PORTLAND – You’ve probably heard of them. Maybe you heard their song “One Week” on the radio in your car or the Muzak version while checking out at the supermarket. Or maybe you’ve been a fan since their humble Canadian beginnings. In any case, the Barenaked Ladies are no doubt a part of pop music today.

Neither naked nor ladies, but a sometimes quintet of fully clothed middle-aged men, the band will kick off its North American tour Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Hailing from Toronto, Barenaked Ladies deliver a quirky mix of rock, folk, and jazz with humorous lyricism. Over the past decade the group has built a large and devoted fan base through word-of-mouth and constant touring. Currently the band features vocalist Steven Page, guitarist Ed Robertson, bassist Jim Creeggan and drummer Tyler Stewart. This tour welcomes back, on keyboard, Kevin Hearn, who stopped touring with the band in 1998 due to leukemia.

The band’s early singles “Brian Wilson,” which pays homage to the former Beach Boy, and “If I Had $1000000,” a witty meditation on what to do with a million dollars, made them a success in their homeland and on college radio stations across the United States. But it was the 1998 album release of “Stunt” that transformed the Ladies from cult band to major pop act. The first single, “One Week,” helped push the album to quadruple platinum. The same year, the Ladies took part in the H.O.R.D.E. tour in support of the album.

Their follow-up, “Maroon,” a collaboration with power producer Don Was, ensured that the band was not merely a one-hit wonder. On Nov. 13, the band released “Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991-2001),” a compilation that includes two new songs.

Over the years, the Barenaked Ladies’ live performances have become legendary and have even inspired “Rocky Horror”-like audience participation. During “If I Had $1000000” the audience was prone to throw Kraft macaroni and cheese dinners at the band. The band also has been known to improvise and alter the lyrics to their songs at each show to create a more unique experience.

Having a million dollars is probably no longer a dream for the Barenaked Ladies as they continue to play to sellout shows and grow in popularity. Their hit songs can be heard on radio stations all over – even in supermarkets. But it’s their adoring and dedicated following that will ensure their continued success.

Tickets remain available at the Cumberland County Civic Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 775-3458 or 775-3331 or on-line at www.cc.com.