THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #328 - May 31, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Saturday, May 31 1997 Volume 01 : Number 328
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Alternative Press
Re: Bettie Serveert
piano transcripts?
Providence Show/Review Snippet/Bettie Seveert
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #324
Horde
wow.
Hmmm , very strange
Lyrics
String Section
One more cover suggestion....
H.O.R.D.E.
let's stop this before it turns into another Brick
Providence Show
favorite cds
My Lupo's experience
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 20:10:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Excus7teen@aol.com
Subject: Alternative Press
just so you all know i got the new issue of Alternative Press today, and it's
prolly the best issue i've ever gotten it has my favorite geetarawk goddess
louise post and her band Veruca Salt on the cover, but more importantly, an
article on Ben Folds Five inside. just so you all know.
mandy
* "In my room, underneath the microscope
* I remember how it felt.
* I thought you knew. I was always full of hope.
* But you could only help yrself."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 20:33:04 +0600
From: Patrick Savage <psavage@vt.edu>
Subject: Re: Bettie Serveert
<DiNataleJ@dsmo.com> wrote:
> I'm seeing my first BFF show this Friday at 9:30 club in DC -
> Woohoo!!. It looks like they are opening(??) for Bettie Serveert. I
> have never heard of this band. Does anyone know what kind of music
> this band plays and if they're worth checking out? Also if BFF is in
> fact the opening band, what time would they be going on?
I think BFF and Bettie Serveert are actually co-headlining...at least
that's the way it looks on the 9:30 web page, 'course my ticket doesn't
even mention BFF at all so I dunno. The Tower in Tysons has the latest
Bettie Serveert CD on one of the listening stations so check it out if
you're interested. I thought they were ok and the lead singer (female) has
a beautiful voice, but they basicly sound like your standard
guitar/bass/drums band.
- --
Pat
psavage@vt.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 23:26:25 -0500 (EST)
From: ghicks@fas.harvard.edu (...george w. hicks...)
Subject: piano transcripts?
Hullo--
I know there are various guitar tabs floating around for BFF on the Internet
and such, but does anyone know of any piano parts, either "offical" (in
stores) or "unofficial" (on Internet) for any songs? I wouldn't think
there'd be any in stores, but I didn't know if somebody had maybe written
out some by hand. I've been working my ass off trying to transcribe the
piano part for "One Angry Dwarf" -- took me about half an hour to get the
intro and verse; it's hard to tell between the bass and the left hand part
sometimes (esp. with a discman and earphones). Not looking forward to
figuring out the solo. Okay, maybe it's sacrilege to try and figure out
such incredible writing and playing, but it feels pretty damn good to be
able to play along, or by yourself (even if it's not 100% right). So
anyway, if anyone knows of any resources for my painstaking efforts, let me
know. Thanx--
george.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 00:35:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: THE YANKEE <mcdonpj3@wfu.edu>
Subject: Providence Show/Review Snippet/Bettie Seveert
I shall try for a bigger review describing the BFF show, but Bettie
Seveert was easily the worst openning act I've ever seen. (ANd I once saw
Saigon Kick open a show) They were stuck on themselves, lyrics were
absolute gibberish, and the lead guitarist thought he had something going
when there was absolutely nothing coming from his guitar worth hearing.
Not to mention they played for AN HOUR AND TEN MINUTES. BFF only played
about 1:50. Somebody needs to tell these guys
a)they're not good
b)They're an opening act
Even when the crowd booed them, and let out a communal sigh whenever they
started a new song (they played 14 or so), they didn't take the hint.
Beg Alan Wolmark to bring back Komeda. They were lots of fun.
Patrick J. McDonough
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 00:53:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: IIBLURII@aol.com
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #324
die
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 01:09:22 -0400
From: Michael Klett <moklett@unity.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Horde
Hi all,
> I know this has been beaten to death, but does anyone have any Horde dates?
> Is there a web page?
