THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #839 - February 23, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Monday, February 23 1998 Volume 01 : Number 839
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
midis + Cakewalk Pro = fun!
Re: Philly show
2/21 Philly Show
Re: Welcome to armchair
partner in lameness
I am un chien andalusia!
Silly Brickheads...
stuff
Clutch Cargo's show (sorry...it's kind of late...)
NYC Private SONY party! : )
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 04:38:08 -0600
From: Becky Williams <curlw2@panther2.pen.eiu.edu>
Subject: midis + Cakewalk Pro = fun!
Hey -
I'll keep this as concise as possible. Just wanted to let you all in on
something cool, if you haven't already heard about it or done it. The
other day I was mentioning to my boyfriend how much I'd like to have Ben
Folds Five sheet music (having taken piano lessons for 9+ years). He's not
a huge BF5 fan; however, he surprised me today by dumping a stack of papers
in my lap which just happened to contain the entire transcription of One
Angry Dwarf for piano. Turns out that you can download midis and use a
program called Cakewalk Pro to transcribe 'em. Pretty bitchin', I'd say.
This program is rather expensive if you have to buy it, but that's what
warez is for. Anyone interested in plunking out some BF5 tunes on the
piano, I highly recommend this method.
Also, I've never bothered to ask this, anyone on the Armchair from
downstate Illinois (particularly near Macomb or Charleston) ??
Becky
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 08:51:19 -0500 (EST)
From: "D . Hokanson" <hokansod@goldey.gbc.edu>
Subject: Re: Philly show
I went to see BFF in Philly last night. What a difference airplay makes.
The place was packed. When I went last March to the TLA it was a totaly
better situation (at least for the fan). I'm glad for Ben, Robert and
Jesse, that they finally got the attention they deserve. But I had to
leave half way thru the show cause the teeny-bobbers kept pushing and
shoving to get up front. I guess I should have gone upstairs where it was
21 and over crowd. I also prefered TLA over Electric Factory. Never
really cared for the Electric Factory -- pricey. Even to park in their
lot you gotta pay $8 on top of the $22 you shell out for the ticket.
But the band was great!!! I especially liked the old songs--My Philosphy
and Julianne. What time did the band pllay til? What was entire set
list. Was any of the early BFF listers there -- that I met or correspnded
with last March, Hil, Mike (who sent me the tape). I lookeed for ya but
didn't see ya.
Til next time I decide to brave the elements!
Donna
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 09:19:57 EST
From: YourPalCM@aol.com
Subject: 2/21 Philly Show
Did anyone happen tape the show in Philadelphia last night (2/21) at the
Electric Factory? If you did please e-mail if you're interested in a trade
and I'll send you my list.
Thanks,
Your Pal,
Chris Mal
YourPalCM@aol.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 09:54:05 EST
From: JGreenb106@aol.com
Subject: Re: Welcome to armchair
This is my little review of the Philly show...
This was my first BFF show, and it was really great. The set started off
with "Dr. Peyser" and went into "Battle of Who Could Care Less". There was a
song I'd never heard before that might've been written spontaneously--- called
"Rachel". Some highlights were, of course, "One Angry Dwarf", "Emaline",
"Miserlou", "She Don't Use Jelly"; during one part Ben remarked that yesterday
was his mother's birthday, and he'd forgotten tp sing to her. In a few
seconds several hundred people were singing "Happy Birthday" to his mom. All
the songs were amazing. I thought they'd play "Underground", but they never
did. Which was alright. Everybody seemed to really be into it, and Ben
remarked that Philadelphia is "one of the most musical places you can play
in". To which there was spontaneous applause and cheering. There's nothing
else I can say, other than it was a really, really great first show to go to.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 10:19:52 -0500 (EST)
From: Judi Smith <jsmith@bc.seflin.org>
Subject: partner in lameness
read ralph's rant in an armchair a couple of days ago, and wanted to
commiserate over the *ahem* inappropriateness? of some stuff we say to our
favorite bands...
when i saw em in october, i made some lame remark to robert the beautiful
about how i thought no one could impress me more than ben til i saw them
in concert... and he immediately shut me down with a sarcastic "yeah,
it's too bad you can't hear it just listening to the cd's." and before i
could spit out more than a "no, the cd's are great ... it's not that... i
mean..." he was gone.
sigh
but someone else said what i *meant*, on another armchair: if you've never
seen them live, you don't (or at least *I* didn't) realize the extent to
which the group is really a group, with equal contributions... darren is
so much more than the drummer, robert does so much more than bass; it's
not easy to tell that from the cd. and to see it all done live is
incredible; sure, everyone knows they can do amazing things in a studio,
but to see them creating all that sound with just the three of them, live,
well.....that being my first time, i had not realized before....
and that was what i meant: that the three of them, together, live,
are just mind-boggling.
wish i'd been able to tell gorgeous robert that. ;)
sigh
and btw, i heard brick in the grocery store the other day.
sigh
judi smith there are 2 things any person will watch
jsmith@bc.seflin.org with absolutely undivided attention: an
attractive member of the opposite
sometimes i don't know what she's saying sex, and a zamboni
but i know....what she wants to believe -- jack runchey
-- ben folds five (thanks)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 12:59:52 -0500
From: jaedonely@juno.com
Subject: I am un chien andalusia!
