THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #115 - July 11, 1996
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #115
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Topics for Today:
Sydney
BFF on MM while I was in Canada
Macintosh Festival
Flipside
That strange instrument
BF5 huge in Britain? Er, no.
BFF at Lollapalooza in Pownal, VT
BFF in Philly
re: read Q magazine
LOLLAPALOOZA QUEBEC CITY CANADA
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 96 22:11:27 EST
From: Callantha Brigham <u2171867@keystone.arch.unsw.EDU.AU>
Subject: Sydney
I still havent found the cd in Sydney. If there is anyone in Sydney who
knows of somewhere here where it is, can they please email me. I would
appreciate it muchly. And with sugar on top.
==============================================================================
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 1996 12:30:21 -0400
From: Paul Teeple <bteeple@cyberdrive.net>
Subject: BFF on MM while I was in Canada
I'm back!
I haven't had many posts lately due to my managing "Zeroes, the Spacehog
Mailing List", and a trip to Canada, but I'm back! While I was in Canada I
was watching Much Music because it was a music channel that actually played
music videos! (take note MTV) Anyway, I was on my way back when we popped
by my cousin's house and we were sitting around so I flipped it on. There
was a Lollapalooza 96 special on because Lolla had hit Barrie ONT. on the
5th. The host was like giving all the bands these weird cardboard looking
candies, the only people she gave 'em to were Joey Ramone, Lars Ulrich
(Metallica), Chris & Kim from Soundgarden, Rancid, and BFF, but there was a
fourth guy with them, and I was wondering if anybody had any clue who this
guy was (perhaps the guy who plays vioins on "Boxing"?). (cue FRANK-->)
-Paul
When I take a swing all my dreams pivot and slip
[No idea. Maybe Alan Wolmark? -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 18:09:34 -0400
From: Tom Spagnardi <toms@worldrg.com>
Subject: Macintosh Festival
> someone asked for information on the macintosh festival. it is a week long
> event in new york. i dont know whether or not BF5 is playing, but it seems
> an ideal thing for them to do. june of 44 is playing and yum yum is playing
> on the friday (19th). (if you havent heard yum-yum yet, it is absolutely
> dreamy pop music that can have a tendency to depress the hell out of
> you--highly recommended by me). i believe that most (or all im not sure) of
> the shows are at a place called brownie's.
The MacIntosh Festival is a massive music festival and conference taking
place in NYC during the week of July 15th. It features music industry
conferences and bands performing at clubs all over town. It is a good time
to check out bands of all levels. Though passes can be quite expensive, you
can just show up to a club and pay the cover charge. For more info and
schedule you can check out their web site:
http://www.thegig.com
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 18:40:43 -0700
From: edahn@sprynet.com
Subject: Flipside
Hey guys, I know someone already mentioned this, but has anyone read the
interview with bff in Flipside. You don't know how excited I was to find
it. I paid six bucks for it (I borrowed money for it, and promised I'd
pay that person back double). I have to say that it was about the most
disappointing thing I ever bought. BORRING! Ben wasn't feeling well, and
left halfway through the interview. Even the pictures suck. There were
two interviewers, and neither of them seemed to have a clue. They thought
Ben played a Yamaha. It seemed that they had listen to the album once, and
just happen to know that Alice Childress was a writer. The questions were
general, and I knew the answeres before I read them. I guess I might be a
little jaded since I've been on the list for a while, so check it out,
becuase at least it's an interview. Oh, is it just me, or has bff become
huge since lollapalooza started? I guess that's great if that's what they
want, but I'd like to see them in a club sometime after lollapalooza, even
though I already paid $50 (yep, with service charges that's what it cost
me).
Curtis
P.s. hey frank, if you want I'll transcribe that interview for you, oh, and
is it o-tay if I make a t-shirt that says "do you know frank maynard?"
I want to wear it to lollapalooza.
P.p.s. anybody know if we're still doing that marco polo think with frank's
name? how will we recognise eachother. My lollapalooza is on the
13th, in syracuse, is anyone else goin'? e-mail me if you are,
here's my address: edahn@sprynet.com
[I'm pretty sure nobody in Syracuse knows me, but I guess you could
make the shirt anyway. Maybe instead you should pick up a Ben Folds Five
shirt at the show and wear it there, so everyone will know why you're
really at Lars-a-palooza. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: 9 Jul 96 20:54:02
From: Andy_Peterson@bmgmusic.com
Subject: That strange instrument
Kelly wrote:
OK, so I'm not Ben Folds, but I think I have an idea of what this
instrument might be. Maybe. Yamaha makes a weird little synthesizer that
you play like a soprano sax: volume and tone are controlled by breathing
into one end, and the notes are played on a little keyboard thingy on the
side. I've seen this at a couple of shows by some local bands. I don't
know exactly what it's called, but it's a neat little instrument. Hope
this helps!
Nice try Kelly but the instrument you were describing is called a
"Lyricon" and is most notably played by a fine gentleman named Dan
Michaels -- who's in a great band called The Choir. There may be other
musicians who use the Lyricon but Michaels is the only one I've ever seen.
To hear The Choir check out their latest effort entitled FREE FLYING SOUL
on Tattoo Records.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 16:30:18 GMT
From: "A GARBI REG:00263121" <GARBIA-U@m4-arts.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: BF5 huge in Britain? Er, no.
