THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #162 - November 21, 1996
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #162
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Topics for Today:
ben folds on ice
Bus Stop Breakup
Ben Folds Five in RS #749
Monkey Boy Folds
<no subject>
next tour
BFF in U.K.
Ben Folds Five at Dingwalls
watching tv while doing the nasty
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #161
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Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 11:21:59 -0400
From: Cynthia Wang <cynthia@people.timeinc.com>
Subject: ben folds on ice
Hi all,
The secret influence of ABC production interns....
On one of those recent Skate International competitions, there was a
"special profile" on Michelle Kwan. In the little segment which talks about
Michelle's older sister Karen going to Boston University and leaving
Michelle behind in L.A., the opening to "Where's Summer B.?" is looped in
the background. "Where's Summer B.?" is then blended into Aimee Mann's
"That's Just What You Are." A fusion of two performers I really like, on a
profile of a cool skater.
Ain't life grand [piano]?
Cynthia
-------------------
"Are you going to believe what you see or what I tell you?"
- John Wayne in McClintock
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 14:27:17 +0000
From: John Wroton <jwroton@nando.net>
Subject: Bus Stop Breakup
Yes, sad but true, Bus Stop, the band of which Ben's brother, Chuck,
is a member, is having their farewell tour. All those in the
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area can catch their last show in this
area Friday, November 22 at the Brewery in Raleigh. Their very last
show is New Year's Eve in Charlotte.
For those of you who don't know Bus Stop, if you can find any of
their CD's, BUY THEM!! They are great. I kept hoping they could stay
together long enough to maybe ride Ben's coattails to success, but
alas.
All Ben Folds Five fans in North Carolina need to try and catch one
of these last few shows. Check out their web page for a complete
list of final tour dates - http://www.cris.com/~4rachuck/
(See ya' at the Brewery, Chuck!!)
John Wroton
UDI Community Development Corporation
P.O.Box 1349
Durham, NC 27702
Phone: (919)544-4597
Fax: (919)544-4609
E-Mail: jwroton@nando.net
Home page: http://www.RTPnet.org/~jwroton
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 15:22:48 -0500
From: Steve Reidell <sareidel@metro2.k12.mn.us>
Subject: Ben Folds Five in RS #749
From the "Random Notes" section:
Follow us into the world of piano rockers Ben Folds Five as frontman Ben
Folds fills us in. On recording their second album in his North Carolina
home: "I didn't want to lose my s**t," he says, "and we wanted to do some
of the stuff we learned playing live - like the first record, but pumped
up." On the Klezmatics, the jazzy New York klezmer outfit who pitched in a
tune: "I loved their records. So I summoned them." His thoughts on being
labeled a geek: "If you're doing what you do and people call you a geek,
it's a little disconcerting. But I'd rather be a geek with a career."
[picture with caption] From left: BFF's Robert Sledge, Darren Jesse;
Klezmatics Frank London, Alicia Svigals; and Folds
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 16:59:03 -0600
From: Geoffrey McNulty <gmcnulty@students.wisc.edu>
Subject: Monkey Boy Folds
I recently recieved a promotional copy of Counting Crow's new album in the
mail from a radio station back home. I used to hate the Crows, but I
decided to give the album a shot anyway. I listened to the song "Monkey"
(you know, the ben folds on the radio one) and it's pretty darn good. So is
the rest of the album. The lyrics sometime get wrapped up with themselves,
and sometimes Adam seems to be trying to prove that he is, indeed
"alternative" (thus the ben folds line), but the music is just solid. That
and Adam has a pretty kick-ass voice. I had to blow the dust off of my copy
of "August..." and gave it another shot. My faith in Counting Crows has
been renewed. Bye now. I'll get back to all of you who have emailed me
about bootlegs eventually, and keep 'em coming.
Geoff
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geoffrey McNulty | "i know goth and industrial
gmcnulty@students.wisc.edu | with a flair of eightees."
(608) 264-0123 | --illusyn
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I LOVE THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. THEY ARE SILLY SILLY BOYS.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 00:47:21 +0000 (GMT)
From: Stanford Chiou <stanford.chiou@university-college.oxford.ac.uk>
Subject: <no subject>
On Tue, 19 Nov 1996, Frank Maynard wrote:
> all you robert sledge fans should check out chapel hill's GLADHANDS.
