THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #637 - November 21, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Friday, November 21 1997 Volume 01 : Number 637
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Todd Flanaghan
small rants
Mnpls boots?
Because we're all friends...
cleveland show (last year) and some other stuff
Re: Ben and Brick
Live show recording - A note from the tour
what's with the rumors???
songbook info
[none]
Whatever!
Kate single
ben gay five
Rumor
the gay thang...
Re:Howard
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:38:01 -0600
From: Pluvius Dope
Subject: Todd Flanaghan
I don't know if anyone else was offended by what Todd Flanaghan said in his
post. But I think it is really vile to say that you have had a sexual
encounter with a married man, especially when you acuse him of being in a
sexual encounter with yourself. Not that there is anything wrong with being
gay, it's just that I love Ben and I don't want him to have his name
dragged through the mud.
Pluvius Dope
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:09:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Bill Tatalovich
Subject: small rants
Hey all--
You know, some people are complaining about the entire 12 Angry Viewers
thing on MTV. In all honesty, I can see how those jurors would not have
liked it. If you've been watching lately, the jurors this week have this
love for upbeat songs, mostly hip-hop kind of stuff. So basically, all
you can say about 12 Angry Viewers is that BFF was a victim of a certain
jury...just like Blink 182 (hand up for liking them as well), Moby (how
could you not like the James Bond Remix? who knows...), and plenty of
other good bands. They just didn't like "Brick"....get over it.
This kind of segues nicely into my next topic; the entire popularity
issue, which pops up occasionally on here. In all honesty, BFF are
already so much more popular than when I first started listening to them
(bowing to Allan...I'm still forever in his debt), and I'm happy. I got
to go to a couple of shows where there were 100 people there or so, got to
meet them, got to talk with them. I still wish them all the luck in the
world...if they are playing arenas when I graduate from college, I'll
still go and see them. Popularity doesn't change the music, folks...the
artists themselves change it.
You know, some of y'all are just getting into BFF, and that's great. Some
others, like myself, have been on ever since Frank's manual digest days.
It doesn't matter. Don't feel as though you "own" the band...just enjoy
it. See y'all around.
Bill Tatalovich
wt3@cec.wustl.edu
currently listening to:
David Garza--The 4-track Manifesto
Beulah--Handsome Western States
Sunny Day Real Estate--Diary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
realize that music exists because people create it,
not because mtv says it does
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:16:06
From: "Hannah Kuhlmann"
Subject: Mnpls boots?
I too would love to hear from anybody with a boot of the First Ave. show on
11/17/97. E-Mail me. . . I have no shows for you, unfortunately, but if
it's blank tapes you want, it's blank tapes I got. Sorry to wheel and deal
on the Armchair. . .THANKS!
- -------------------------------------
hannah kuhlmann - kuhl0025@tc.umn.edu
SHIT YEAH, 'S COOL . . .
- -------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:17:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Tocadisco@aol.com
Subject: Because we're all friends...
I have to say, I'm a bit disgusted with the last armchair. Back to back were
two articles,
one declaring Ben a crack smoker because he smoked crack with Ben; the other
called
him gay because he had an affair with Ben. Both of them added: "I only
told you guys
cause I know you'll keep it within the armchair."
Wow, my favorite bandmember is a gay crack smoker. Hmm.. you know what...I
don't
know Ben at all, and I frankly don't care what he does in his spare time as
long as he
writes great music. But I do know he's a pretty smart guy...and smart guys
who want to
hide the fact that they smoke crack don't just let anybody go backstage to
smoke with
them.
Whether or not Ben is gay, I frankly do not care.
- -toca k. disco
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:38:28 -0500 (EST)
From: Judi Smith
Subject: cleveland show (last year) and some other stuff
back when i was on the armchair last year, i signed up to be the leaf on a
tree for the cleveland show.
1) does anybody know anything about this? i emailed the branch several
times and was told he had yet to get HIS tape..but it was supposed to be
coming soon. obviously it didn't, but i don't know if other people got
this or if the tree died, or what.
