THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR

The Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #300 - May 14, 1997



Magical Armchair Digest    Wednesday, May 14 1997    Volume 01 : Number 300



                           THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
                     The Ben Folds Five Mailing List

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Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 14:24:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ranvac@aol.com
Subject: Horde and Kansas 

all righty all you Kansas fans, I've found out the HORDE date for our
beautiful state.  most of you probably already know it, but for those as slow
on the uptake as i, here it is:  July 23 (the day after my birthday).
 YAHOOOOO!! are we all excited?  Now, i saw in an interview that BFF was
leaving the tour a month early.  I think that means they will still be here
for us, but if anyone knows for sure please let me know.  it's going to be at
Sandstone so I hope to see you all there.  We're going to come up with a way
to identify ourselves this time!
that's all for now
anna

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 21:05:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: DBombay1@aol.com
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #297 

Please take me off your mail list as I am out of town until further notice. I
will let you know if I wish to suscribe again..... 
Peace!!!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:23:31 -0400
From: Zach Walker <bagheera@pipeline.com>
Subject: Where's the mail? 

Hey all,
I just signed onto this list today and am quite amazed that I didn't receive
any messages. So I decided to send one and introduce myself and such.
My name is Zachary Walker and I hail from Yorktown, VA. I have been a BFF
fan going on two years now. They are incredible. My other favorite bands
include:
Counting Crows, Jellyfish, Moxy Fruvous, Barenaked Ladies, Blues Traveler,
God Street Wine, Indigo Girls, and Toad the Wet Sprocket. There are many
others as well. Anyway, just thought I'd test this system out. Go ahead and
send some mail out now. Take care and I'm sorry my signatures more than "a
few lines long."
- --
"I have faith that there's a soul somewhere that's leading me around, I
wonder if she knows which way is down."--Ben Folds.
Keep It Real.
Zach.
 O   \ O /  _ O         __|    \ /     |__        O _  \ O /   O    
/|\    |     /\   __\O    \O    |    O/    O/__   /\     |    /|\   
/ \   / \   | \  /)  |    ( \  /O\  / )    |  (\  / |   / \   / \  
Zach's Page: http://www.pipeline.com/~bagheera/home.htm

   ##  ####   ##b       ##@@@@#####   #@    ##  
  ###  ###l  ####l ## #      #### ec     #  ## 
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  ###l ### ####b XXXXX   XXXXX   XX   XXX   

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Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:20:59 EDT 
From: deathrazer@juno.com (Woody E Crenshaw)
Subject: Re: five for fighting

>Subject: five for fighting
>
>Who are these guys? I remember reading about them a little when I 
>first joined the armchair. Are there five of them, or jest three?
Because 
>that would be the factor making the difference between a ripoff, or
merely 
>a bad imitation.
>
>- -ec

No.. there are five of them.. the singer plays the piano and they have
two guitarist, one bass player and a drummer..  I think that Bella's
Birthday Cake is the only song that even resembles BFF, but that's just
my humble opinion.. Keep it goin'. . talk to everyone later.. even though
this is my first post.. oh and if anyone wanted to know I live is South
Carolina.. 

Cheers..

Woody

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 21:37:31 -0500
From: Picasso Gatos <Heyzeus@swbell.net>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #298

Hello all, I just had two moderately inconsequential Folds notes to pass 
along:  First, haven't seen it mentioned here yet, but Whatever and Ever 
is the number 6 album in the latest Rolling Stone top 10 "alternative" 
chart, for whatever that means.  Second, a somewhat convoluted BFF 
anecdote:  my friend works at the new Loews Theatres here in Southwest 
Houston, and he has told me that, among the 5 songs they play repeatedly 
over the PA in the lobby, sandwhiched between Celine Deon and Mariah 
Carey is, you guessed it, BoWCCL. Well, stranger things COULD happen.  
Theoretically.


