One of the more fun package tours of 2022 for ’90s alt-rock fans has Barenaked Ladies hitting the road with Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket. And if getting all three bands on one bill isn’t quite enough, imagine getting all three bands on one song. That’s been happening, as Barenaked Ladies recently closed out their set forming a giant supergroup to cover one of the ’80s most iconic supergroups.
“What you’re about to witness is a new supergroup,” exclaimed Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson while welcoming members of the other two bands back to the stage. Fittingly, the large collective took on the Traveling Wilburys’ 1988 classic, “Handle With Care,” which featured legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.
Robertson handles Harrison’s opening lines, before giving way to Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips to complete Harrison’s opening stanza. Then Gin Blossoms’ Robin Wilson, also rocking a tambourine, took on the memorable Roy Orbison hook. The overall collective onstage sang the Petty and Dylan “lean on” parts, and fans were invited to sing along as the cover closed out the evening during the tour’s Morrison, Colorado stop at Red Rocks on June 21. Fan shot video can be viewed below.
“Handle With Care” shot at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1988, kicking off the first volume of the all-star outfit’s two album career. The collective’s career was cut short with the death of Roy Orbison in December 1988. The band’s debut album, The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990.
Barenaked Ladies had a string of successful albums in the ’90s and early 2000s, breaking out with the single “One Week” off their 1998 album Stunt. Gin Blossoms also flourished in the ’90s with their New Miserable Experience and Congratulations I’m Sorry albums, while Toad the Wet Sprocket were alt-rock radio mainstays through the decade with songs from their Fear, Duclinea and Coil albums.
“The Last Summer on Earth” tour featuring Barenaked Ladies, Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket continues well into July. Get your ticketing info here.