THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #1005 - May 19, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Tuesday, May 19 1998 Volume 01 : Number 1005
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Lauren super bitch :)
me again :)
Lyrics...
Song for the Dumped Video
Ticketbastard again!
More concert etiquette
Looking for 'Domo!...'
my bad ass luck
Wow...a music related post on the Armchair!!
new video review
London!!!
brickheads and such
sessions
TWO NEAT THINGS W/ BFF CONTENT
Brick at school???? NOOOOOOOOOOO
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 05:21:29 EDT
From: Snowwite67 <Snowwite67@aol.com>
Subject: Lauren super bitch :)
In a message dated 98-05-16 20:56:56 EDT, you write:
<< Lauren, do you know?Thanks for a letting me take up a few lines, >>
You mean "me Lauren"?? hehe there are two of us. Anyhow, I go into the Music
store at least once a month and ask for the damn song book and they keep
telling me to come back. I think they just think I'm cute. J/k BUT, the last
time I went in, they told me it "should" be in by the middle of the month.
Damn I want it. :)
Well, I have been soooooo busy lately! I just finished school! woo hoo! I
thought I was going to have to take an incomplete but I didn't and I'm getting
all A's and B's! I rock! Plus, I just got accepted into Kings College London
for study abroad for a year!
Hmmm, who's still going to the Chicago show? I think I might drive out
there with some friends and go see it. It's not sold out is it?
- -Lauren super bitch ( thats my new name since there are two Laurens now)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 05:26:41 EDT
From: Snowwite67 <Snowwite67@aol.com>
Subject: me again :)
<< Since I know you guys do read this, I just wanted to say Thank you
Ben, Robert, and Darren >>
Do they really read it? I thought they didn't anymore. When would they have
time?
- -Lauren super bitch
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 11:17:54 +0100
From: Toby Jenkins <toby@hereford.ac.uk>
Subject: Lyrics...
Hey Fivers!
I noticed that recently there have been several mails about the lyrics
to "Fannie Packs". I can see why! Those lyrics on the
http://www.lyrics.ch are fucking hilarious! Thye thing is, I don't
reckon anyone, even the band will ever know what some of them
are.despite that, it's a wicked song ... one of my faves because of the
sheer amusment factor, along with "satan is my master" and "the ultimate
sacrifice" (glam-rock, white snake ... !!! ARGGGH !!!). brilliant! the
band may be brilliantly talented, but that has bu no means spoiled their
ability to have a really good time. especially when they play live! Ben
said himself that he hates performing live because it makes him feel
like they're trying to sell their music unjustly (i think ... somehting
like that but plaese correct me if i'm wrong) si i suppose that they
have to piss about at their gigs (to a certain extent) so that they can
enjoy themselves a but more. i went to see them in manchester, england
last december and they were amazing! ben is obviously very bright, and
quick thinking. whilst he was in between songs, flinging bottles water
all over the front of the audience, a girl heckled him, as you would Jo
Brand or David Baddiel. it was a really serously bitchy comment, and so,
like a true performer retorted and totally flattened her. it was great,
and also nastier than what she had said to him! also, at the same gig,
robert drank a bottle of nookie brown and smoked a cigarette that i gave
him! how chuffed was I ?!?!?
see you around,
toby-boy.
<< Ben Folds is a fuckin' asshole! >> Quote: Robert Sledge.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 06:16:09 EDT
From: Zuqir3000 <Zuqir3000@aol.com>
Subject: Song for the Dumped Video
Hellllllloooooo Armchair...
I stayed up extra late last night to catch the SFTD video on MTV (pause for
shudder) and even caught three seconds of BFF on Ultra Sound. For some reason,
Modern Rock Live was replaced by an hour-long preview of the Godzilla
soundtrack with Dave Grohl on K-Rock in Syracuse. Anyway...
Let me just say that the SFTD video might have been the funniest thing I have
ever seen on MTV. The Japanese bit is either going to solidify them as a
commercial success or turn everyone who likes them because of "Brick"
(promised myself not to use the word) away. Absolutely loved the girl with the
Ben Folds doll and the iron.
Also, let me say before people start arguing about the tone of this video that
in the three concerts I've attended, this song has been played three times and
it's always been a playful thing. Ben plays piano with his chair, Robert
freaks out on the solo parts, and Darren just sits there:). THIS is what the
music of Ben Folds Five is like (although Air would make a killer single).
Thank you.
- -Dan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 10:22:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: crv1@is2.nyu.edu (Chris Van Valen)
Subject: Ticketbastard again!
Hi all
As you Mid-Atlantians probably know, Jones Beach tix went on sale Saturday
morning at 8am. I got up extra early(on Saturday, noon is usually extra
early) so I was up by 7. I started calling at 7:59 And I didn't get tix for
2 hours. I figured that the 10 year olds were calling for Spice Ho tix and
the metal heads were calling for Aerosmith or Page/Plant. But, god damn!
Why should ALL the tickets go on sale at the same time? Why not space it
out? Finally, I got through at about 9:40(on about my 200th call using
speed dial). And as the asshole on the phone was asking me to spell my name
for the 5th time, she cut me off! I screamed! Twenty minutes later, I got
my tickets, much worse ones than I was offered the first time through. $54
dollars and change. What bullshit.