Im stressing a bit..have a huge Spanish project Ive done nothing on yet.
When I do my Spanish homework, I tend to listen to the Pixies due to
Black Francis' yelling in Spanish occasionally. So now Im thinking.....
I want to hear a BFF song with Ben randomly screaming in Spanish. itd
kickass
Also, do you think Ben Folds picked up some groovy dance moves from being
on the HORDE festival with Beck?
~Elisabeth
"Catholic school makes you pretty fucking weird"
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 11:57:15 -0600
From: Eric Russell <russellec14@uwwvax.uww.edu>
Subject: Silly Brickheads...
Though I haven't been on this mailing list for very long, I have been a BF5
fan for a long time. And no matter how many times it happens, it still
really erks me when people call themselves BF5 fans when they only know
"Brick", or when they think that "Whatever and Ever Amen" is their first
and only album. This is a story about one of those folks...
Last nite I went to visit one of my friends at Marquette U. in Milwaukee.
I got to her place (first time I'd been there), and met a bunch of her
friends. When talking with her friends and roommate, I noticed that her
roommate was a big pro-lifer, and she was quite adiment about it. Anyways,
later in the nite, after watching "Chasing Amy", her roommate puts on the
radio while we're waiting for the tape to rewind, and wouldn't you know it,
the radio was playing "Brick" (big surprise there, I'm sure). All of my
friend's friends all thought it was so great, and went on about how much
they loved the song; including her roommate. I kept my trap shut until
later in the song when the line "As weeks went by/ it showed that she was
not fine..." came on, and the girls all looked really into it. So I asked
if they knew what the song was about. One of the girls says how she's not
sure, but she heard it's about being with someone that you really don't
love, but that she was pretty sure it was about love in some way or
another. With a sly grin on my face, I let them know the real meaning of
the song. Talk about a look of surprise! In fact, my friend's roommate
was so upset by this, that she threw her shoe at me for "ruining the song"!
Kids these days, I tell ya'.
_______________________________________________________________________
"The cruelist lies are often told without a word
The kindest truths are often spoke and never heard"
"The Last Polka", -Ben Folds Five
Eric Russell E-mail:
375 N. Harmony Ln., #108 School: russellec14@mail.uww.edu
Whitewater, WI 53190 GeoCities: tootrue@mail.geocities.com
Phone: (414) 473-0915
Web Site: http://www.tootrue.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 14:34:22, -0500
From: JLPD@prodigy.com ( SADIE RUMSEY)
Subject: stuff
Okay, someone asked about the ages...Ben's 31, Robert's
29, Darren's 26 (hopefully haven't had a b-day since then...)
Also, about BFF fans in the South...I used to be one!!! I lived
in Houston until this year (in Ann Arbor now), but they weren't
that big there then...but I guess they weren't that big anywhere
then...
And in response to Jared:
>The fact is, it's all about the music, not when you jumped on the
band-wagon. You had to expect that >music this good wouldn't go
ignored by the masses for long. So all of us old fans should just
stop >complaining about the new fans. It would be STUPID to stop
liking a band just because they're too >popular. Later, Jared
>
>------------------------------
I'll be the first to agree that it's all about the music...
which is exactly why I do complain about some of the
brick fans. There's a HUGE difference between someone
who just heard of the band through Brick, and someone who
has heard ONLY Brick and buys the t-shirt over the cd...I
think these are the people that most of us complain about.
I went to the concert with a friend who's only listened to the
boys for a couple months, and got into them through Brick...
but that's quite different than the people I complain about,
who moshed through Philosophy...
Live good.
- -JLPD/Sadie
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 15:04:59 -0500
From: cambot@juno.com
Subject: Clutch Cargo's show (sorry...it's kind of late...)
So, I got to go to the Clutch Cargo's show on Monday with 2 of my friends
& my sister & her boyfriend (who drove us because we all were only 15, so
that sucked because he doesn't really like them that much, especially
because between the 3 alternative radio stations here, Brick is on about
every 10 minutes). I had gotten 3 of tickets the day they went on sale,
knowing it would be a sold out show because the radio stations buy about
400 of the tickets to give away to these "big name" concerts. Oh yeah,
this was also an "89X" concert, a "Planet (96.3)" concert, & a "The Edge
(105.1)" show. Lots of tickets & backstage passes & CDs were given away
to ingrates. So, we got there at around 6 (doors open at 7) & I was
looking for Kara, who would give me the ticket for my lazy friend (I had
told him to get the ticket the first day they went on sale, seeing as he
had the funds & all, but he waited & got pissed when he found it was sold
out). In the meantime, I got to go up front of the line because I knew
someone from the TMBG message board (Flaming Wreck) who was saving a spot
for me & my friends. It was nice & warm up there. About the 10th time I
went out to look for Kara (my friend was getting real antsy at the idea
of having to sit in the car for 4 hours if he didn't get the ticket, so
he made me check about every 2 minutes), she was there, so I decided
"What the hell, she should come up front of the line with us". I got to
have a nice talk with her until the black lights used for lighting the
hall we were in made me noxious after about an hour & a half. Then,
wouldn't you know it, they opened up the doors (7:45, since the band was
late), as well as the exit doors (which nobody was lined up in front of)
& everyone rushed them. I had to run to get as close as I could to the
front. I did get to pick up a poster along the way, which became all
folded & creased by the end of the night.
