Reviewed today are the Barenaked Ladiesat the Olympia Theatre, Dublin

There was a time in the early 1990s when this Toronto band's name was a constant source of controversy. To see these goofy, proudly regular thirtysomethings in performance, however, is to get the joke that passed those early objectors by, for it is hard to imagine a less lascivious or misogynous band.

Instead of sexed-up, frat-boy rock 'n' roll, co-frontmen Steve Page and Ed Robertson specialise in inoffensive pop music with light comedy interludes. The performance feels like a musical spin-off from a US sitcom - the Drew Carey Roadshow, perhaps.

And while the constant search for laughs may have serious music enthusiasts groaning, it is impossible to deny that the five-piece are seriously entertaining. Parody raps about bangers and mash ("goes down better than Tango and Cash") and Ryanair ("We are the surly airline") sound like Gift Grub sketches, while an inspired OK Go-style dance routine out-pantos the Olympia pantomime, and is hand-on-heart hilarious. Bassist Jim Creeggan, keyboardist Kevin Hearn and drummer Tyler Stewart all give good value as straight men to Page and Robertson's entertainers. Throw in some witty banter, particularly from Robertson, and you have a chuckle-per-minute ratio that would be the envy of many stand-up comedians.

Musically, however, the band are less successful. Page and Robertson excel at crafting instantly forgettable songs that manage to sound instantly familiar, and hits such as Brian Wilson, One Weekand I Wish I Had $1,000,000 get the devoted audience in full swing, but their range is seriously limited. They pull off a fine folk medley that holds the audience's attention, and throw in some judicious covers, including Van Morrison's Moondance, but the quintet never stray too far from their safe, unambitious musical formula. Their last two albums, Barenaked Ladies Are Meand Barenaked Ladies Are Men(making this the BLAM tour), confirm that the band is unwilling or unable to leave the jokes behind and develop their style.

In any event, the audience's traditional throwing of underwear onto the stage during Pinch Meprobably renders any attempts at seriousness null and void. Essentially,the Barenaked Ladies couldn't be cool if they played a gig barenaked in the snowy wastes of the Yukon, but their determination to entertain is infectious and admirable.

Also admirable is the band's desire to treat their loyal fans well, rather than exploit them for every penny, an attitude that has allowed the Ladies to survive longer than their musical talent might warrant. Having turned their backs on the major labels, the band have become serious copyright activists - Page helped found the Canadian Music Creators Coalition, with a pro-artist, pro-consumer, anti-label agenda that includes a disavowal of suing filesharers and support for DRM-free music downloads (indeed, the audience could buy a copy of this gig on a USB stick straight after the performance).

While Barenaked Ladies will never enjoy the critical acclaim of compatriots Broken Social Scene or Arcade Fire, their crowd-pleasing gigs and progressive campaigns might just see them become indie music heroes after all.