Love to all,
Josh

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:57:34 -0400 (EDT)
From: SteveJG22@aol.com
Subject: Re: k-rock is giving away bff's car 

k-rock is giving the bands mazda miata, the cool thing is that they are
getting alot of exposure but the only song that i seem to hear them play
(when a bff song is played, you call up to be qualified to win the car) is
battle?
personally i am alittle bumbed out about that, well i whatever are they
selling out? call it what you want they deserve all the recognition and
smacks that they could get. 
See you at the central park gig.
steve

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 23:03:32 -0700
From: GoodOmen <melani69@idt.net>
Subject: Vote for a name

VOTE FOR A NAME!!!   If the job is not already being done by someone else, 
everyone can mail me with their suggestion (one vote per person) and I will post the 
final choice at the end of TWO WEEKS!!!  If there is a tie, I will put up the two tied 
names and take votes between them. The only votes that will count at all will be ones 
mailed directly to me at melani69@mail.idt.net  You can still post suggestions in order 
to get others to vote for that name too, but suggestions on the Armchair will not be 
counted.  May 27th is the day when I'll post all of the votes and-of course-the winning 
vote.

GoodOmen

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:48:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Adamweezer@aol.com
Subject: Hello. 

Hello,
I'm new to the list as I'm sure many others are now that whatever and ever is
out...
I was just wondering if anyone could help me out and get me caught up older
b-sides/demos, etc. I don't have much BFF to offer in return other than a
so-so recording of the 4/25 show in detroit where some one passed ben a note
saying 'sexy mother****er' and he proceeded to concede that, yes, indeed he
was.  He than got an audience member to affirm his belief.  Finally, he
changed the big throaty "last night in Towwwwwwwn" at the end of
'stevens's...' to 'Sexy mother****er in reference to the note.  This is
probably old news to you all, but just thought i'd share.  Anyway if you can
help me out in the rarities department, I'd either do a 2:1 or you can look
at my list of rarer stuff that's not in print
(http://www.members.aol.com/adamweezer/bootlist.txt), or if there's nothing
there, my whole list (e-mail me).  Thanks loads, everyone, for bearing with
me.

Adamweezer@aol.com
"You have a sick thing for canadian melodrama" - Ben Affleck
"No I just have a sick thing for chicks who say 'aboot'." - Jason Lee

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:21:12 -0500
From: "Phillips, Keri A" <KAPHILLIPS@CSBSJU.EDU>
Subject: Nix on the Solemn Faces name

 Hey. I just wanted to respond to John Boyer's suggestion about calling
ourselves the 200 Solemn Faces. John, you have a very good point about
the Angry Dwarves and all, but do we really want to equate ourselves
with the 200 Solemn Faces that Ben is speaking to? He's talking to the
kid who stole his lunch money- all the jerks of his youth! He's telling
them to kiss his ass!! The charm of the song, see, is his attitude of
"Look who's telling who what to do?" He's laughing at them. Do we really
want to associate ourselves with Ben's memories of the meanies of his
childhood? I think not, my friend, I think not. Definitely not the
Solemn Faces thing.  Have a good day and everything.  Keri 

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:52:28 -0400
From: Zach Walker <bagheera@pipeline.com>
Subject: Solemn Faces? No way man. 

Look, 
The solemn faces were a$$holes who screwed with Ben and thought he was scum.
I'm sorry but ever since I heard Ben and the oft overlooked Sledge and
Darren I have loved everything about them. Calling ourselves (or yourselves,
since I'm new here) the Solemn Faces is not a good idea. Why don't we just
call ourselves the Evaporated Underground Boxing Bricks? That's much better.
Here comes my long signature again. Lookout.
- --
"I have faith that there's a soul somewhere that's leading me around, I
wonder if she knows which way is down."--Ben Folds.
Keep It Real.
Zach.
 O   \ O /  _ O         __|    \ /     |__        O _  \ O /   O    
/|\    |     /\   __\O    \O    |    O/    O/__   /\     |    /|\   
/ \   / \   | \  /)  |    ( \  /O\  / )    |  (\  / |   / \   / \  
Zach's Page: http://www.pipeline.com/~bagheera/home.htm

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  ##l^##l^##     XXXXX   XXXXXX  XX XXX XXX         
  ##l ### ##l    XX XXX XXX  XX  XXXXXXXXXX    
  ### ###l ##    XX  XX XXXXXXX  XXXX XXXX          
  ###  ### ###   XX xXX XXX xxx  XXX  XXXX     
  ###l ### ####b XXXXX   XXXXX   XX   XXX   

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Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 00:41:06 EDT 
From: john_oc@juno.com
Subject: Pittsburgh show...

Hi...big dilemma.

