THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #223 - April 10, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #223
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Topics for Today:
my tickets said counting crows, but.....
Re: First Album Imports.
Ben Folds Five Singles- I can't get them anywhere!!
BFF in Dallas!
Philly Show Facts
Cleveland show
Note About Cleveland Tape Tree
BFF: With Ben as my witness, we're engaged
1 of 2 underground
BF5 - new songs more mature?
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 17:12:09 +0000
From: "Arnold S. Rowe" <arowe@pe.net>
Subject: my tickets said counting crows, but.....
Helloooo! *Warning* this is my relatively long post on the two
Counting Crows concerts i attended in order to see BFF..... i always
like everyone else's concert reviews, so, i figured you all would
enjoy mine. If you don't like 'em just skip this post, however, at
the end, i get to *meet* Ben, so maybe you'd want to skip down
there..
SATURDAY ~~ Irvine Meadows
We (being me and 2 friends) get there around sevenish. There is this
big garden thing below the actaul ampitheater and as soon as we
enter, i spy a booth selling 2 BFF shirts, and i strut on up and ask
the guy what sizes the BFF shirts come in and he looks at me blankly
for a minute, turns around and sees them and goes "oh! i didn't know
we had those" he digs through his pile of stuff and finally finds
them... he was so confused, it was classic! So, i'm standing in line
by myself to buy a cappuchino (sp?) (it was coooold) and i see a girl
walking by with a BFF poster. she kinda stops to look at the menu,
and i pull my jacket off my chest (Superwomen, hehe) in order to
expose my other BFF shirt (the one with Underground lyrics on the
back) in hopes that it will serve as beckon to draw her close enough
that i can ask her where she got it... and it Works!!! i lean over
and ask her where she got it and she tells me that the mini-Tower
Records booth will give you one if you beg. As soon as my friends
get back, i run over there and go up to the woker "Please (x10) may i
have a BFF poster?" he gives me another weird look (just like the
t-shirt guy) and hands me one... It is groovy! Ben is on the right
looking like he is lecturing Robert and Darren who are both facing
him on the left side of the poster, with the classic Ben Folds Five
scrawled across the top in brown. Other then that, it is black and
white. We sit in the amphitheatre forever... finally, a local radio
DJ, comes on and introduces BFF, saying that he loves them (as
my friend pointed out, the station has never played their
songs...very strange) Then another ten minutes, then BFF! WooHoo! (i
look around. the stadium is less then a fourth full, mumble, mumble)
Their set list (and my tidbits)
*Missing the War- with the stage bathed in purple lights, my favorite
color!:)
*BoWCCl- right before this Ben yells in a really high pitched voice
"Are you ready to rock?!" somewhere near the end he substitutes ass
for a word...
*Philosophy- Ben informs the audience that it is called something like a F***ing
Awful Life
*Brick :)
*Dr. Pryser- at the end, they must have pounded their instuments ten
times-- it was hilarious
*Underground-- i believe it was darren who went first and changed the
second line to "And except for Mark (something) i'm sure you don't
remember me"
*Song for the Dumped
*Steven's last night in Town-- woohoo! that strange mouth thing!
*Ultimate Sacrafice-- Ben sang really high pitched and the whole
thing was metalesque. from this, they slid right on into...
*Dwarf-- Ben did the throwing the stool thing and (i think it was
this song) dug his hands into the piano in order to play the strings.
it was so great! during this entire song Robert was jumping up and
down, still playing perfectly.!!
In between songs, Ben seductively took of his jacket and sweater and
then asked (at different times) If Steven or Emaline was there.
hehe. Unfortunately i was quite far from the stage but still cheered
whole heartedly, and bounced around in my seat. Ergghh. Some jerk
yelled "bring on counting Crows!" My friend and i both turned around
and yelled "Shut the f*** up!" hehe And i think i
converted some lady who was sitting behind me, 'cause afterwards she
asked me what their name was and i showed her the poster, and she
seemed excited...
the counting Crows. no offense to their fans here, but they paled in
comparison. i was very sullen and refused to cheer until they played
Monkey and said "got Ben Folds on my radio" and when Adam thanked the
boys. Most of their songs sounded the same, and Adam's moves seemed
so calculated! ("Look at me. i'm a rock star!")