> Their cd comes out in january and robert plays with them on six songs. the
> old bass player, who happened to be mr. joe caparo, left.
With Darren's girlfriend?
> I also knew that BFF will have there next CD up in stores on
> March 17th. Is that right??? What song will be on the CD? Somebody
> help...
Last night I heard it was going to be February from none other than
Darren Jessee himself, which brings us to my next topic of conversation,
BFF's show at Camden Dingwall's in London last night.
There were a surprisingly large number of die-hard British fans there.
They knew the lyrics by heart and everything. There was this one guy who
had clearly been to at least one more of their live shows 'cause he
finished Ben's remark about "a trombone with a keyboard" for him. Maybe
this isn't so surprising considering the really good press they've gotten
here. They haven't gotten a lot of press. They're not a household word
or anything, but what little press they've gotten has been in highly
influential British music publications and has been very laudatory.
I told Ben it was my birthday on Thursday and got a copy of the set list
signed "Stan is my master. Happy 20th! Ben Folds, Darren Jessee, Robert
Sledge". Very cool. And to think I was upset 'cause I forgot to bring
my CD booklet.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 03:54:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Brad Price <price.289@osu.edu>
Subject: next tour
I was writing to see when ben folds five was going touring in the united
states again.. I missed them in CINCY due to problems and I was hoping that
they would go to columbus at the Newport. That would be Ohio. I would love
to see the band and have been a follower since Dec.. If not Columbo let me k
ow. Clove in the yahoo.
[Next spring. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 12:44:38 +0000
From: Marsh <winkie@easynet.co.uk>
Subject: BFF in U.K.
hi,
I'm new to this list so I don't know if there's anyone else from
England on it or if anyone was at the gig on Monday night but
anyway..
BFF started their UK tour on Monday night at Dingwall's in Camden,
London. When we arrived at the pub above venue the friend we were
meeting had already discovered that Ben was sitting upstairs being
interviewed and nipped off to get an autograph. A few minutes later I
did the same and Ben signed my tickets. We saw him a few more times
as he wandered around a bit, then he went to a phone and asked us
about making a call. We chatted briefly then he went downstairs to
the venue. He seems like a really nice bloke.
The quiet, unassuming guy we met earlier has a mighty stage presence!
And man, can they all play! I already knew this because we'd seen
them before, but I'm still amazed that three people can produce such
a full sound.
The set list:
Jackson Cannery
Where's Summer B?
* a newsong Battle of something
The Last Polka
Uncle Walter
Alice Childress
*Steven's Last Night in Town
*One Angry Dwarf
Best Imitation of Myself
Video
* I Want My Money Back
Sports and Wine
Underground
Video Killed The Radio Star
Philosophy
encore:
Boxing
Julianne
*Last something
* ?
* if anyone knows the correct titles of these, please let me know.
thanks,
Chris
winkie@easynet.co.uk
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 14:52:53 GMT
From: Mr Benjamin R Day <ph41bd@surrey.ac.uk>
Subject: Ben Folds Five at Dingwalls
Hi.
This post concerns the Ben Folds Five gig at Dingwall's in Camden, on
Monday 18th November.
I arrived at the gig about a half hour before the doors opened. There were
a few people hangin' around the door, but it was bloody cold so I went up
to the bar and had a drink and waited till the doors opened, or Chris
Marsh turned up. On the way to the t oilets I walked past a couple of guys
sitting down talking. One looked a whole lot like Ben Folds. I had my
headphones on and couldn't hear what they were saying, but as I left the
toilets, I picked up some of Ben's southern accent, you know, the one he t
hinks maybe he should take a class to lose (why?). I didn't have a pen on
me, so I went to look for someone who did, to get an autograph. I found
Chris downstairs and told her (in hushed tones) that Ben Folds was
upstairs, so we went up and got some autog raphs, he wasn't at all
bothered that we interrupted his interview he was doing at the time.
For those who have never met him, he seems so normal, it's untrue. He
looks the most unassuming non-rock star like guy your imagination could
comfortably deal with. He smiles a lot. He does not resemble the lead
singer of Oasis in any way.
