Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #54 - March 18, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #54
Topics for Today:
House Of Style... and Philadelphia
mail list
(no subject)
T-shirts & concerts !!
BFF
Ben Folds mailing list
bff Utah...
Providence Show
SXSW - stolen thunder
They're going to be on Vin! Whoopie!!
BF5: Miscellaneous Items
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 08:32:30 EDT
From: Ned Norland <nnorland@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us>
Subject: House Of Style... and Philadelphia
>I just heard the beginning of 'Underground' on MTV's 'House of Style'.
> Anyone else see this?!
I caught it too, but it was actually the end of underground... don't ask
why I was watching, I was really bored this weekend...
Is anyone else going to the show on thursday in philly that might be
interested in meeting up? If so, drop me a line...
-ned norland
nnorland@walnut.prs.k12.nj.us
-----Princeton Regional Schools takes no responsibility for the
accuracy or content of the above message.
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 08:15:07 -0800
From: SPOLLEJJ <SPOLLEJJ@musc.edu>
Subject: mail list
Please put me on the mailing list. I saw you guys in Charleston and loved
the punked out Todd Rungren feel. I bought the CD the next morning and
have found it to be the best songwriting debut I've ever heard. I've
turned everyone from my roomate to my mother on to this album. I also
asked the promotions director for City Stages, an outdoor music festival
in Birmingham, Ala., to pay whatever it took to get you to play. If
invited,go for publicity (over 100K people per year) and for the other
shows. It's the sleeper of music festivals with over 150 acts from gospel
to jazz to afro-rythms to performance art. I could also let you stay at
some friends (I used to live there, unfortunately) to lower your
expenses. John Spollen spollejj@musc.edu
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 20:44:54 1000
From: UserName <user@mindspring.com>
Subject: (no subject)
Hello. I would like to subscribe to the Ben Folds Five Digest, or
whatever format you are using. Thank you. By the way, the disc is
still in heavy rotation in our playbin at the Blockbuster Music #98787
in Fayetteville, GA, and it is selling rather well for something which
seems to have little radio support in the area (yeah, I know 99X is
playing it, but they're not stuffing it down any throats like they do
Radiohead and Alanis Morissette).
galileo@mindspring.com
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Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 13:43:17 EDT
From: reissige@alpha.montclair.edu
Subject: T-shirts & concerts !!
Hi everyone this is my first posting!!! Yeah!
I just have a couple questions:
1) I have read about those navy blue t-shirts and I was wondering where I
could get one? 2) I live in Montclair, New Jersey (close to New York
City) and I wanted to know if anyone knew when BFF was going to be playing
in this area?? Please let me know. THANKS!!
BFF's faithful fan,
BETH!!
P.S.- If there is anyone in my area that is on the mailing list for this digest
let me know at "reissige@alpha.montclair.edu", mabye if BFF comes around
here we can all go to the concert!!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 14:43:28 -0800
From: Michael Picuirro <punisher@cybercomm.net>
Subject: BFF
Great page! My local radio station started playing Under Ground a few
months ago. Now Jackson Canery is the latest one. Anyway the station
is 106.3 in Eatontown, NJ I'm pretty sure the call letters are WHMF. Do
you know when the band might be coming back to my area?
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 17:27:34 -0600
From: Paul Grotevant <pfg@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Ben Folds mailing list
Just in case you're curious about these kind of things, I first heard the
Five on the Conan O'Brian show sometime in late December of '95. I loved
them, but I missed the name of the band when Conan announced it. Luckily, I
heard "Underground" on the radio within the week and caught the band name.
I had the CD that day and have been jamming on it happily ever since.
I have also had the joyous experience of seeing the band live, about a
month ago at the Electric Lounge here in beautiful Austin, Texas. Grrrreat
show!
Well, I hope to hear from your mailing list soon.
Yours in solidarity with the cause,
Paul Grotevant
..........................................................................
. . .
. Paul Grotevant . "A computer lets you make more mistakes faster . .
pfg@mail.utexas.edu . than any invention in human history -- with the . .
P.O. Box 8288 . possible exceptions of handguns and tequila." . .
Austin, TX 78713 . . . . - Mitch Ratcliffe, Technology Review .
..........................................................................
"Behold, a base life defiles a bad age!"
"Doc, note, I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness; I diet on cod."
[Straw? No, too stupid a fad. I put soot on warts. Egad. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 20:06:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Matt Mondlock <mmondloc@indiana.edu>
Subject: bff Utah...
>Just a little salt for all of you lamenting your inability to see the
"five." We saw them on monday night in Salt Lake City
Yeah, well at least we can participate in after school activities :P
(not that that effects me, considering I'm not in high school, just
thought I'd throw some stinky humor out there...
Matt
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 21:27:59 -0500
From: Seaforest@aol.com
Subject: Providence Show
Hi there. I'm from N.J. and am interested in travelling out to Providence,
R.I. to Club Babyhead for the BF5 show. It's quite a drive, and I'll be
leaving directly from work (*unless I hear of the show being sold out before
I can get a ticket). I was wondering if anyone in the surrounding areas that
is going to this show would be able to help me set up crash arrangements. I
don't think I'll have enough money for a hotel, and I *know* that I'll be too
tired to drive all the way home after the show. Here's some stuff about me:
I'm a 23 y/o guy, I don't take up much space (a floor or bathtub would be
fine) and I don't bite. If you could help me out, I would *really* really
appreciate it. I'll pay for your ticket to the show and everything. BTW, my
name's Chris. Here's my e-mail address: Seaforest@aol.com (or if you're
writing from AOL, put a space between "sea" and "forest". O.k. bye!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 21:53:23 -0500
From: jen sansbury <sansbury@bluemarble.net>
Subject: SXSW - stolen thunder
thanks to michael bluejay's extremely long and rambling post, i no longer
have a story to tell about my experience at the SXSW show. he's made it his
own. he left out some of the details, though. could it BE there was
something he didn't know?
