THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR

The Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #129 - August 14, 1996



                     THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #129
 
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Topics for Today:
 
      Ben Folds on the Barry Black album
      Ben and the guys in Raleigh NC
      Ben Folds Five In Raliegh
      Re: Where's Summer B. CD single
      I wore a..
      Raleigh Show
      Ben Folds in Philly and Sara Miller
      bb5- newy
      too obvious?
 
 ==============================================================================

 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 01:30:14 -0400
 From: PowerVegan@aol.com
 Subject: Ben Folds on the Barry Black album

 Hey, remember how I posted about the BF5 CD being in the KO.OP Radio library?
  Well, today I went to pull it to give to the guy who does the show after me,
 and it's GONE...  But while I was looking for it, I ran across the Barry
 Black CD that Ben and Darren played on.  One of the songs that Ben played on
 was, much to my chagrin, "Animals Are For Eating".  Now, I expected that Ben
 and the boys were non-vegetarians, which I could deal with, but
 ANTI-vegetarians?  That I wasn't sure about.  So I played the song to see if
 maybe it was satire, and I discover that it's an INSTRUMENTAL.  So what to
 make of all this?  Now I'm not quite so sure if I should get that BF5
 tattoo...

 -- Michael Bluejay (Austin, TX)

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 02:17:49 -0400 (EDT)
 From: Jenn Halter <jlh4935@email.unc.edu>
 Subject: Ben and the guys in Raleigh NC


 Hi!

 I just got home from work at Walnut Creek Amph. in Raleigh where BFF,
 Jewel, and Neil Young played tonight.  I didn't get to work the showcall,
 just load-in and out,
 because there were NO SPOTLIGHTS to operate! I think it was the first
 show ever there where spots weren't used at all!  (oh yeah, and for those
 of you who do tech work, there were no cyberlights, varis, or any kind of
 intelligent lighting.  Just parcans, source 4's, and moles!!)  But of
 course i went early to catch the show.
 I had someone drop me off and i ran in just in time to hear the guys
 playing the first tune of their set- Uncle Walter.  I'm not very good at
 remembering the order of set lists, but some of the other tunes were
 Philosophy (this is the one he introduced as "We Love Neil Young",
 Underground, Stephen's Last Night, Song for the Dumped, and Alice
 Childress- that's it i think.  Anyway- mthey were great, playing up to
 the hometown crowd- everyone liked them and many people stood up in
 applause at the end.  It was so weird seeing them in such a large place-
 very cool.  They sounded excellent.
 It was neat having them back in NC too.  My friend who dropped me off at
 the amph. works at a record store here in Chapel Hill and said that Ben
 came in that morning and bought an Otis Redding box set.  Neat huh?  I'm
 glad they get to hang out a little here before moving on.

 Anyways- Jewel was ok- she wasn't as good as i thought she might be- in
 fact she was slightly annoying.  Neil ROCKED- all I can say about him is
 that he knows how to jam- I LOVED watching his show with the minimal
 lighting and no nonsense. I think he actually only spoke 3 or 4 times,
 but everytime was sincere and no crap.  That's what a rock-n-roll show is
 all about- down to earth, minimal set/lights, no crap, just rockin'
 out!!  It was super!

 Well- i WAS going to go see them at Ziggy's on Sat, but i got roped into
 working :( hopefully i won't have to wait to long for a surprise gig out
 here!

 jenn

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 05:10:35 -0400 (EDT)
 From: The Computer GEEK! <jgore@nrv.net>
 Subject: Ben Folds Five In Raliegh

 Well I just got back from one kick ass show in Raliegh. Despite the rain and
 all tonight seriously rocked!!!!! BF5 came out on stage at around 7 and
 opened with "one angry dwarf", which was an awesome song. It was really
 raining in the first part of their set and then the rain slacked off. Ben
 dediated a song (I can't remember which one.....sorry!) to all the people
 sitting out in the rain....meaning me.
 They played a lot of songs that I had never heard before, which I loved
 because I was itching for new BF5 songs. He started "Steven's Last Night In
 Town" by asking the crowd...."Are you ready for that gangsta shit????" All
 of my friends and I were screaming!!! It was great! Ben also started some
 song by saying..."here's a song of ours called "How Can We Be Lovers If We
 Can't Be Friends?"  They didn't get to play that long which really sucked.
 They should've kicked Jewel off the bill and given BF5 a lot of time. Jewel
 was just no big deal. really boring.   They closed the show with
 "Philosophy" which Ben said was called "We Love You Neil Young."
 This has to be one of the greatest all time shows I have ever seen in my
 life! BF5 and NY&CH!! Crazy Horse rocked out too......but I'll post a review
 of that on the Neil Young list.
 I'll write more about it later after I have had some sleep......this is all
 probably rambling bull that doesn't make sense, but oh well. I'll write
 REAL stuff later.