SUNDAY- San Diego Rimac Arena
Woohoo! the big night! We (now being me and 4 friends) had general
admission tickets, so we were in line at 5:30 (the show started at
eight) with only about a 100-150 people in front of us. (not that
many really, i am an awful estimater) They let us in at seven and we
rush down to the floor, it is a sport's arena with the stage at one
end and bleachers on the other side. We are about 15 feet away from
the stage, but have nothing to do for an hour, so i get out my pen
and paper and write a note to the boys asking them to play Kate and
generally telling them how great they are, and then make a copy of
it, in hopes that one will reach the stage. Finally, the lights dim,
everyone stands up and rushes to the stage so now i am more like 6
feet away and BFF enters. i can see them this time!! YES! i didn't
know we were alowed to bring cameras. damn.damn. damn. They go at it.
This was almost better then seeing them in a club because my friends
and i must have been the only people on the floor of the arena
who knew who they were, so we were really singled out as fans. We
were bouncing all over the place and had our hands up in the Whatever
sign in order to show our support and Ben saw us about half way
through! It was great! He gave us this really big smile and i blew
him a kiss (i know, i know) but i don't think he saw. And whenever it
was quite it my friend would yell, "yeah, Darren" and she kept on
waving at Robert really big until he finally noticed and smiled
back. they were all incredible, though i felt this show lacked the
energy they had at Irvine. i won't bore you with the set list but
they did a lot more songs from the first album, and played Kate, even
though my note did not make it to the stage. i'm pretty sure i heard
the audience singing some of the catchier song lyrics. After about fourty
minutes they left, (sob, sob) and we had to stand the entire time the
techs set up for CC...
in which i MEET BEN. (and make a fool of myself, twice) the lights
go on. every one leaves, except a couple of people who beg the
techies for CC set lists. We go up to examine the stage (i don't know
why) stand around for a bit and are just about to leave when i see
someone to the right of the stage leaving the closed off section of
the bleachers who appears to be Ben. i start yelling "Ben! Ben!" he
looks up, we make eye contact, he looks disgusted and walks off. But
People are still yelling Ben. i look up and there is the real Ben
Folds with a women still in the bleachers. Damn. Damn.!!! That must
have been Darren! I feel like such an arsehole. if anyone who knows
Darren sees this (Chuck?) tell him i'm *sorry*. it was late, my
contacts were fuzzy, and they do have the same haircut! In any case,
i recover enough to start yelling Ben all over again and run to the
divider. he looks at me and a couple of other people, parts company
with the lady, and comes on over. It is at this point that i lose all
motor skills and stand there wide eyed with a big sappy grin on my
face. Luckily, my friends are more emotionally secure and take out
my paper to get his John Hancock. The lady next to me keeps saying
he is great and that she always calls her station to tell them to
play more BFF. He comes over to me and i finally muster up enough
skills to say "was that Kate you were with?" he smiles really big and
says "Yes!" i remember the extra note in my pocket and give it to
him, even though it is a little late. The lady next to me says
"sign my Breast. No! Sign my daughter's. It's bigger!" Then my (male)
friend, who is wearing my new white BFF shirt yells "Sign mine next!"
Ben signs the shirt, the full name, not just the intials, and then
draws a breast on a piece of paper with his intials and gives it to
him. The guards are yelling for us to move, so Ben picks up his half
eaten apple and moves back stage, but not before i yell out "hello to
Darren and Robert!" I am still an emotional mess. Luckily, my friend
at least pointed at me and said she is your *biggest* fan. Sorry i
wasn't able to ask him all the burning questons of the MA, i
remembered them all right after he left. he was really nice....
Could anyone going to their shows e-mail me about getting me another
white BFF shirt? i like it a lot, but don't want to wear mine with
Ben's signature on it, of course! I'd paid for the shirt. plus S&H.
Thanks!
Thanks for reading this whole thing! Questions? Comments? E- Mail me!
I am, having no idea what to do with myself, Aimee
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 20:42:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: HoserGirl@aol.com
Subject: Re: First Album Imports.
Yeah, I was wondering if anybody has any of the imports from the first album.