If you have an unpleasant nature and dislike people
this is no obstacle to work. -- J.G. Bennett
Catch "Forever Knight" on the Sci-Fi Channel every
Tue-Thurs at 9PM and 1AM EST. -- Lucien LaCroix
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 10:52:25 EDT
From: SunfireQT <SunfireQT@aol.com>
Subject: More concert etiquette
Fellow Chairers:
I was at the Dallas show this past Friday and I just thought I'd share some
general etiquette rules that I think should be passed....
1) If you have a cigarette, hold it where no one will get burned from it and
refrain from jumping up and down. In a crowd, you can't tell where you may be
pushed or who you may be pushed into.
2) If you are considered tall, let the short people get in front of you! I'm
5'9" and I use that as a general rule. It's not their fault they're short.
3) If you get into the arena and you are not close to the stage, tough
noogies!!!! People who show up good and early have more of a right to the
spots up front than you do. Unless, of course, you are vertically challenged.
Quit pushing!!!!!
I just got so annoyed I took a chair in the seated sction of Broncobowl. I
got to see the whole stage rather than the back of a tall person's head.
Show was great but I agree that the band seemed a bit tired. Also, it
ended a bit early. However I understand that because Broncobowl is not an 18
and over or 21 and over venue so I'm sure there were a few youngsters in the
crowd who had to be home by a certain time. Considerate of the band.
The Texas Yankee
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 11:09:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: echap@netcom.ca
Subject: Looking for 'Domo!...'
Hey-
I have been tirelessly searching for a CD copy of 'Domo!...'. If anyone can either burn me a copy, or get me an original, I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks,
Robbie C.
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/6626/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 98 11:12:20 PDT
From: "Justin" <jking01@mail.tds.net>
Subject: my bad ass luck
Alright, I don't know about anyone else, but I had a pretty crappy
Ben Folds Five weekend. First all, I was getting ready to tape the
rerun of sessions, when my VCR ate my frigging tape! Just my
luck. After hundreds of hours of using that thing, it screws up
when I try to record something extremely cool as that show.
Second, I called in to Modern Rock Live about 15 minutes early,
so they put me on hold to ask my question. So I am sitting there
on hold for forever. Suddenly, an hour flies by, and they never
get to me! Dammit! This is the second time this has happened
with that show. First James Iha, now this. Ugh!
But, I did see the SFTD video. Pretty cool, I might add.
Has anyone heard Air (I'm sure someone has)?
I think it's rather great. For some reason it reminds me a bit of Queen.
It kinda sounds like a cross between Video and Emaline.
Oh, if anyone didn't catch the boys on MRL, they played
Selfless, Battle, Eddie Walker, and 1 Angry Dwarf. Damn cool.
They were also rather humorous. I taped it if anyone wants
a copy.
Later
- -Justin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 98 11:38:55 CDT
From: amit_saha@VNET.IBM.COM
Subject: Wow...a music related post on the Armchair!!
I'm totally impressed! Michael Bluejay's post to the list was actually
about Ben's music. Could this be a turning point ofr the Armchair? Nah...
not likely :) :)
> and how I was surprised
>the first time I saw him play it live when he used ONE finger from each
>hand, several inches above the keyboard, so his hands had to fly very
>quickly all over the place.
That's funny - how do you play it with three fingers? I originally did it
as a walking bass line with one hand and it didn't work either - more because
the timing would screw up on me. The two hands, one finger approach works
much better and I find that to be not too hard.
>I also remarked that I was finally convinced that on many of his solos,
>he's not trying to hit certain notes, but is just going for an overall
>effect, where he swirls his fingers around on a general area of the
>keyboard without trying to hit the exact same notes every time.
EXACTLY!! I gave up trying to learn the EXACT solos after seeing him live a
few times and realizing the same thing. However, for the first few times,
I found it helps to work out a simple approach to the solo, get comfortable
with that, and THEN really get into the improv aspect. Trying to improv
the first time around just results in cacophany!
>He remarked that he
>was impressed when he recently saw Bruce Hornsby play, and remarked that
>Hornsby is a trained jazz pianist. But he said that if Bruce was trying
>to play Ben's stuff, he'd be trying to analyze it and figure out which
Hornsby has often claimed to be influenced by Keith Jarrett thought I can't
really hear the connection. I think the whole "analyze and figure out"
approach is something that would be more applicable to classically trained
piano players than jazz musicians for whom a fake book is probably way too
much structure :) :)
Anyhow, I'm totally impressed that Ben is amenable to talking *music*
with fans. I've always had trepidation about approaching Ben because
I'd be too eager to talk music and, let's face it - that what the man
does for a living. I thought he'd be too sick of it to talk about it
in his personal time. Maybe I'll try the next time I see him.
