Father, Son, and the Suburbs: How One Ben Folds Fan’s Musical Journey Led to a Family Band
For longtime music fans, musical rediscovery is often cyclical. For Philadelphia-based pianist and songwriter Brian Anderson, the latest turn of the wheel came with an unexpected co-pilot: his teenage son.
Brian’s Ben Folds fandom began on December 26th, 1995, when he caught Ben Folds Five’s combustive performance of “Underground” on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. A lifelong piano player, he remembers his head “just exploded.” From that moment, Folds’ singular approach to songwriting, unorthodox trio setup, and dense harmonies became a lasting influence. “At the core, it was the songwriting,” Brian says. “And then, three guys, no guitar, all singing harmonies really grabbed me.”
Life moved on. Musical tastes shifted. But a decade and a half later, Brian’s son, now a freshman in high school, began curiously gravitating toward a familiar voice on his dad’s Spotify playlists. That voice? Ben Folds. “His musical brain was like, ‘Whoa, what is this?'” Brian describes his son’s reaction to the layered arrangements and jazz-influenced chord structures. “Then he kind of did his own exploration based on that and got into it.”
The result: a father-son Ben Folds tribute band. With Brian on piano and his son behind the drum kit, they began playing songs spanning the nearly 30-year Folds catalog. For Brian, the emotional core of the experience is the connection between their shared love of music and their evolving relationship. “Still Fighting It,” the 2001 ballad Folds wrote for his son, has taken on new depth now that Brian performs the song with his own son. “You’re so much like me – I’m sorry,” he quotes, pausing. “All my foibles, all the things you realize about yourself as you get older… and then you see them in your kids. It really hit me.”
Their story has resonated across the Folds fan community, especially among older fans who’ve matured along with Folds’ discography. When Brian shared early clips of the band on Facebook and Reddit, not as a marketing push but as a thank-you to the music that brought his family closer, the response was warm and global. “Australia, the UK, people all over,” he says. Everyone was just gracious and cool about it. It reminded me that this community is very special.”
While they haven’t yet caught a show together, they plan to attend the upcoming Wawa Welcome America event in Philly, where Folds will perform with the Philly Pops on July 3rd. Brian hopes his son, a developing musician with perfect pitch, will be just as blown away by the orchestral arrangements and live improvisation as he was by that first Conan appearance.
As for the future, the band is just beginning. “We don’t have a bunch of dates yet,” Brian says, “but we’re having so much fun.” And for now, that’s more than enough.
In a world of fleeting trends and disposable pop, Ben Folds’ music endures by sticking with those who grow alongside it. For Brian Anderson, that endurance isn’t just about notes on a page. It’s about a moment, shared across generations when a father and son sit at the piano and play.
“He’s not fully at that age where he’s completely embarrassed by me,” Brian says with a laugh. “So I’m gonna embrace it while I can.”
Follow Best Imitation of Myself: A Ben Folds Tribute Band on Instagram at @bf5tribute.
