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Updated: 5/10/2008 9:58:11 AM
Canadian band BNL turns up at Birmingham bookstore
By GARY GRAFF
Journal Register News Service
BIRMINGHAM — Surveying a typically enthusiastic Detroit-area Barenaked Ladies crowd, singer-guitarist Steven Page noted that, “It’s nice to see so many familiar faces — with their kids.”
The Canadian quintet’s appearance Friday at the Birmingham Borders Books & Music was indeed different from its numerous other appearances in these parts.
It was one of five stops to promote BNL’s new children’s album, “Snack Time!,” which was released Tuesday along with a children’s book illustrated by the group’s Kevin Hearn. The crowd of about 600, a few of whom even camped out overnight, was heavily populated with children perched on their parent’s shoulders or on shelves and tables on the store’s second level.
“It’s strange,” said fan Jim Gyolai, 26, an elementary school teacher from Woodhaven who was wearing a BNL T-shirt and has seen the group in concert more than 20 times. “I think it’s good since their children (nine) outnumber the band members. It’s natural for them to take that (musical) route.”
BNL delivered a 25-minute performance — broadcast live on The River, CIDR-FM 93.9 — weaving two of its more whimsical “adult” hits, “One Week” and “Another Postcard,” amidst five of the short, smart “Snack Time!” songs such as “789,” “Pollywog in a Bog” and “Eraser.”
The truncated show still retained the good-humored flavor of regular BNL gigs, too. After telling the children that dancing was “mandatory,” singer-guitarist Ed Robertson told the adults that “the set is highly distracting, so it’s a good chance to swipe stuff.” And during an impromptu rap segment, Page mused on how difficult it was to perform without swearing.
Afterwards, BNL autographed copies of “Snack Time!” before heading to Chicago for its next stop to promote the album. The group isn’t planning on touring this year, but hopes to reconvene to make a new studio album in the fall.

Mother, two-year old in stroller hit by car in Ferndale
FERNDALE--A mother and her young daughter are being treated for injuries after they were struck by a car in Ferndale and knocked 30 feet.
Ferndale police Lt. William Wilson says the force of the collision tossed them into the grassy area between the north and southbound lanes of Woodward Avenue about a mile north of Detroit.
Wilson says the car was traveling south on Woodward about noon Friday when it suddenly swerved toward the median, striking the woman and a stroller holding the child.
Both were taken to a nearby hospital. The car's driver also was taken to the hospital.
Their names were not released and conditions were not immediately known.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of U.S. foreign disaster assistance says skilled foreign aid workers are sitting on the sidelines as victims of last week’s cyclone in Myanmar die.
Ky Luu says the disaster is pushing an already vulnerable population “right off the cliff” as supplies from those trying to help pile up on airport tarmacs.
He spoke at a think tank Friday as Myanmar’s ruling military junta seized two planeloads of critical aid sent by the U.N.
Asia Director for the U.N. World Food Program Tony Banbury said via satellite from Thailand that the WFP would usually immediately stop operations if a government took its supplies. But officials are considering what to do next because of the scale of the disaster.