I have been looking for them like crazy over the last few years, and have
been highly unsuccessful (however you spell that word, I don't really feel
like looking it up right now) in doing so. The only one I could find is the
Summer B.? EP, but that doesn't have any non-album songs on it, and that is
what I a looking for. I have both of the Battle of Who Could Care Less import
singles .... but I really really want the ones from the first album, if
anyone knows how I can order them ... or if anyone has them, and wants to
tape them for me, in return for money or something else, then e-mail me at:
Hoser Girl @ aol.com
THANK YOU! Ben Folds Five is the all time greatest. We all know that. Oh
hey ... I was going to finally get to see them opening for Counting Crows,
but it got canceled and is being rescheduled. Grrr ... I WAS SO BUMMED!!!!
But as long as they come back, I can wait a little longer ... if I have
waited this long (and believe me, it's been LONG) I can wait a little longer.
Somebody said something about the promo video ... I have it, so, if you
want something about that, you can e-mail me about that, too ... or hey, you
can just e-mail me if you feel like it, too .... I mean, if you like Ben
Folds Five, it's a given that you are cool.
LATER ALL!!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997 16:39:23 -0700
From: GoodOmen <melani69@IDT.NET>
Subject: Ben Folds Five Singles- I can't get them anywhere!!
Hello,
My name is Melanie and I have been lurking for quite a while now. This is
my first post.
I printed up that coupon for the import CDs and went to the local store
listed and they said they ran out within days. I called several other
places, but no luck for me!! If anyone out there has extra copies or can
obtain them, contact me!! My email is: melani69@mail.idt.net Also,
anyone in Michigan going to the show??? I am:)
Melanie
"It's like I always said, you can get more with a kind word and a 2X4 than
with just a kind word." (Marcus, Babylon 5)
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 21:44:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tmbg4e@aol.com
Subject: BFF in Dallas!
Hey ya'll! I haven't heard of anyone going to the Dallas show April 20. Am
I going to be the only one? I hope it will be a good show; about 8 other
bands are playing (I think). Let me know if you are going to join in on the
festivities too!
~Marcie
"It's laissez-faire, I don't even give a care. Let's make Friday part of the
weekend and give every new baby chocolate eclair!" --Moxy Fruvous
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 22:15:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Mr. X" <boinkum@voicenet.com>
Subject: Philly Show Facts
Hi, everyone keeps asking about the Philadelphia show.
- The date is Wednesday April 30th, 8:00pm, (doors open at 7:00 pm).
-The show is at the T.L.A. (Theatre of the Living Arts, 334 South Street)
- My tickets were $15 (all general admission) through TicketMaster with a
$3.75 "service" charge.
- A band named "Komeda" is listed as the openers.
Note: If you don't know where the TLA is, you can do an Alta Vista search
for "TLA Theatre of the Living Arts". You should get the Electric Factory
Concerts page for the TLA with directions etc.
See you there-
-Nels
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 22:41:42, -0500
From: MS SANDI SHORTER <EPVJ98A@prodigy.com>
Subject: Cleveland show
Anyone going to the Cleveland show? If you want to meet up, e-mail me
at: EPVJ98A@prodigy.com or sshorter@kent.edu
See ya' there.
Sandi
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997 23:18:36 -0400
From: Shaun Gilmour <sgilmour@pgh.net>
Subject: Note About Cleveland Tape Tree
I'm glad to see there is a lot of interest in this tape tree. Many of
you have had the same questions, especially newbies/leafs.
How can I get this show if I don't have anything to trade?
Here's the deal, you don't have to have live shows to trade to be on
this tree. If you can get ahold of 2 blank tapes, 2 padded envelopes and
some postage you're in. See, you can send the people who are dubbing for
you your blanks and then they'll spin them and send them back to you.
But you must make sure that you provide them with the postage and a
return padded envelope to send them back to you.
If anyone missed the sign up it's in the Armchair Archives under Magical
Armchair Issue #219. You can find all the info there and join up.
--
Later,
Shaun
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaun Gilmour Visit my tapelist on the web!!!
sgilmour@pgh.net http://www3.pgh.net/~sgilmour/tapes.html
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 07:49:05 GMT
From: "Adam B." <adamb@netroplex.com>
Subject: BFF: With Ben as my witness, we're engaged
On April 5, my girlfriend Nancy and I went down into the heart of
Orange County to the Irvine Ampitheatre to see BFF and Counting Crows.
I had a small gift concealed in my jacket. Tonight I was gonna do it.
Right (hopefully).