2) does anybody wanna trade any bff boots for any counting crows boots? i
have ... quite a few. and i'm dying to hear "... jelly" again.
please email me.
other stuff: all this stupid crap about ben being gay and
smoking crack is why i unsubbed last year. i thought this list was
moderated. isn't it reasonable to AT LEAST screen out posts saying "i
know ben is gay because i slept with him last year?" AFTER someone
confessed his jackass friends decided to post lies to piss him off?
or am i wrong about it being moderated? :)
vince guaraldi: i've always thought that middle section in underground was
pure v.g.; ben didn't seem to agree tho :/ when i mentioned it to him in
october. *sigh*
sessions at w 54th: i think i've watched every one (at least to see who
was on) EXCEPT the one bff ended up being on. does anyone have the air
date so i can order a copy of it from my local station? or does anyone
want to trade vids (again, i have counting crows)?
judi smith would you catch me if i was falling
jsmith@bc.seflin.org kiss me if i was leaving
hold me 'cause i'm lonely without you
countingcrows-l@ -- counting crows
listserv.aol.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:56:30 -0500
From: Meg Franz
Subject: Re: Ben and Brick
This is in response to the message posted by Derek as to what Ben said before Brick at the Richmond show. I don't know if you were way in the back or in the bathroom or what, but he said his mom called and left a message on his answering machine saying she heard Brick in the supermarket. His MOM, not some girl or anything. No big deal.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:02:18 -0800
From: BFF_On_Tour
Subject: Live show recording - A note from the tour
Hello All!
It's Doug, the evil Tour Manager. Here, for all who have asked, is the
'Official BFF Live Taping Policy' hereby known as the OBFFLTP pronounced
'Obflitip'
You CAN audio tape shows. You CAN NOT video tape the shows. Any
microphone 'trees' must be shorted than Sandi Shortcake. For those of
you who haven't met Sandi, that basically means don't bother. (Sorry
Sandi)
My daily instructions to venue security are as follows -
Audio recording IS allowed. Any mic stand must be shorter than the
person behind it.
Video recording IS NOT allowed.
We, and our crowd, don't generally like stage diving. You can use your
standard house policies in dealing with the crowd, as long as it DOES
NOT involve throwing anyone out. If you feel that someone needs to be
thrown out, bring them to me. After I talk to them, I'm sure that they
will be fine. Also, the band enjoys having the crowd standing up to the
stage in seated venues.
Thats's it. If you guys are nice, security should be nice. If they
aren't, come find me. I'll deal with them.
A couple other things:
BFF try to not have barricades at any show. Barricades, if they are in
place, are there because the venue requires their use. (You would be
surprised at how many venues in this country have lawsuits against them
resulting from stage diving)
Ticket Master. The band has NOTHING to do with who promoters use to sell
tickets. As evil as they are, TM make it possible for people to get
tickets who might not be able to otherwise. Believe me, if it was easy
or cheap, every promoter would have their own ticketing agency. Those
extra fees go to TM not the promoter or the band. The band would be
happy if the fees didn't exist. The promoters would like to make that
money themselves.
That's it. See you guys at the shows.
Doug
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:13:11 PST
From: "ballet grrl"
Subject: what's with the rumors???
i have to say...the armchair has been getting a little boring. what a
way to spice things up!!! but puh-lease!!! ben smoking crack AND being
gay??? wow. what a man .
all i have to say (well, probably not, but it is worth a shot), is to
wait until ben comes out himself and says, "yeah...i have a crush on
darren...oh yeah, and i really like to smoke crack." until then, just
keep laughing at the weirdos who feel the need to post such odd, odd
things (for lack of a better word. don't you hate it when that
happens??)
if yer ever in the spokane area, head to the safeway on sprague
and evergreen for some kickin' chinese food.
sara aka grrl
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:28:27 -0500 (EST)
From: ghicks@fas.harvard.edu (george w. a. hicks, jr.)
