2008 Woodie Awards
Singer reminisces with the past
Folds mixes set with solo work and a few Ben Folds Five songs at Kirby Sport Gym in PA
Lynn Rickert
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Ben Folds is a god. Well, actually, he's a piano rocker from North Carolina with an affinity for covering rap songs and hanging out in Australia, but that's basically the same thing.
This past week, Folds came to Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. This was unfortunately the only show near New York City, but certain New Jersey transit bus lines and a two-hour bus ride is more than worth the thrill of seeing Folds in concert.
Folds performed in the Kirby Sports Gym following Eef Barzelay, formerly of Clem Snide. Barzelay's set was only a little over half an hour, but to the audience it felt like decades passed.
It wasn't that Barzelay's music was particularly terrible, but it was not quite as catchy as the headliner the crowd was waiting for.
Barzelay played without a backup band - it was just him on an electric guitar and he didn't seem to take the hint that the audience was becoming bored.
After Barzelay's set, the crowd shifted on their tired feet for another 30 minutes while the set was changed and microphones were checked. When Folds finally appeared, the crowd burst into applause and didn't stop until he launched into his first song, "Errant Dog."
The set included seven out of 12 songs on his solo debut Rockin' the Suburbs and a few off of Songs for Silverman. Folds also played a couple of new songs, such as "Free Coffee" and "Hiroshima" which he says will be available on his upcoming album, rumored to come out in September. "Hiroshima" was about a show in Japan where he fell off the stage into the audience.
Although Rockin' the Suburbs marked the end of Ben Folds Five and the beginning of Folds' solo career, he played a few songs off of his old band's 1997 release, Whatever and Ever Amen, including "Kate" and "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces."
One of the crowd favorites was "Bitches Ain't Shit," a cover of the Dr. Dre song. Later in the show, Folds started reading a list of how to say the word "bitch" in multiple languages.
This past week, Folds came to Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. This was unfortunately the only show near New York City, but certain New Jersey transit bus lines and a two-hour bus ride is more than worth the thrill of seeing Folds in concert.
Folds performed in the Kirby Sports Gym following Eef Barzelay, formerly of Clem Snide. Barzelay's set was only a little over half an hour, but to the audience it felt like decades passed.
It wasn't that Barzelay's music was particularly terrible, but it was not quite as catchy as the headliner the crowd was waiting for.
Barzelay played without a backup band - it was just him on an electric guitar and he didn't seem to take the hint that the audience was becoming bored.
After Barzelay's set, the crowd shifted on their tired feet for another 30 minutes while the set was changed and microphones were checked. When Folds finally appeared, the crowd burst into applause and didn't stop until he launched into his first song, "Errant Dog."
The set included seven out of 12 songs on his solo debut Rockin' the Suburbs and a few off of Songs for Silverman. Folds also played a couple of new songs, such as "Free Coffee" and "Hiroshima" which he says will be available on his upcoming album, rumored to come out in September. "Hiroshima" was about a show in Japan where he fell off the stage into the audience.
Although Rockin' the Suburbs marked the end of Ben Folds Five and the beginning of Folds' solo career, he played a few songs off of his old band's 1997 release, Whatever and Ever Amen, including "Kate" and "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces."
One of the crowd favorites was "Bitches Ain't Shit," a cover of the Dr. Dre song. Later in the show, Folds started reading a list of how to say the word "bitch" in multiple languages.
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