Amit.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:05:34 EDT
From: Rocket no8 <Rocketno8@aol.com>
Subject: new video review
well, last night SFTD was the third video on 120 Minutes. Matt Pinfield
screwed up and called it WEAE's third single. and someone else screwed up on
the video credits by having no director's credit(John Flansburgh of TMBG
directed it). other than that, i really liked it. it has the same silly low
budget vibe of the Underground and Uncle Walter videos(which means MTV may not
play it as much as the big Hollywood Brick video). Ben wears the same orange-
red shirt he wore last time i saw them in November (and on SNL). it was
obviously shot mostly with a hand-held camera, so the camera work is kinda
wobbly and a little annoying. but of course, the best part is that the
second verse and chorus is in Japanese(w/English subtitles)! i wonder how the
label felt about them throwing some Kane O Kaise in there. anyway, it's (in
my opinion) their best video since Walter(well, OAD was pretty good too).
~
alright, i had te first post on #1000!
~~
about the age thing, it's kind of irrelevant. i mean, i've been a fan for
two years, since i saw them live for the first time(when i was 14). i myself
am a musician and i probably appreciate their music on more levels than some
older fans. but i also respect older fans who have to been to more shows
and/or have been fans for a longer time. i try not to get defensive when some
make generalizations about teenagers, but sometimes you guys seem to have
forgotten being music fans in your more youthful days. just because some of
you listened to crap at my age doesn't mean that i only listen to BF5 because
are suddenly trendy. i saw Brick's success coming a mile away(well, 6 months
away, more or less). get over it, grow up, and be civil to people and less
judgemental.
- -al
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 14:06:08 PDT
From: "Jonathan Murray" <calmdown20@hotmail.com>
Subject: London!!!
Hello everybody,
Well, Ive got one helluva problem. See, I was supposed to move to
London at the end of May, but now it turns out I wont be going there til
the end of June, around the 27th or so. If anybody could hook me up
with tickets to the show, I would be very very greatful. I am willing
to pay good money for em so please hook me up!!!
thanks,
Jonathan
Calmdown20@hotmail.com
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:27:10 -0400
From: Jaki Hsieh <sinnamon@mindspring.com>
Subject: brickheads and such
I find this arguement rather ironic. A few years from now, when BFF has
another big hit that brings in a flood of newbies, there will be those
amoung us who will ridicule them and state "I've been a fan since Brick"
and consider themselves to be respected pillars of the BFF community. I'm
sure there are people here who are insulting "brickheads" when in fact they
showed up as a "newbie" they were also laughed at by people who had been
here since Ben Folds was singing twinkle twinkle little star. Come on now
people, this is a silly arguement. Lets move on to bigger and better BFF
things. And even though I am 18 i find the term "teenyboppers" offensive,
lets all be our mature unteenybopped selves and drop it. Its beyond the
point of infantile by now.
Jaki
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 15:53:50 PDT
From: "Dustin O." <doneil41@hotmail.com>
Subject: sessions
Hey everyone, guess who WASN'T on Sessions at West 54th again?? That's
right Ben Folds Five!! Anyway, so don't worry again, maybe it'll be on
next week?
Later,
Dustin
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 19:59:45 EDT
From: Curt587621 <Curt587621@aol.com>
Subject: TWO NEAT THINGS W/ BFF CONTENT
well i have two bff related things....
first of all, while i was in philadelphia last week, i went into an indie
record store called STATE OF THE ART RECORDS on south street. After finding
the BFF section, i found the UNDERGROUND two part import single for 6.99 each
disc. Anyways, as most of you know or should know, one disc has the
underground edit with underground and jackson cannery live. the other has the
regular underground with video and satan is my master live. the only problem
that the versions of underground and satan are the same as the ones on NBP.
anyways, i guess it was an ok purchase for 6.99 each.
Another thing....on friday night i was at MEDIA PLAY here in harrisburg,
pa and i came across a the DANCE SINGLE OF BRICK and picked it up for 6.99
also. It's interesting!!! I've heard murmurs of it existing but i could not
believe it until i heard it...it's done by somebody called STARING AT THE SUN
that's it...
Curt
here's whats in my 10 disc car changer:
radiohead-the bends....bff-bff....dmb-b4 these crowded streets...barenaked
ladies-rock spectacle....pearl jam- wishlist single....blur-
blur...cornershop-born for the 7th time...semisonic-feeling strangely
fine...everclear-so much for the afterglow...foo fighters-colour and shape...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:00:08 -0700
From: "Julie 'anti-gavin' Hurst" <strasswoman@mailcity.com>
Subject: Brick at school???? NOOOOOOOOOOO
I'm at school right now, finally doing work, some idiot puts the radio on and guess what was on??? (don't need to tell you)
I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and everyone looked at me
I felt stupid yelling for someone to turn it off...
hmmmm does anyone want to tell me what i have missed on the armchair this month?
my email is stuffed as and arghhhhhhhhh.....um...um...i wish i knew what was happening....someone plz tell me or send me armchairs from the past week....please!!!!!!!!! I beg of you......
grrrrrrrr...now I"m in a bad mood and I have P.E next DAMN!!!!!!!!
:(
- -Julie 'anti-gavin'
*screw you if you want to complain about my post*
Get your FREE, private e-mail
account at http://www.mailcity.com
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #1005
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