There's a chock full o' info page on horde at
http://www.middlebury.edu/~mallick/horde.html
After looking at these dates I can't help but notice that the tour is
completely avoiding the "ol' South" this year. Come on, at least let
BFF play somewhere near home! Anyone in the NC, SC, or VA area feel
like lobbying for a Horde date with me?
Klett
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 04:18:14 -0500
From: absenter@thenexus.com
Subject: wow.
it's all summed up in one simple word.
ben folds five
with special guest bloom, no wait september 67, i mean michael eck
saratoga winners, cohoes, NY, USA, earth
thursday, may 29, 1997 a.d.
it was the best show i've ever seen. out of all my favorite
bands in the galaxy, two of them are never to tour again, and
consequently, i hope that ben folds five sticks around for a long time
to come and they are always certainly welcome in the capital district.
what a show they put on for us.
the setlist is as follows (out of order though, i have a hard
time remembering songs in order and i didn't feel like writing them down
during the show)
jackson cannery
philosophy
julianne (encore. complete with picante intro)
underground
sports 'n wine
best imitation of myself (ixnay on the ianopay)
one angry dwarf & 200 solemn faces
fair (now, this was the best. saratoga winners has a disco ball,
and during the part of the song that is vaguely reminiscent of disco,
they turned it on. it was the BEST)
brick
song for the dumped
selfless, cold and composed
kate
steven's last night in town (first song)
battle of who could care less
missing the war
dr. pyser
pretty people (i have NO idea what this is, and i didn't have any
idea what it was when they played it, but after the show i got a look at
the setlist and i believe that's what it said)
she don't use jelly (encore. great cover!)
highlights of the show included ben standing on the piano and
wiggling his butt at us, the line "he's fucked everyone here except
tamara easter" in steven's last night in town, and the way ben started
singing about saratoga (i believe he thought he was in saratoga:
saratoga winners is actually located in latham, saratoga is in actuality
located about 20 miles north of winners) and the whole band jumped in
and it was freaky, it was great. a couple of us were repeatedly
screaming "UNCLE WALTER!!!" to no avail, and we had a whole group
chanting "WE WANT BEN! WE WANT BEN!" before the band came on and
before the encore. it was such a great show.
after the show, i met a few people standing by the rear doors and
i asked them if they were waiting to meet the band, and they said yes.
and that was how my friend and i met inebriated jeff and his friend
designated driver phil. inebriated jeff was a gas. he was caressing
the door, saying "ben! BEN! come out here, ben!!!" in this odd
voice..it was kooky..finally ben comes out, runs toward the tour bus
saying "i'll be right back", and he did that a few times, carrying
enough alcohol to paralyze the norwegian army with him. eventually the
autograph hounds that were there got ahold of him. inebriated jeff got
his chest signed, and i got a shirt signed, and i shook ben's hand and
told him he did a good show. darren and robert took a little while
longer to come out, but we all got them to sign our stuff (and
inebriated jeff his chest), and some kid had the band write an entire
note to this girl that he was in love with or somthing, and it seems she
loves BFF but didn't go to the show cuz this kid was there..who
knows..and it just occurred to me that i asked ben if i could shake his
hand. ugh, i'm a moron..oh well..they were such a nice band. and they
put on the best show i've ever seen. i can't wait for them to come
back.
to: INT:armchair@maillist.il.fontys.nl
cc: /Concerts
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 11:43:36 BST
From: Andy Hewitt <MBCX6ADH@mail2.mcc.ac.uk>
Subject: Hmmm , very strange
I know the unsubscribe messages are not meant to be here , but when I
mail the address stated and ask to be unsubscribed then it replies
saying that I'm not on the list . Then why am I continually getting
the list in my mailbox then ? I only want to leave for the summer
until I return to University ...
As for Brick : They should definitely release this as it is clearly
the best and most beautiful song they have done . And I read it was
about abortion or something , but every opinion seems to make sense
when it being made ... and I think this discussion has been had
before so I'll shut the hell up .