Subject: songbook info
Hello there--
I have some questions on the songbook for the first album--the one that is
currently out of stock. Now, I have heard word that it will soon be made
available again, as well as a new one for the most recent album. I'm not
going to be retarded and ask when they will be out, but I do want to know if
anyone who DOES have the first songbook could provide some information on
it, so that when the new ones come out, I will know how much ass I have to
kick to get one.
What I need to know is, how easy/difficult is the music contained in the
songbook? I was hoping for almost note-perfect transcriptions from the real
songs, no matter how difficult, but the official web site says "easy"
transcriptions. How easy are we talking about here? I don't want to spend
time tracking down a songbook if it's just chords and a few notes. I have
spent some time transcribing three of the songs from the first album myself,
but it's taken so long I'm ready to just buy the damn songbook when it's
available. But I want to know if it's worth it. So if anyone out there has
it or has looked at it, could you please e-mail me, or make it public and
put it out on the list, and fill me in on the difficulty of the
transcriptions and their similarity to what Ben actually plays. Another
question: do the transcriptions include just what Ben plays on piano, or is
the bass part also incorporated into the notes, i.e., in the left hand
farther down the piano? If this subject has already been discussed on the
list before, apologies, but it wouldn't hurt to remind everyone. Thanks--
george
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:29:21 -0500
From: schander@juno.com (joe s schanderson)
Subject: [none]
Melissa wrote
>>@#$^#*%_) ^*$ %#W%^&(*&*(+_)+!@#@!#@$%$%*#&^*(
>>@$&$%(*(^_(+&(_&($%@
and then finished off with
>>sorry for my rant, but it had to be said.
No. Actually it didn't.
I would also like to quickly re-post something I said at an earlier time
re: the protective feelings we may get about bands.
IT DOESN'T MATTER. All even the best fan does is really like a band.
That doesn't entitle said fan to ANYTHING.
They aren't in the band, they didn't discover the band, they didn't
introduce the band to a label....they just really like the band. SO WHAT.
Everyone has bands they liked before someone else. I'm sure Mozart's
playmates were pissed as hell when he "sold out" and all the fops, dukes
and queens started courting him....but THEY DON'T MATTER EITHER. They
just liked him. Just like us.
ta ta,
michigan joe
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 00:01:48 -0500 (EST)
From: "Christina M. Scarmeas" <15SCARMEAS@cua.edu>
Subject: Whatever!
Ok, so ben is not gay. He is married to Kate, and loves her dearly. So,
please don't post that BS here. We all know that there are teeny-boppers
on this page that still don't know what Brick is about ( We love you
anyways, that was not an insult), and they don't knwo about Ben's marriage.
Whoever wrote that really has an obsession to deal with.
Tina
*******************************************************************************
Christina M. Scarmeas
Catholic University
Washington, DC
"I'm crazy, but I get the job done"
Ben Folds Five
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:40:01 -0700
From: "Ray DeRoy"
Subject: Kate single
Hello all,
I stopped by Circuit City today, and low and behold, they had the 2 Kate singles,
plus the Battle of Who Could Care less single...Well, I am willing to purchase these
for someone...All I ask is cost and postage...
- ---
ray
"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."
Currently in the 5-disc:
1 - Bob Dylan - Live at Budokan disc 1
2 - Warren Zevon - Learning To Flinch
3 - Indigo Girls - 1200 Curfews disc 2
4 - Thanks To Gravity - Slingshot
5 - Barenaked Ladies - Maybe You Should Drive
Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 00:56:54 -0600
From: jeanius@juno.com (Matt Jeans: A King Among Fools)
Subject: ben gay five
tODD fLANAGAN bullshitted:
>Guys, Ben is gay, or at least experimented. I know this because, well,
>I've been with him. It was a couple of years ago, before they started
>reaching mainstream popularity. I figured I could let the Armchair know
>because we're all fans of BF5. Ben doesn't particularly hide the fact
>(I've seen him with guys at a couple shows), but it's pretty low-key and
>he doesn't like it publicized.
yeah, todd. sure, we've all seen ben go down on a few guys after tough
shows, but we're all to scared to realize the truth. How bold of you to
"come out" per se, with this information. How gracious to accept a
lowely, lost, ben folds into your loving arms before his homosexuality
became too big to conceal.
