Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #51 - March 14, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #51
Topics for Today:
BFF Seattle/various
Boston show
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #50
BF5 bull board
BF5
BFF T-Shirts, I want one! And MORE
Subscribe-
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Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 23:25:36 -0500
From: SHEBASS1@aol.com
Subject: BFF Seattle/various
So I am one of the geographically challenged who hasn't had the opportunity
to see BFF yet, since the closest they've played to South Florida is Atlanta
-- 11 hours away. Anyway, I was turned onto BFF in August '95 and have since
done my Christmas shopping, birthday shopping and other assorted gift giving
out of the BFF section of every local record store in town -- all of which
carried one copy of the CD at the time. I put a lot of miles on my car
looking for it! Well, I was teased briefly a couple of weeks ago when I
heard that BFF would be playing in Ft. Lauderdale at the end of March --
(another awesome band that hauls a grand piano, "The Robbie Gennet Band", was
going to open for them) only to have the show cancelled two days later.
What's up with that?
Anyway, a few of my friends in Seattle went to the show at Moe's last
Saturday night, but their reviews of the show were quite different from the
mixed review by Doug Swan in Digest #49. Sorry Doug, guess BFF couldn't "...
be for you what you wanna see", as my friends gave the show rave reviews!
And just to clarify, they're all in their 30's and remember the Earth, Wind
& Fire and Emerson, Lake & Palmer tours of the 70's. I too remember those
days -- when theatrics were as, or more, important than the music and I
always felt that some bands got too carried away with theatrics -- at times
to cover up for their deficiencies. Being a musician myself (and
ex-performer), one of the rules you have to live by is that stage presence is
as important as your playing during a live show, and that's what every review
I've ever read from these digests, and reviews from friends who've seen BFF
have always commented on. These guys have presence -- not Kiss-type
theatrics. How can anyone be disappointed with the live performance of a
band that puts everything they have into each show, sounds better live than
on CD (that's what I've heard), and plays at local bars for a $6 admission
price and hopefully a meal. (You know how much the band sees of that $6?) I
doubt they're going to take out a loan so they can invest in a device that'll
enable Ben to catapult across the club while he's still playing. (By the
way, isn't the stage at Moe's about the size of Ben's piano?) They're
playing in bars for Pete's sake (who's Pete?), they're trying to prove
themselves -- give them a break. Besides, everyone who's had the opportunity
to see BFF in a small, intimate setting, should be thankful -- because they
won't be playing in small clubs forever.
Anyway, my Seattle friends called Moe's and they said the band would be going
on at 9PM, so they got there at 8PM to try to get tickets early. Then they
found out BFF weren't going on until midnight. So one friend was hanging out
on Capitol Hill (she's just a bill!) in front of the restaurant attached to
Moe's and she saw through the window this guy handing a BFF CD cover to
another guy sitting at the table and he was autographing it. Since she'd
never seen them before (live or video), she had no idea who it was. So,
thinking only of her pathetic friend in So. Florida, she ran into the
restaurant and screamed "Ben...". And it was! They chatted for a while --
he signed her CD cover for me -- and then he asked where in South Florida I
was from. When she told him I worked in Miami, he said, "Did you know I went
to the University of Miami"? Did anyone else out there know this? I went to
UM and I had many friends in the UM music school. Does anyone know when he
graduated? The jazz department at UM is unbelievable. Many great musicians
have come out of there. I need details!
Lastly, and then I swear I'll shut up, I really appreciate Ben's talents and
I am, in no way, taking anything away from him -- but as a bass player
myself, I must say that it really bothers me when people refer to BFF as
"he". BFF is a band -- an awesome band. They wouldn't be the same without
that killer rhythm section and those amazing back-up vocals. Yes, Ben can
easily stand on his own, but the whole genius that is BFF would be lost
without Robert and Darren. Not to say that another bass player and drummer
couldn't step in and do a good job, but it wouldn't be BFF. A band is unique
because it's cast of characters are unique -- because they each have
something different to contribute -- because when they get together to play
there's chemisty... magic. And as the cliche goes, you're only as stong as
your weakest link, and luckily for BFF fans, there isn't a weak link. With
the way the music biz is now, it's hard to be a player, regardless of how
good you are. If you don't write the songs, there's a chance you're not
going to be included in the deal. So players have to stand out more than ever
to assure themselves a chance just to be included in projects they've
literally starved for -- for years. So, as awesome as we know Ben is -- and
he is -- please don't downplay the importance of Robert and Darren and the
fact that BFF is a great BAND.
I'll shut up now.
Eileen
SHEBASS1@aol.com
shebass@bridge.net
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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 00:10:03 -0500
From: Tkuri@aol.com
Subject: Boston show
Hi Frank and folks,
I checked BFF tour schedule. I think they're not coming to NY area.
I think I'm going to Boston to see their show next weekend, if my schedule is
OK at that time. Is there anybody going to Boston show? I don't know much
about that town, so if anybody go, please give me the information about the
club location, ticket, etc. Please e-mail me. I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Kuri
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Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 23:21:26 CST
From: binky@clubhouse.email.net
Subject: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #50
Anybody out there have any info on Anna Goodman (co-writer of "Alice
Childress" and "The Last Polka", two of the best pop songs I've heard in a
long damn time)? Stuff like, has she recorded anything or collaborated with
anyone I can get a hold of? I'd really appreciate any poop...
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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 09:20:04 -0500 (EST)
From: "GERRI R. BAER" <gbaer@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: BF5 bull board
Does anyone know if advance tickets are available for the 9:30 club show
on the 26th??
Thanks.
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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 15:09:05 -0800
From: "J.J. Engel" <jjengel@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: BF5
If anyone has bootleg copies of any of the Ben Folds Five shows
(excluding Hoboken, I gave it to him:))Ben, Darren, and Robert would love
to hear them. JUst send the tape to:
Ben Folds Five
PO Box 1028
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1028
-Nikki
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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 13:37:37 GMT
From: Paul Teeple <bteeple@cybergate.net>
Subject: BFF T-Shirts, I want one! And MORE
I am reading about these BFF tshirts and I've been searching all
over Cleveland for them, how do I get one?!
If you like Foo Fighters or Spacehog, I will be starting a mailing
list for each of them in about april when I get a Foo Fighters page up + going.
-Paul
-bteeple@cybergate.net |-http://www.cybergate.net/~bteeple/benfolds.htm
-75253.3522@compuserve.com |-http://www.cybergate.net/~bteeple/index.htm
Money grows on money trees, and pays the price for liberty
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PS: I would like to welcome my buddy Aaron Frnklin to the list, and Aaron,
if you're reading this try and get Kevin on the list too!
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Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 00:09:15 -0500 (EST)
From: laura hanyok <lhanyo1@gl.umbc.edu>
Subject: Subscribe-
Hi - i just got the Ben Folds Five CD a few days ago, and love it.
(especially the bit of Rhapsody in Blue on Philosophy) I discovered them
while watching MuchMusic, and am now hoping to get to their show in DC.
Please put me on your mailing list so i can keep up with them.
Thanks -
laura hanyok :)
lhanyo1@gl.umbc.edu
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