Ben Folds packed his suitcase and set the wheels of his beaten and battered Baldwin rolling on the road last February. His latest tour would involve only two things appropriately captured in the announcement of his latest act, “Ben Folds and a Piano Tour 2002,” to appear on every venue’s neon-lighted sign of each city stop.
With only his piano as company, Folds has never done this kind of tour before. Folds busted out solo with “Rockin’ the Suburbs” in 2001 and hit the road with his backup band to promote the album.
Before the just Ben Folds days, there were the Ben Folds Five days, which included the extraordinary talents of Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge and obviously Ben Folds. The trio brought with them an underground punk-pop piano philosophy that made a distinctly different sound in 1995, with their self-titled album, Ben Folds Five. Songs on the album include “Jackson Cannery,” “Underground,” “Philosophy” and “Best Imitation of Myself.”
The success of “Whatever and Ever Amen” brought the masses to Ben Folds Five. With their hits of “The Battle of Who Could Care Less,” “Song for the Dumped” and “Brick” alternative-rock deejays eagerly played these songs for the radio nation to get a dosage of sweetly-coated bitterness and the rawness that only honest lyrics bring to a song. Most importantly, the album provided dignity to the dumped.
The final full studio album, “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner” from Ben Folds Five was released in 1999 and possessed the souring of lost love into apathetic acceptance. With songs like “Don’t Change Your Plans,” “Mess,” “Army” and “Regrets” the band took some shots at their sound in tempo and style and ended up hitting bull’s-eyes.
Now one can find Ben Folds feverishly touring the nation and making his solo career another one of his successes. While on the road in the summer, Folds sorted through recording after recording from his performances and picked out the tunes that captured the tone of the tour.
As a result, Folds recently released Ben Folds Live, a 17-track album that embraced the highlights of his current ongoing tour. The piano rumbles out an old Ben Folds Five favorite, “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces,” captured as his opening song from his tour date at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.
The clapping audience and Folds’s under-the-breath sighs and swears bring forth the sincerity found in the tracks of truly classic live albums. There is an edited version of Ben Folds Live. Make sure not to buy it.
Skiping to track five, an unbelievable version of “Not The Same” sends serene sound waves out of the stereo. Perhaps, what is most amazingly odd about the recording is how the audience sings along to the chorus like an enormously creepy church choir — but in a good way. One does not have to imagine Folds encouraging the eerie “ahh” as he plays with the crowd at the end and pauses for a laugh.
Of course the album presents recent Ben Folds Rockin’ the Suburbs tunes such as “Zak and Sara,” “Fred Jones Part 2,” and “The Luckiest.” However, the album does not forget to round up Ben Folds Five classic anthems such as “Best Imitation of Myself’,” “Brick,” and “Philosophy.”
On tour, Folds does not need to capture the hearts of his audience for they have fallen for his quintessential quirkiness and his undeniable swearing sentiment years ago. But he does anyways.
In the end, Folds uses all the right swears in all the right places; which is an unspeakable talent.
Ben Folds and his Baldwin piano will bring the Barrymore doubtless satisfaction in a sold-out show Sunday, Nov. 24. This time fans took Folds mantra, “God spare me more rejection,” and bought their tickets ahead of time.
