The Magical Armchair Rotating Header Image

Start the Bus! Ben Folds Five Announce 2027 Tour Dates.

As promised in the press release for the 30th anniversary of the first Ben Folds Five album, Ben, Robert, and Darren are hitting the road together again for nine shows in April 2027. That’s their first real US tour in well over a decade. All of them are in the South, and all of them are in April, so if you live in Ohio, we’re sorry. Hold that thought, though, because more dates are coming. New tour and anniversary merch is also available at the just-launched Official Ben Folds Five website.

New Ben Folds Five Merch

Here’s the run, with the official ticket link for each show:

General on-sale is Friday, Oct 23 at 10am local time.

Too impatient for Friday? Same. Live Nation has a presale for select dates running today, Thursday, Oct 22, from 10am to 10pm local. There’s no secret code. You get in by signing up for Live Nation’s free All Access membership.

A few venues and the band’s own list are running their own presales too: Chattanooga’s Tivoli through Sunday morning, the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, and Ruth Eckerd Hall members for the Clearwater show. Those codes go straight to people on those lists, and nobody has posted them publicly. If some website offers to sell you one, keep your wallet in your pocket.

See you at the front. Bring a lighter, or at least a phone with a decent battery.

30th Anniversary project press release

BEN FOLDS CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF BEN FOLDS FIVE

WITH SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION

CLASSIC DEBUT ALBUM FROM ICONIC ALT-ROCK TRIO NEWLY REMASTERED AND EXPANDED WITH PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SHELVED FIRST ATTEMPT FEATURING EARLY, ALTERNATE VERSIONS AND RARE OUTTAKES

“UNDERGROUND (SHELVED FIRST ATTEMPT)” PREMIERES TODAY – LISTEN

BEN FOLDS FIVE (30TH ANNIVERSARY) ARRIVES SEPTEMBER 4 VIA CAPITOL/UMe AT ALL DSPS AND ON 2CD AND 2LP VINYL

PRE-ORDERS/PRE-SAVES AVAILABLE NOW

Ben Folds is celebrating three decades in the spotlight with a very special anniversary edition of Ben Folds Five, the now-classic debut album from his iconic alt-rock trio. Ben Folds Five (30th Anniversary) – which, technically speaking, arrives 31 years after its original August 8, 1995 release – sees the groundbreaking original LP newly remastered and joined by the long-awaited, fan-requested un-vaulting of the band’s mythical shelved first attempt, only recently rediscovered on digital audio tape by Folds in his own personal archives and specially remastered for this release. (more…)

Ben Folds Five album anniversary reissue

Ben Folds Five album

If you’re one of the legion of old-guard fans who’ve been longing for Ben Folds Five rarities,  your lucky day is here.

Leading off was the release of the 7-inch version of Jackson Cannery this week on the streaming services. It’s a fairly raw version of the song, almost demo quality. The release was teased by an Instagram post over the weekend. And although we’ve passed the 30th anniversary of the 1994 release of the self-titled album on Caroline Records, Universal Music Group is re-releasing both the original album and an alternate version that was previously shelved on both CD and vinyl as a two-disc set. It’s scheduled to be out September 4th. The project includes a remaster of the original album with new liner notes and previously unseen photos along with the “shelved first attempt”. In addition, the guys will be signing a thousand copies which will be available on uDiscover Music. Preorders are open and you can reserve your copy now.

And another bonus: The earlier version of Underground will be out on the streaming services today. Hand me my nose ring!

Fan Spotlight: Brian Anderson

Tribute band graphic titled “Best Imitation of Myself: A Tribute to Ben Folds Five,” featuring three orange-tinted portraits over a plaid background with a hand-drawn piano.Father, Son, and the Suburbs: How One Ben Folds Fan’s Musical Journey Led to a Family Band

By Justin Parlette

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.” (more…)

Sacramento show cancelled; replacement scheduled

For those with tickets or who were planning to attend Ben’s August 8, 2025 show at the Crest Theater in Sacramento, Ben’s management is announcing that the show has been cancelled, and that a new show has been scheduled in its place at the Harris Center in Folsom on the same date.

Tickets for the cancelled show will not, however, be honored for the replacement show. Ticket holders for the Crest show will need to seek a refund through their ticketing service, Eventbrite. Folds management has provided a link to request a refund: https://www.eventbrite.com/attendee-refund-request/

Further information on the Harris Center show and a link to purchase tickets can be found at the venue’s website: https://www.harriscenter.net/ben-folds

A little more detail can be found on Ben’s Instagram and likely elsewhere on the socials.