Whoever thought that BF5 are massive in Britain are way off. The
two singles we've had - Underground & Where's Summer B? have not been
in the Top 50 (which doesn't take much in this country, don't know
about over there) and the album hasn't been anywhere near the chart.
They've all had great reviews everywhere, but don't get played on the
radio or TV. I've only ever heard BF5 on the radio here twice. One of
those times they were playing a 4 song live set (Underground, Summer,
Alice Childress + Philosophy) which was amazing. Ben also promised on
that show to come back to England in June for a few dates - he
didn't. But I'm going to the Reading Festival so I'll let you all
know how BF5 goes down.
Andy.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 16:43:04 -0400
From: Alfred Antonangeli <fantonan@bcn.net>
Subject: BFF at Lollapalooza in Pownal, VT
Finally after waiting for what seemed to be forever, I finally had my
chance to see BFF in action at Lollapalooza. My friends and I got there
quite early, so after we got inside the gate we decided to just walk
around and see where everything was. On one of our journeys up the
midway, there he was coming towards me..my jaw dropped to the ground and
all I could do was gawk as he walked by me, Ben Folds. Suddenly I spun
around and kind of spazzed out to my friends for I was in shock. They
said I was a chicken for not saying anything to him, but I thought that
just seeinghim up close was enough, although I promised them that if I
saw him again I would say hi. Later on, about half an hour before they
were scheduled to play, I was hanging out around the second stage to
guarantee myself good standing room, which I got, right at the front in
line with the piano..when what to my wandering eyes should appear...no,
not Santa Claus and his reindeer, but Ben again..so this time I mustered
up enough courage to go over and say hi to him. We talked for a bit, and
I told him how I had been too chicken to go over and say hi earlier, so
he stuck his hand out and was like "Well, I"m Ben." So, I shook his hand
and was like "I'm Sarah." It was simply wonderful..we talked for a bit
more and then he had to go tune his piano. Their set was amazing..about
two songs into it, the rain was coming down really heavy so he said that
"Uncle Walter" would be their last song, but half way through it the sun
came back out and they were able to continue on, which was fantastic.
Some female contortionists had asked to do their little show while they
were singing, so they did their thing, and after they were done, the bed
of nails they had was left on the piano. Right before one of their
songs, I forget which one, Ben said that he had always wanted to see
what it was like to stand on nails, so he hopped on top of his piano and
stood on them..One of the songs they played, "Steven's Last Night," I
had never heard before, does anyone know if it's recorded on a cd
somewhere, and if so, which one? The rest of Lollapalooza paled in
comparison with Ben Folds Five..we didn't even get a mystery band.
Seeing them in action yesterday allowed my friends to finally see what
I've been talking about for the past seven months and I think a few new
fans were born.
Sarah :)
- Just a note on Ben's quick thinking, instead of singing the usual
phrase about Officer Friendly's little boy, he substituted it with
"little girl's a contortionist" and on a sad note, after launching the
piano stool javelin style at the end of "Philosophy", I think I saw Ben
pick up one of the black keys at the end of the show..that poor piano..
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 21:45:06 -0400
From: Jillybean7@aol.com
Subject: BFF in Philly
This my first post, so allow me to introduce myself!
My name is Jill Goldenziel, and I herald from Clarks Summit, PA. I am soon
to be heralding from Princeton University in Princeton, NJ. I've been into
BFF ever since I first heard my boyfriend's copy of their album last October.
As a die-hard Billy Joel fan and veteran piano player, I've noticed many
similarities between Ben's piano and that of Billy in his younger years. I'd
love to see them jam sometime!
BFF are playing at the Blockbuster/Sony Waterfront in Camden. I haven't been
there yet myself, but I've heard there's not a bad seat in the house, even on
the lawn. If tickets are still on sale, go for it! I'm sorry I can't be
there and am jealous of all those who will be!
Also, I have some questions for y'all:
Will the new BFF album be on Passenger/Caroline or a larger label? If so,
which larger label? Will the album have all new music, or many of the same
somgs as the first (a la Rusted Root)?
Thanks for your help to satisfying my inquiring mind!
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 04:57:39 +0100 (BST)
From: Stanford Chiou <stanford.chiou@university-college.oxford.ac.uk>
Subject: re: read Q magazine
> Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:35:15 -0400
> From: Cynthia Wang <cynthia@people.timeinc.com>
> Subject: read Q magazine
>
> Apparently, BF5 is absolutely huge in Great Britain right now.
Huge, no. Critically acclaimed, yes. Which is kind of impressive
considering how often the British music press (mainly NME and Melody
Maker. IMHO, Q's music reviews are fairer than anyone else's.) is
hostile to American bands. But yer typical Briton still doesn't who who
BF5 is.
==============================================================================
[More from Usenet, this time alt.music.alternative:
Subject: LOLLAPALOOZA QUEBEC CITY CANADA
From: Martin Laverdiere <delisle@acica.com>
Date: Mon Jul 8 12:19:12 1996
[snip]
BEN FOLDS FIVE; what a surprise !!! Jerry Lee Lewis and Elton John mixed
together with a fuzzy bass sound and wonderful chorus.
Also, Andy Bernstein at WBS has informed me that a transcript of the
on-line chat they did with BFF is now available on the web, at url:
http://wbs.net/wbs/transcripts/lollatran.html
There will be a link on the web pages. -fjm]
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