Oh , and ten bands/albums ? Sure :
Ben Folds Five : Whatever and ever ... amen
Fountains of Wayne : Fountains of Wayne (I met them and they're
really nice people)
Cake : Fashion Nugget
Live : Secret Samadhi
Fiona Apple : Tidal
Counting Crows : Recovering the Satelites
Silver Sun : Silver Sun
Radiohead : Paranoid Android (single)
Hardbody : Hazels Hob (single)
Dishwalla : Pet your friends
And others too numerous to mention ...
Andy Hewitt
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 13:13:55 +0100
From: Mark Piper (PWA) <pipermf@ugs1.ph.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Lyrics
Can someone possibly help fill in the gaps in these lyrics to GUILTY:
Always had it easy, my futures in the mail
Every reason to succeed, every chance to fail
Ain't got nothing on nobody, ?...........?
When I found that opportunity, ?......?
?.......? World War II, ?......? Vietnam
I spent my life ?..........? my pals
And now I'm guilty
And in the first chorus:
Ain't been through the slavery, ain't been through the cotton fields
Through the back of a ?......?, cos I'm guilty
And while we're here, how about the first line of "Kalamazoo":
Ran out of time, ?....? in my mouth
and after the fast bit, it goes:
Your place on the ?......? has faded away
Email me if you can help. Cheers!
Mark
Looks, Brains and Everything - www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:41:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: BSCHACK@aol.com
Subject: String Section
>Rumor has it, that BFF will be
>touring with a four piece string section on HORDE. Does anyone know for
>sure if that is true?
I can tell you for sure that they will be touring with a string section for
HORDE, and I'm pretty sure (but not positive) that the string section will be
with them for the Central Park show. This is straight from Ben's mouth. (A
good friend of mine works with BFF)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 11:00:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Soapscribe@aol.com
Subject: One more cover suggestion....
Sorry, Naked Vegan, wish I'd thought of it sooner (and, hey, I voted!!), but
VH1 unearthed this nugget recently on one of the 8 Track shows and BFF
immediately came to mind:
Nick Gilder's absurd '70s one hit wonder "Hot Child in the City".
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 11:24:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: CLOSERGIRL@aol.com
Subject: H.O.R.D.E.
Hello nameless people,
I just won tickets from a local radiostation. I love winning things. The
only thing that stinks is that I dont think that BFF is playing oh well. If
its free its for me! BTW, did tickets go on sale for the Central Park
Summerstage show? Well if someone can kindly tell me what going on with that
I would really appreciate it.
Thanks :)
Carrolyn aka Closergirl
P.S. John thanks for the tape! I will E-you later been busy
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 12:33:39 -0300 (ADT)
From: Daniel MacEachern <dmaceach@is2.dal.ca>
Subject: let's stop this before it turns into another Brick
Come on.
Daniel
Halifax
P.S. War of 1812.
P.P.S. you should have written "who kicked WHOSE ass" not "who's."
P.P.P.S. I MISS Beeftodd.
> in response to the "inferior" nationalities bit, I'd have to agree with
> Sangame on this one. I mean, who kicked who's ass in that little skirmish
> here in the states a couple of hundred years ago? Oh, yeah, I forgot, you
> Brits are still a little touchy about that victory. As for me, I'm proud
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 12:12:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: JoanneQ@aol.com
Subject: Providence Show
Hello everyone!
As regular readers of the Armchair, we feel it's our duty to share our
perspective of the Providence show! We're from Philly, and attended the TLA
show several weeks ago. We extended a family visit to Rhode Island this week
to take in the Providence show at Lupo's. It's interesting to be able to
contrast the 2 shows.
I just read "Mandel's 1/20 of My Dollar" review of the Boston show
(MA#326), and I think it greatly reflects the Providence show, the night
after as well. We felt, too, that the opening five or four songs (Steven,
Philosophy, Dwarf, Polka & Kate) were a little shaky - the tempos seemed
alternatively too fast or too slow. (Jet lag?) Disappointing because Kate,
especially *rocked* in Philly. Even Selfless, played early on, didn't evoke
the same mood & feeling, I felt it did in Philly. Robert was cursing the
sound and stuff in the beginning, but when his mood changed, it seems the
whole performance picked up.
