Just got back from a Ben Folds concert!
 

Man, they are awesome live! I don't remember the last time I had so much fun at a concert. It was at our lecture hall at school here (University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana) and they were amazing. The crowd was really into too. Man I love concerts! :D

Hmmm... this was moved from the Other Forum. I wonder why. I guess because it has to do with music but I was talking mostly about the concert experience. Oh well. Ben Folds' music is fun and really good. Discuss. :D

:cool:


I get to see him on Wednesday night! I saw BFF in Chicago several times and have been dying for him to come to Madison.

I was a little skeptical when I bought Rockin The Suburbs, but when I gave it a run through, I fell in live with the first song and it just kept getting better.



"Sara spelled without an H was getting bored......"

Exactly the same for me. Here was the setlist of what he played last night:

Setlist:
1. Not the Same
2. Zak and Sara
3. Fired
4. Annie Waits
5. Still Fighting It
6. Hiro's Song
7. Losing Lisa
8. The Ascent of Stan
9. Fred Jones Pt. 2
10. Gone
11. Make Me Mommy
12. Rocking the Suburbs

Encore:
13.Philosophy
14.Alice Childress
15.Kate
16.Luckiest
17.Song For the Dumped

"on a Peavy amp in 1984......" [/B][/QUOTE]

:D:thumbsup:

I saw them in Atlanta in August, they were great. :D
Some of the people in the crowd were annoying- but it was a free show, I can't complain. :p

wow free. that's awesome! who was your opening act?

Seeing him this Thursday -biggrin-

Remy Zero :D

Great show. :D

You couldn't have seen him on Wedsday unless you were in Birmingham, AL. I saw him Weds nite (11-28) in B'ham & it was an awesome show.

I will see him in Madison, WI on Wed night 12/5

Since on the album Ben plays all the instruments, who else plays with him, when he performs live? I assume there isnt a female vocalist for the song "Gone" - fantastic and by far my favourite song off the album.

D'oh! Sorry dude! I read it as "got"! My bad.

Well, look forward to it & it is a great show. The majority of songs are from the new disc but he does a hard "hair band" rock version of Brick that is not to be missed!

For the above poster, there are no female singers but the group truly rocked on "Gone" which is also my favorite song! The lead guitarist in the group (sorry can't remember his name) sing the middle part of "Gone" & does most of the backing vocals. There were also some surprises in the show that I will not mention but will let you experience after you have seen it!

Best album of the year in my humble opinion!

The show ROCKED!!! New stuff & old. I especially liked the encore of "Song for the dumped" -sure enough a certain "item" fell from the ceiling during the song, too funny!

Ben Folds Brick- meaning?
 

I've loved this song for ever, but I never could figure out where they go and why? For some reason, I seem to think it's either pregnancy or AIDS tests. :confused:

Its Pregancy and an abortion

Beautiful song. I've never really given the lyrics much thought though.

I hated this song at first purely because the damn corporate radio stations played it to death. Sometime later I picked up the album (Whatever and Ever Amen), for some reason and it has become one of my top five albums ever made. Every song is a work of art and the songs seem to be about simple, everyday things to me, but they never become pedestrian.

I always thought Brick was about abortion, and I've always felt it never took sides. Like it was saying "right or wrong, it hurts".

This is one of the few CDs I've heard that I can just "listen to" and not just put on as background noise.

In interviews, Ben has said that this song is indeed about an abortion. Something that happened with either an ex-girlfriend or an old friend so it's a true story. He called and asked for permission from the girl to use the story first too.

Brick - Ben Folds Five

6 am day after Christmas
I throw some clothes on in the dark
The smell of cold
Car seat is freezing
The world is sleeping
I am numb
Up the stairs to her apartment
She is balled up on the couch
Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte
They're not home to find us out
And we drive
Now that I have found someone
I'm feeling more alone
Than I ever have before

She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly
Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere
She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly

They call her name at 7:30
I pace around the parking lot
Then I walk down to buy her flowers
And sell some gifts that I got
Can't you see
It's not me you're dying for
Now she's feeling more alone
Than she ever has before

She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly
Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere
She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly

As weeks went by
It showed that she was not fine
They told me son it's time to tell the truth
She broke down and I broke down
Cause I was tired of lying
Driving home to her apartment
For the moment we're alone
She's alone
I'm alone
Now I know it

[Chorus]

and sell some some gifts that i got.....?

what the hell does that mean?

I think he means that he has to sell some of his christmas gifts in order to pay for the "procedure".

If you read it carefully it could also be about suicide.

The chick is a brick & bringing him down. He checks in on her & she is on the couch after trying to commit suicide. Takes her to the hospital. He try to tell her it is not him she is dying for.

Works both ways in my opinion (abortion & suicide).

If you like Ben Folds Five, I suggest you check out his solo album. It, in my opinion, is better than any album by Ben Folds Five (as a complete whole).

The line:

...Its not me your dying for
Now she's feeling more alone...

messes up the whole idea of a suicide theme. I don't think she'd feel more alone after he told her that...I think she'd have to feel the most alone when she attempted to commit suicide. I can see what you are saying in some ways though.

Thoughts on the new Ben Folds live album?
 

I was thinking about picking up Ben Folds' new live album sometime this week. If anyone's grabbed it, please post a review. From the handful of sound clips I've heard at benfolds.com, it sounds like it's just Ben and a piano, and I'm not sure how excited I'd be without full instrumentation and vocal harmonies. The first pressing of the album includes a DVD as well.

Also, any word on which retailer has the best price?

Wow - I didn't even know this was coming out. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll probably pick it up this afternoon, assuming that I'll be able to find it.