songs?

SP:  I do.  My band and I have rearranged a lot of them to enhance their freshness, so it’s been fun revisiting some of my earlier work. 

The Social Network

David Fincher’s “The Social Network” begins with a searing exchange in which Harvard wonder boy Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) uses algorithmic methods to explain to his “girlfriend” why their relationship is no longer a viable institution.  I put “girlfriend” in quotations, because she appears to exist solely as way for Mark to gain access to a forbidden circle that he would otherwise have no chance at experiencing.  His desire for inclusion, his megalomaniacal drive to be accepted by everyone creates an intellectual island on which he’s forced to dwell and, as screenwriter Aaron Sorkin tells it, Mark wouldn’t have it any other way.  He carries around so much pretentious antagonism that any connection to another human being is negated by his notion of virtual supremacy being just a little bit cooler, thus beginning the horror story of Facebook as we know it. 

Eisenberg gives us a captivating, ice-in-the-veins take on a character who most people know as “the youngest billionaire in the world” but, if we’re to believe Sorkin, money was the furthest thing from Zuckerberg’s mind.  Sure, greed played a role, but not in the Gordon Gekko sense we’re accustomed to.  What Zuckerberg was really after was a way to circumvent the exclusion-based tradition of high society by bringing the party scene to the masses and his casual dismissal of anyone willing to help is what I found to be the most engaging dichotomy at work here.  Rather than assimilate the old-fashioned way, he decided to blow the whole thing open as a way of getting back at the clubs he once deemed important and, as a result, the so-called cyber villain of our times was born.   

Did he steal the idea from his Harvard classmates?  Did he use, chew up and spit out the only person left in the world whom he could call a friend?  Is he really as insufferable a person as the film makes him out to be? 

Perhaps, but counting on Sorkin’s script to be 100% accurate is missing the point.  He taps into the zeitgeist of Generation Y like no other American film I’ve seen this year and does so with a sparkling immediacy worthy of so much more than just Academy Award attention.  Facebook currently sits at 500 Million members and counting and the line between living and living vicariously through a computerized network becomes fuzzier with each passing second.   

Fincher’s direction and tone are sublime, Trent Reznor’s wicked musical arrangements couldn’t be better and Spider-Man-to-be Andrew Garfield gives what I think is the most painfully brilliant performance of the entire film as Mark’s one-time friend and CFO Eduardo Saverin.

The sweet irony of all this is that, despite all the money and fame, Zuckerberg ends up alienating himself from exactly the kind of social mingling he always wanted.  Instead, what we see is a man and his computer, side by side, for better or for worse until the bitter conclusion.  I almost felt sorry for him at the end but, then again, it wasn't my 34% ownership that he was accused of liquidating.

-  **** out of 4



The Black Keys are a dynamic rock duo

If someone started an endangered species list for rock bands, I’m convinced that Akron, Ohio’s own The Black Keys would find a place near the top.  I say that because, walking out of their recent set at Town Ballroom, I couldn’t help but feel as if I had just witnessed a dying breed among today’s barren musical terrain.  Here was a voraciously tight duo whose melodic flavor blended the lush vocal inflection of 70s soul with the turbulent, all-or-nothing stage presence of Nirvana to create the type of visceral garage rock many critics thought had disappeared with the onset of the new millennium. 

Vocalist/Guitarist Dan Auerbach plays a distortion-heavy brand of blues that oozes with raw sensuality and drummer Patrick Carney attacks the skins like it’s the last time he’ll ever set foot on the stage, so they’ve taken a minimalist formula and fashioned it into something the mainstream finally deems worthy of praise. 

Their latest album, “Brothers,” has become a critical darling as of late and the hit single “Tighten Up” has led the once-relevant Vh1 to jump all over it like they’ve been on-board from the beginning. 

I suppose grossly overdue attention is better than none at all, but perhaps The Black Keys are better off averting the whirlwind that is commercial manipulation.  Maybe their claim to fame lies in modest concert halls where they can polish their skills, engage fans and save the music from being robbed of its authenticity by a suit who believes Justin Bieber represents the future of the industry.    

On that note, what I really wanted to do here is pay homage to past two-piece bands that have made the type of mark on the scene that The Black Keys are on their way to making.  I’ll give my list with hopes that you’ll fill in the blanks with your own favorites, so let’s see what you got. 

No genre is off limits.

Simon and Garfunkel

Steely Dan

The White Stripes

Hall and Oates

The Ting Tings

Outkast

The Righteous Brothers

Daft Punk