Robbie Fulks was better that I thought he would be. I had seen him the
night before on the web broadcast & it was horrible, IMHO. I must admit
country music is more fun live than on a tape or CD, because you can
dance & jump up & down & all the fun shit you do at concerts. Of course,
the crowd here was mostly (*UGH*) preppie folks, so they made sure to
show they were too cool for some country act. I did get to yell
"yee-haw!" a couple million times when everyone was quiet, so that was a
rewarding experience. One of the better openers I've seen (nothing beats
Lincoln at They Might Be Giants, though).
During the break, I traded places with one of my friends who was standing
behind a 7 foot tall behemoth (I was the only one who was tall enough to
look over his shoulder). I got to go up near the front & talk to Kara
some more before some girls whined about me being up there since I wasn't
up there before. I stayed for a while till they started pushing me &
pinching my ass (I admit, it was flattering, but.....). I'm not too keen
on 12 year olds touching me where "the sun don't shine", so to speak, so
I went back to behind the tall dude. He eventually moved when the concert
started, though.
As soon as Ben came out & played the first note of Dr.Pyser, the *AHEM*
mosh pit got started. I never want to be in another mosh pit started by
people who don't know how to mosh (yeah, & you shouldn't mosh to Ben
Folds Five, really). the crowd would push forward & backward in a
repeated motion. Then, they started a spin-cycle during Battle of WCCL.
Horrible. Just horrible. Someone was messing with me, so I decided to
duck out of the crowd after about 7 songs & find somewhere new. But not
without pile driving the 'feller who was yelling & pushing at me. I know
it was wrong, but he evoked me to do it. This was one mean-spirited
crowd. It really did seem like nobody knew the band really well (not even
"Brickhead" knowledge). I had to get a drink at the side bar & we noticed
a spot right in front of Ben near the speakers. We went there & it turned
out to be a great spot to lurch, jump, dance, & sing to the music. the
was the quarantine part of the crowd that I really liked. Here's what
they played that I can remember:
Dr.Pyser
Battle
Philosophy
The Last Polka
Selfless, Cold, & Composed
Missing the War
Jackson Cannery
Fair
Steven's Last Night in Town
Julianne
Brick
Eddie Walker
One Angry Dwarf
Kate
Song for the dumped
Boxing
Undergrond
I am sure they finished with Underground. I was pissed they didn't play
Smoke, She Don't use Jelly, or Video Killed the Radio Star (me & the guy
next to me were yelling it every chance we could). They didn't even end
withe the big rock ending. Ah well. It was still good. We hung around the
stage after the show was over & some security guard said "You gotta go.
Welcome to the world of nightclubs." So we left. Thus ends my first Ben
Folds five concert.
*This message brought to you from your local*
Steve!
PS, I am aware of how many folks don't enjoy long articles, so i think
the standard apology is necessary. Sorry for having this so long.
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 16:10:40 EST
From: HiGeary@aol.com
Subject: NYC Private SONY party! : )
Hi all!
Ok, I've read all the reviews of the Hammerstein show and all I have to add
is thatI stood directly in front of Ben on the floor and the hours of waiting
there guarding my spot were definately worth it!!!! If ANYONE taped the
show, I would do ANYTHING (well, almost) for a copy!!!!
Just want to say hello also to my 5 partners in crime who stalked the private
SONY party until 1:45AM and were handsomely rewarded by meeting the band!!! :
) Doug, the tour manager is the coolest and got them all to come out and say
hello (eventually) They were all very nice but Darren was shy and Ben seemed
to be in a bit of a hurry but I have to say I love Robert now more than ever.
He was the nicest and chatted and even made a NYC cabbie wait so he could chat
a bit and get pictures!!! I missed my train home but it was definately worth
it!!! One funny thing was that Robert almost left but then asked Doug for
money - he got 40 dollars - Ben asked for money too but I couldn't hear how
much it was...must be rough to have a walking personal bank! :)
Doug also told us the next tour would probably be in May or June!!!!! If your
out there, thanks Doug for all your help and have a nice rest with you wife!
: )
EMMALINE: thanks for the concern but I got to meet them too! : ) Glad they
went through the back afterall & where are you going to put that seat anyway?
: )
JESSY: THANK YOU!!!!!!! Ben got your stuff and he even commented on the
Japanese CD when he signed it. I felt so cool thanks to you : ) I will call
you soon so we can exchange stuff. Sorry you couldn't stay : ( But it was a
good thing cuz we didn't get back to LI until 5AM.
MY New friends from BUFFALO: sorry I butted in on your picture, I was just so
excited to meet Ben : ) Please email me how I can get a copy!!! THANKS!!!!
sorry for all the personal notes...I'll go back to lurking now....
Rachael
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #839
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