so i'll contribute a correction: my wristband only cost me $40. it got me
in to see 22 bands in 3 days, including ben folds, moxy fruvous, golden
smog, the posies, the bottlerockets, john wesley harding and jules shear.
needless to say, it's well worth the $$. even with a cast and crutches/a
wheelchair we were able to get from club to club fairly well and hear lots
of great music. if any of you ever get a chance to go to austin for SXSW, i
highly recommend you take advantage of the opportunity.
and a dissenting opinion: sincola is just a long, tedious temper tantrum.
also, here's the write-up by critic michael corcoran from the austin
american-statesman's _XL extra_ SXSW supplement from saturday:
<part of sincola's review snipped>
Despite the energy being pumped out by both the band and the audience,
Sincola was ultimately unsatisfying. If they don't know what they want to
do musically, how do they expect the rest of us to know.
Better, but only slightly, were critical darlings the Ben Folds Five, also
at the Garten, who sound unlike any other trio only because Billy Joel
doesn't tour as a three-piece. It's amazing that this piano-bass-drums
combo has acquired such a hip cachet because they really do sound
mainstream.
This band from Chapel Hill, N.C., has a hardcore following, as evidenced by
all the people who pushed up front or stood on chairs, but every time they
started a song it sounded like they were going to break into "Anthony's
Song (I'm Moving Out)." Who says there are no surprise success stories in
music these days?
-----------
sounds to me like corky was pissed off because he couldn't get up close to
the stage. (the secret: shatter your kneecap)
personally, i think ben & co. put on a great show (although i couldn't
really see darren or robert except when i stood for 'steven's last night in
town.') and i was amazed that ben didn't treat the rented piano gingerly.
good for him. i missed the 'best imitation of myself' antics from the show
i saw about 6 months ago, but ben proved himself to be as personable now -
on AND off stage - as he was back then.
anyone know what the last song was that he played? i didn't recognize it
from the album or from the demos and live stuff i've heard. then again, my
ears were fried by then from being right in front of the speakers! :) i
tried taping the show, but my mic battery was bad. ah well.
- jen
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
sansbury@bluemarble.net
http://www.bluemarble.net/~sansbury/jen.html
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Is it so wrong, wanting to be at home with your record
collection? It's not like collecting records is like collecting
stamps, or beermats, or antique thimbles. There's a whole world
in here, a nicer, dirtier, more violent, more peaceful, more
colorful, sleazier, more dangerous, more loving world than the
world I live in ..."
"High Fidelity"
- Nick Hornby
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 22:52:48 -0500
From: Countryfee@aol.com
Subject: They're going to be on Vin! Whoopie!!
Dearest,
While listening to my favorite radio anything in the uinverse, Vin
Scelsa's Sunday night show on WNEW, I received the mind-boggelingly amazing
news that none other than the boys themselves are going to appear live on
next week's show! Caloo, calay, and all sorts of whoopie joy ... to think, I
first "discovered" BF5 on Vin's paradigm of smurfiness, and now, rapture!!!
They're going to be on! Wooohoooo!
Love and kisses,
Bex
[Be sure to tape it for those of us in the boonies. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 00:34:06 -0500
From: PowerVegan@aol.com
Subject: BF5: Miscellaneous Items
RE: WEEKLY CHAT ON AOL (TUESDAY NIGHTS, 10:00 CENTRAL TIME)
------------------------------------------------------------
Because it's hard to find the Ben Folds Five chat room on AOL among the
hundreds of other rooms, the BF5 room will be a PRIVATE (i.e., hidden) room
starting on the 3/26 (Tuesday) chat. To get to it:
1. Go to the MAIN MENU.
2. Click People Connection.
3. Click the ROOMS icon.
4. Click PRIVATE ROOM.
5. Type "BF5" and press RETURN.
RE: THE OTHER GUYS IN THE BAND
-------------------------------
While I agree that Robert and Darren are quite talented, I have to say that
I think this is very much Ben's band. Consider:
- The band is NAMED after Ben.
- He writes ALL the songs.
- He sings ALL the songs.
- He's clearly the virtuoso.
I'm not saying that Darren & Robert don't deserve credit for their
contributions, I'm just saying is that this band seems very deliberately
focused on Ben. If it were called something other than "Ben Folds Five", or
if the other guys wrote some songs, or sang them, I might feel otherwise.
RE: WHO BF5 SOUNDS LIKE
-----------------------
Among all our talk about who BF5 sounds like, nobody has mentioned the
Beatles. That was the first thing I thought of the first time I heard
Jackson Cannery. Compare to Martha My Dear (in spirit, if nothing else), and
Come and Get It. What do you think?
RE: MORE BF5 HAIKU
------------------
Robert plays like mad.
Does his life depend on it?
He sure must think so.
Hey, look, there's Darren.
I have a million questions,
but too scared to ask.
Rented piano.
But the rental store would scream
if they saw Ben "play".
[Actually, Darren co-wrote "Where's Summer B.?" and I believe was
somehow responsible for "Song For The Dumped", and Anna Goodman co-wrote
"Last Polka" and "Alice Childress." -fjm]
==============================================================================
[This Friday, March 22, 12:05am (but check your local listings) - ABC -
In Concert - John Hiatt, behind the scenes footage of The Beatles
Anthology, Ben Folds Five.
287 subscribers, as of today! -fjm]
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I know what I know, y'know - I know you make me sick