Absolute highlights were Battle which was so tight; the crowd just fed it.
Also the best Underground we've ever heard in the 3 shows we've seen (with
Robert singing showxmexthexmoshxpit as a dominant chord. Really funny, in
fact, he cracked up himself on the first attempt. (By the way, has he ever
sang show me the mon-ey?). It was also the first time we saw Ultimate
Sacrifice - Ben is truly nuts. ((We have to be honest though, we're confused
about the songs that aren't on the CDs - like we thought Emeline & Jelly were
the same song, and we thought Satan is my master & Ultimate Sacrifice were.
If anyone can clear this up somehow, we would love to be set straight.)) Also
great were the fuzzed-Fair, an incredibly fun Dumped & the encore with
Missing the War and the bossa-nova-ized Julianne.
Some personal notes - even with the shaky beginning, there's nothing like
a BFF concert - I haven't been this enthralled with a band since early
Springsteen. And at the risk of a big whoop heard around the world, I stopped
& said hello to Darren on the street in Providence and he shook my hand and
was really sweet. Also, folks here have been chatting about opening band
Bettie Seviert. Not to diss anyone, but we felt they were punishing. And so
did a lot of the crowd - there was cheering when Bettie would change guitars,
because folks thought she was done. My husband even hoped this was their
farewell tour. September '67, the other opener, was good though. Didn't like
the Providence crowd much either, lots of pushing & shoving to get up front -
the Philly crowd was much more respectful of those who arrive early to get a
good spot. Lupos' crowd had a wealthy supply of a-holes.
If anyone has tapes of either show, we'd love to get one. Thanks! Joanne
& Jeff
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 00:06:09 -0700
From: Nebelhexa <entropy@nwc.net>
Subject: favorite cds
the other day, Urban Gentleman <ad@healey.com.au> wrote:
>Hey someone was asking to see what music other people like, so here's my
>current fave top ten cds... Maybe the order can be changed a bit too...
i thought i'd take this chance to delurk... i'm new to the list and am
ecstatic that i'm not the only BFF fan in existence! (don't ask. there's a
very small population of people beknownst to me who like BFF... sadly 'nuff).
despite my tastes leaning more towards the gothic/industrial genre, i like
a little bit of everything. a sampling:
both BFF albums (with my preference leaning towards the first, but both are
amazing and in heavy rotation in my CD changer)
the sisters of mercy - "floodland"
TMBG - "flood" & "apollo 13"
anything by sarah mclachlan
lords of acid - "voodoo-u"
...ad nauseum. i won't bore you with the rest. ;)
i'm looking to trade tapes of b-sides with people who want blank tapes or
conflagrations of random stuff from my diverse CD collection. :) inquiries
can be posted to yours truly. :)
all dressed up like the cure -
tanya
^v^
Nebelhexa
http://pages.nyu.edu/~ats2727
* internet whore, techjunkie, & ugly mutant *
"you know... they give lithium to people like you." - laith
** goth code, geek code & PGP key available **
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 13:17:06 -0400
From: "Faix, Andrew" <AFaix@harris.com>
Subject: My Lupo's experience
Hey Kids,
I had my first BF5 live experience in Rhode Island Wednesday night and
it was GREAT!!!!
I didn't get a chance to see any of you there, but for those of you who
made it, I hope you had a similar experience.
The band was just super. They did a pretty neat cover: She don't use
Jelly by the Flaming Lips.
My biggest fear with new bands that I like is that they'll suck live and
not live up to their performance on their albums. The BF5 failed to
disappoint though. They put on a real high-energy, entertaining show.
A little brief for my taste, but hell, what can you expect from only 2
albums?
Does anyone know why they don't do Uncle Walter live? They didn't
perform it when I saw them, and from what I've seen from the reviews
posted on Armchair, they haven't been doping it on there other shows.
What's up with that?
Well, I'll definitely try to get out and see them again soon. They seem
to be avoiding Rochester, NY so it appears as though I'll have to travel
again to get my fix.
Everyone is entitled to my opinion.
- -Andrew (afaix@harris.com)
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #328
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