We arrived a full hour beforehand so we could get into our seats for
Ben and the gang. My first try. I got up to "get some water" and made
my way to the backstage area. There, I tried to get in contact with
Carson Dailey, a local 106.7 DJ. I had spoken to him on the phone and
he had been gung ho about my plan. No luck. The manager of CC shooed
me away like a common housefly.
We rocked out to the BFF set. From "Underground" to "The Ultimate
Sacrafice" to "Steven's Last Night In Town," Nancy and I shook and
shimmied around. The audience was really getting into it.
Time for a new plan. I excused myself to get a KROQ t-shirt and stole
away from our seats. I pulled my gift out of my sock where I had
stashed it. A gleaming, 5-diamond ring I wanted to ask her to marry me
with. Just have to find the right time.
I make my way through the crowd and then have an idea. What if I could
get backstage and meet the only band Nancy and I could agree on? What
if they would witness my earnest wish of marriage? Hmm.
I look for an entrance. Found it. I begin to tell anyone who will
listen my story. "I paid a lot for this. Help me out." Finally, I spot
Doug the band's manager and plead with him. He says, "You talk to me.
I'll make it happen." I ran off to get Nancy in our Loge seats.
We race through the crowd and back to the entrance. I drag her into
the secret area, everyone who had heard my wish and seen the ring
flashing a secret smile. We stood at a round blue table and waited.
When the band showed up I took a few deep breathes.
I asked her to get up on the table. Ben Folds, Robert Sledge and
Darren Jessee surrounded her and I reached into my pocket and pulled
out the ring. I said something like, "I didn't know how I was going to
ask you to marry me but I worried most about your answer."
It was yes. We hugged, the band clapped, and everyone congratulated
us. I lifted her off the table and spun her around. We swiped a poster
off the wooden fence, got a pen and invited the band to sign it in.
They obliged and one by one came over, talked to us, and wrote there
names and many good wishes.
Ben said something I felt I needed to relay. He said that in the
Details article, they took his quote about the list making him sick
out of context. He wanted to clear the air. Apparently, what he meant
was that sometimes reading reviews make him sick referring to the
media and not anyone here or the list in general. I felt it was
important to impart this.
Other than that, it was almost a dream. We rushed out the next day to
get the poster framed and hope they'll play our wedding. Right. By
then they'll be household names.
Nancy and I will always have that poster up in our household.
PS: Check out my Ben Folds Five section at my web page below.
*****
Adam B.
Los Angeles, CA
adamb@netroplex.com
4 out of 5 dentists recommend this signature
Dustbin Religions and Roadside Dreams
@ http://home.netroplex.com/adamb/
*****
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 22:26:37 +1000
From: Very Fruity Indeed <ad@healey.com.au>
Subject: 1 of 2 underground
Hey there,
> I was just wondering if anybody on the Magical Armchair would be able to
> help me getting the BFF CD-single: Underground (edit) / Satan is my master
> (live) / Video (live) (CDCAR008). I have tried everything but wasnt lucky.
> Maybe somebody has a spare copy or can get a copy in their local record
> store?
It's easy to get. Well, it once was. I ordered both my copies from the
UK and they were REALLY expensive. Just go into a record store and ask
them if they can import it. If they can;t, it must have been deleted there
and you'll have to go through the process of trying to find old stock on
the shelf. Well worth the effort though.
BYE!!!
Ad.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
& Ironside &
& "...the 17th best band in the world" &
& http://www.healey.com.au/HomePages/ad/ironside/ &
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 09:01:57 -0400
From: "Brian R. Kessler" <bkessler@btv.ibm.com>
Subject: BF5 - new songs more mature?
> I think Ben and the boys matured a lot on their whirlwind worldwide
> tour for the first album. It shows. The songs are more "adult" and
> polished, for what that's worth. OK, except for "Song for the Dumped."
Keep in mind that "Song for the Dumped" is an old song. They were playing it
in concert long before their *first* album even came out. So maybe some of
the more "mature" songs were written more recently.
Peace, skiing, & music,
Brian
np: "Straightaways" - Son volt
--
"Never seem to get far enough / Staying in between the lines..." - Son Volt
--------
Brian R. Kessler
Phone: 802-769-4617
e-mail: IBM Internal - BKESSLER at BTV Internet - bkessler@vnet.ibm.com
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