I went to the Ben Folds concert in Prospect Park this evening.
Ben Lee played first. It was weird. He's is straight, yet he looked me dead in the eye, nodded to me (with a head tilt) and mouthed "Hello" to me. I'm not crazy, everyone around me saw him do it to me. HE did it to no one else throughout his set. In the front row, but off to the side. Was kinda weird.
Rufus Wainwright played second. I've heard some of his stuff. He played at Hammerstein Ballroom last year but I wasn't paying much attention then. He actually impressed me this time. I highly recommend you listen to his stuff.
Then came Ben Folds. He plays piano with drums and bass backing him up. I've been a fan since the later 90s when "Battle of Who Could Care Less" came out when his band was called "Ben Folds Five". Many of you might know the song "Brick" that he did about abortion.
Now just going by "Ben Folds" and with a new band, and has had some new stuff out that I must admit I'm not too familiar with. He did play some old 'Five' songs from my favorite CDs of his like "Philosophy" and did "Underground" for the encore.
The thing about Ben is that he is smiling the whole time. So much energy, and happy energy, just makes his show fun. I never though I'd rock out to piano like that.
I remember when I used to work for a bank during the summer of the blackout. I'd go to and from work listening to that CD, making an ass out of myself mouthing the words to every song while people though I was crazy getting a little too into it. Kinda came full circle for me singing it with 5,000 other loonies tonight.
After the show, some of my friends were making our way towards the exit and I looked off to the side and said "****, it's Ben." He just peeked his head out and a few people, myself included rushed him and he was happy to sign autographs. I got my ticket autographed and have never cared for a celebrity's signature like this. I'm framing that ticket, I swear.
Aside from the two songs I mentioned, I also highly recommend that you download "Landed", which is amazing. "Not the Same" and Jackson Cannery are others.
'Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye goodbye I tried
Dragging the sea of a trouble mind
Had to leave myself behind
Singing bye bye goodbye I tried
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