So Chris and I go back to the bar and wait for the doors to open. We were
just talking when someone taps me on the shoulder. It's Ben Folds, wanting
to know how to use the phone! I help him (unsuccesfully), and he gives up
and says he'll use the one downs tairs. He asks how to get downstairs. I
point him to the doors where a large queue has now formed, but point out
that he runs the risk of getting mobbed. This doesn't seem to worry him
much, so he goes that way anyway. In England, the band is still pretty
anonymous, no one knows what Ben looks like. He gets away with it.
The show opened with a band called the Diggers, who were Britpop. Nuff
said. They trudged thru some tunes that sounded like the Beatles songs
no-one remembers. They left after half an hour.
Short interval, then Ben Folds Five take the stage, amid much whooping and
hollering. I don't remember the set list, but they did all the songs off
the album plus plenty more. They opened with an instrumental track, then
into Jackson Cannery. The highligh t of the new material they played was a
song called Steven's last night in town, it really rocked, cool lyrics
too. They played Video killed the radio star too, and at this point the
mosh pit threatened to wreck the place. Underground was, of course,
mental. It began with the usual intro, with the crowd heartily joining in,
and then halfway thru, the mosh pit managed to push the piano half way
across the stage, Ben did not miss a note however, just rolled with it!
The band's playing was superb, but that goes without saying. Anyone who
has heard them live know that they are one of the most overaweing acts
around. Just to see Ben play, it's like awesome. His hands blur when
playing fast chords, the way he uses his wh ole forearms to play half the
notes at once, playing with his feet, the piano stool, his arse...
Robert, the bass player came up with a cool idea too. You know that
buzzing sound you get when you pull the lead out of a bass guitar? He
tapped out a cool rhythm doing that at one point. Sounded real cool.
Ben also had a blowy-keyboard thing too, which he played a couple of
times. A loud guy in the audience shouted out "It's a trumbone with a
keyboard!". And Ben goes "Yeah, that's what it is!" And then loud bloke
shouts "Can you play the theme tune of Jonny
Briggs?" which is a well-known british kids show. Ben asks how it goes
and loud bloke shouts/sings it. Ben instantly, I mean instantly, plays it
back perfect, note for note! Half the crowd fainted at this point.
From start to finish, including Ben's strutting and posing on top of the
piano, it was the most purely *entertaining* gig I have ever been to. It's
not the kind of thing to change your life, but for pure enjoyment, Ben
Folds Five is the king!
see ya, spinach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin R Day "We only stay in orbit
c/o Physics Department For a moment in time
University of Surrey Then you're everybody's satellite
Guildford I wish that you were mine"
Surrey by Counting Crows.
GU2 5XH
Tel. (+44) 1483 300800 ext. 4850 Email: ph41bd@surrey.ac.uk
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 15:35:08 -0300
From: Daniel MacEachern <dmaceach@is2.dal.ca>
Subject: watching tv while doing the nasty
> radiostar', 'crosstown traffic', some song by lisa germano about f***ing
> from behind so 'we could f*** and watch tv' which sounded really funny and
I'm pretty sure this is a Liz Phair song. But I am also jealous since I
have never seen BFF and since I live in Halifax, NS, I don't know when I
ever will.
Ben - if you're reading this, come to Halifax! It's not that far from New
York and you guys could stay at my house. We have a bar called the
Wardroom you could play at, I could even set it up there, I work
there...please, Ben, please.....
Daniel
Halifax
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Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 15:02:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Homer <VP24NJ3X@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #161
radiostar', 'crosstown traffic', some song by lisa germano about f***ing
from behind so 'we could f*** and watch tv' which sounded really funny and
a fourth one which i forgot. they also did an improvised version of snoop
that 'lisa germano' song is actually a song called "chopsticks" by Liz Phair
off of her whip-smart release... it isn't very funny on her CD, but probably
does with Ben singing it :)....
jay,
Buffalo,
First time contributer
==============================================================================
[There is still time to get your "other favorite bands" post in. I'd
like to close out the discussion, and will be posting the latest
installment tomorrow (Friday) as another separate issue. -fjm]
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I'd like to tell you, like to tell you, tell you everything