BETWEEN HIS LIFELONG CRACK PROBLEM AND HIS RAGING HOMOSEXUALITY, BEN
FOLDS IS SURE TO BECOME A ROCK LEGEND.
get a fucking grip on reality, todd.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 02:49:45 -0500
From: Ed Cowardin
Subject: Rumor
Amen to Melissa "Queen of the bitches" for her complaint about the
10,000 redundant Armchair Q & A's regarding the Gershwin riff Ben
quotes from Rhapsody In Blue. /// Speaking of quotes, someone thought
that "Selfless, Cold & Composed" borrows from jazz pianist Vince
Guaraldi of Peanuts fame. Actually, the opening riff Ben uses is very
close harmonically to "Rondo a la Turk" by Dave Brubeck, but Ben gives
it a nice twist. No matter, "Selfless" is a genuine masterpiece in my
mind./// As for what Mike Halbert wrote, I agree. These are just rumors
about Ben being gay (although according to an Armchair report of a radio
interview Ben did in Raleigh a couple of months ago, Ben said he and
Kate separated after just a few months of marriage.) If he is gay, then
it's cool he doesn't make an issue of it, just as Cole Porter, Freddie
Mercury, Elton John and other great gay songwriters never did. If he
isn't gay, that's cool, too. Straight men, unless they're really
repressed and uptight, kiss each other, too, sometimes. Especially when
they're drunk, and Ben seems to like a beer or three occasionally. The
important thing is not the idle gossip, but the experience of listening
to these extraordinary songs and relating their poetry to your own life.
From what I can see, BFF's music is obviously saying something to a lot
of people: teenagers, young adults, parents, male, female, straight and
gay, educated, uneducated, whatever. /// And for all we know, Ben Folds
is just wacky enough to feed the rumor mill for his own entertainment as
he enjoys his successful ride. (I did think the Armchair message about
Ben lighting up the crack pipe backstage was hilarious, but I didn't
believe it for a minute.)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 02:51:55 EST
From: sandishortcake@juno.com
Subject: the gay thang...
this gay thing has gotten a little out of hand. he is not gay...and if
he ever was, i'd still love his music.
anyway, who gives a fuck if he's gay or not, i'd still fuck him.
rock on,
sandi
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:08:48 +0200
From: jfogde@imv.aau.dk (John Fogde)
Subject: Re:Howard
Hey Armchair-people
Someone on the Digest asked who Howard in "Boxing" is and although this
question may have been answered on another occasion, I thought I'd answer
it to the best of my ability, anyway. The theory I have heard is that the
song is to be seen as a conversation between boxing journalist Howard
Cosell and Muhammed Ali (notice the discreet pun: "They seem to think I'm
made of clay"). Howard Cosell can be seen in the movie "When We Were Kings"
about the Ali vs. Foreman fight entitled "Rumble in the Jungle".
I too have a question, which some of you who have seen BFF on numerous
occasions might be able to answer. I saw BFF at the Roskilde festival in
Denmark this summer and they played a song, which I hadn't heard before. It
started out with Robert bitching about a show they had to cancel in England
and then he started out: "The man is trying to bring me down". It sounded
like Beastie Boys and the chorus was something like "Ben Folds is number
one". Have they played this song at other shows and does it have a title or
was it just a jam-thing?
Also I'd like to mention that when Ben Folds went to play the drums, he
introduced Darren as: "7 feet of divine darkness: Kareem Abdul Jabbar"
after which Darren tried to do a rap. It went something like this:
"Basketball is my favourite sport. I love to dribble down the motherfucking
court". He then complained about not remembering the rest of the rap, but
Ben just told him: "Do that breakdancing shit you do".
That's it from me,
John Fogde, Denmark
**************************************************************
Once you "got" Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again.
And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again.
- - Taken from the Andy Warhol book : America
**************************************************************
Visit my Andy Warhol Homepage at
http://imv.aau.dk/~jfogde
**************************************************************
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #637
**************************************
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