 **************************************************
 Go ahead and laugh all you want
      I got my philosophy
      And I trust it like the ground
      That's why my philosophy
      Keeps me walking when I'm falling down

 ************** jason *****************************
 d.p.w. homepage: http://nrvalley.com/dpw

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 19:17:55 -0400
 From: Jessica237@aol.com
 Subject: Re: Where's Summer B. CD single

 Hey, guys! I finally found a store that actually carries some BFF stuff
 around here. They had a huge poster of BFF and a listening station with their
 CD and posters of them around it. No posters or t-shirts to sell, yet. . .but
 hopefully, when the display of the posters comes down, I can get myself one
 of those. Anyway, I bought the Where's Summer B.? CD single at this store on
 Saturday and was amazed by how wonderful "Tom and Mary" and "Emaline" were.
 But I was wondering, where were those live versions recorded?
 Thanks,
 jess

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 02:34:41 GMT
 From: Toru Kurihara <tkuri@usa.pipeline.com>
 Subject: I wore a..

 Hi Frank and folks. Frank, thank you for sending Ben's answers.

 I wore a BFF t-shirt when I went to SQUEEZE accoustic show at the Supper
 Club in NYC on July 31. I thought somebody would have found it, but nobody
 realized and mentioned me. Well, maybe next time.

 Kuri

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 23:53:27 -0400
 From: Tom Cooper <bigt11@ix.netcom.com>
 Subject: Raleigh Show

 It's 11:27pm and I am still trying to get over last night's show! The
 band was smokin'. First time I have seen them in a large venue. The
 sound was excellent.(Evidently Neil is being good to the guys & letting
 them run full sound). Robert's brother, also a damn good singer, was my
 college roommate(ECU), as well as the lead singer for the band I was in.
 I can tell you from jammin' with the guy over the years that if Ben and
 Darren are as talented as he is,(and we all know they are or this
 mail-list would not be here), there is no end to the great music these
 guys can & will come up with. I had the honor of getting backstage at
 last night's show & it was cool seeing the band members & their parents&
 friends hanging out. Ben had a little birthday celebration for his
 little brother. From what I can gather from talking to Robert & the
 family (and Alan actually), Neil Young's people have been really cool to
 them & they seem like they are having a great time. I believe that the
 album just went gold in Japan. Of particular note(pun intended) last
 night was "Alice Childress", "Philosphy" & (please help me with the name
 of this song if it is incorrect)"Gimme My Money Back". Gotta Run!

 Oh Yeah, anybody around Raleigh or Cary have any good bootlegs?

 P.S. Robert blew up the Big Muff(fuzz pedal). If anybody has an old one
 laying around drop me some mail & I'll see if I can get up with him.

 							T.C.

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 01:11:28 -0400
 From: HartManTim@aol.com
 Subject: Ben Folds in Philly and Sara Miller

 I am going to the Neil Young concert in Blockbuster and I want to meet Ben
 Folds like other people have.  I figure that not many people will be there
 for Ben Folds, so I figured I could meet up with the other Ben Folds Five
 fans and make it a party.  Is anyone here going?  It is Friday, August 16.  I
 want to meet Ben.

 So what was the "devil sign" that Sara flashed to Ben?  Is it like a secret
 symbol that he wants you to give him to show you are die hard?  I just want
 to meet the fella.  I think he has a creative mind that is just beginning to
 turn out the great stuff.  I can't wait for his next album.   Sara, thanks
 for the review, but I think that others who have not seen Ben Live before may
 have been confused.

 And Frank, you are doing a great job.  I look forward to every issue of the
 armchair.  Thanks and keep up the good work.

 Tim Hartman
 Newark Delaware

    [Thanks, Tim! -fjm]

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 13:01:11 AEST-10
 From: hhor1@student.monash.edu.au
 Subject: bb5- newy

 hi all

 i'm just a little Aussie slowly infultrating the list.

 *hopes and waits for bb5 to come to Australia*
 i think Ben himself came out for a promo tour earlier this year but
 no gigs :( . does anyone know if they are going to come back?


 someone mentioned music transcripts? that would be brilliant if there
 are some available somewhere!


 bye
 chris
 *we can be happy 'down under'ground*

    [I've heard an Australian tour mentioned for early next year. -fjm]

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 08:07:19 -0700
 From: Richard A Kochman <rkdc@ix.netcom.com>
 Subject: too obvious?

 While listening to the Beatles, the thought smacked me right between
 the eyes that "Lady Madonna" would be a great cover for BFF - piano,
 bass, and drums.....I'm sure someone would fill in with 12 bars of
 something cool where the sax solo is in the original.

 Is this too obvious because of the instrumentation? has this been
 mentioned before on the list? what does anyone else think?  Personally,
 I'd go nuts just to hear Ben cover any Beatles song (Why Don't We Do It
 In the Road would be nice also!!!).

 Also, I had some problems with my email account last week.....Frank,
 did you post the second half of Ben's answers? If so, could someone
 please forward it to me. Thanks

 Rich

    [No, the 2nd half of the answers aren't in yet. So many questions, so
 little time. Ben said he'd get to the rest, probably when the tour and
 possibly Reading is over with. -fjm]


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