I am going to the Pittsburgh show with a friend, but I need a ride.  If
anyone from the Columbus area is going to the show, I would love to get
in touch with you, possibly for a ride.  I would pay for gas.  Right now
my only option is from Cleveland, and that is way out of the way. 
Someone bail me out...Thanks for your consideration.

Remember it's Solemn Faces, because we are his audience, not the
frontmen.

Thanks,

John Boyer
WOBN-FM 101.5 the ROCK
Asst. Music Director, Triple A Dir. and Research Dir.
Email: John_OC@juno.com   Phone: (614) 823-2969
Westerville, Ohio(Just north of Columbus)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 22:20:53 +0000
From: "Arnold S. Rowe" <arowe@pe.net>
Subject: charts!

Hey ya'll!

wooie! has anyone been keeping track of the charts lately?  In the 
June issue of CMJ, BFF is #8 on their chart "based on combined 
airplay of approximately 500 collegge, non-commercial, and commercial 
radio stations reporting their top 30 most-played releases that 
week." And up from not even being on the list last month!  And they 
are #6 on Rolling Stone's Alternative Albums chart. 'course this 
charted is based on the sales of one record store in Philly, but 
still! Onward and Upward, eh?

maybe people will stop looking at me blankly when i mention Ben.. not 
that is necessarily a good thing..... we'll see.

~Aimee

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 12 May 97 23:10:44 -0000
From: Eric Fate <ericfate@mindspring.com>
Subject: Finally!

After nearly a month of constant abuse of my local "Modern Rock" station. 
They finally added BOWCCL to their playlist. I would never have believed 
it, but there it was right before the 11:00 hour...right during Loveline. 

Fresno may be backwards, but sometimes we manage to get something right. 
(Oh, wait. I live in Clovis now.)
Eric

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 03:49:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jabberwo1k@aol.com
Subject: Please ... 

I need to know Ben Folds Five's tour date around Paris... Does anybody know
if I have a chance to see them on stage in France before July ??  

  Judith -- who don't wanna miss them twice twice --

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 05:57:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: Winnall@aol.com
Subject: Please take me off subscriber list 

Please take me off subscriber list

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Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 08:22:36 -0400
From: "Faix, Andrew" <AFaix@harris.com>
Subject: Toronto Show

Hello Kids,

Just wondering if anyone had any insight as far as the Bf5 Toronto show
on June 1st.  According to their WEB page, they're playing at Lee's
Palace.  Does anyone know if this is a Chinese establishment of some
sort or am I just being a bigot?  If there are any Toronto residents on
the list or if your familiar at all with the place, please let me know.
I mean, I'm planning on going to the show regardless of its proprioship,
but I'm mildly curious.

By the way, I don't think BF5 should bother with covers, and I could
care less if we call ourselves anything.  Why bother?  I've been reading
suggestions for over a month now, and its going to lead NOWHERE!  Leave
it alone.

- -Andrew (afaix@harris.com)

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 97 9:37:59 EDT
From: "Jason Kilts" <Jason.Kilts@css.unc.edu>
Subject: the Solemn Faces 

| in, or you wouldn't still be on the listserv.  Because we 
| can never be
| the angry dwarf, the name Solemn Faces is much more 
| justified.
| I hereby move that Solemn faces be accepted as the name of 
| our unruly
| club of the Magical Armchair.

I second that motion.  I think that's a great title!  Easily my favorite so 
far.
Jason Kilts

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 10:53:22 -0500
From: punkerboy@webtv.net ("JOHN SCHOLTES, Jr.")
Subject: Hell, I thought it was pretty funny...

Fellow Armchairians,

          Kudos to the fellow who wrote that message in ebonics the
other day. I can't understand why so many people got mad about that. I
guess they couldn't understand that you were just kidding around, or
were you?¿? *l* I must tell you that it brought a smile to my face
after a very bad day. I mean hell, I just thought it was funny.

                                        Till then,

                                            Johnny

"I come reccommended by 4 out of 5" - M. Doughty, Soul Coughing



"I'm crazy, but I get the job done" - Ben Folds

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/PunkSkaAndMore/index.html     Punk Ska And More!


http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/1187/   The Flannel Tubs online

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 12:19:01 +0600
From: Patrick Savage <psavage@vt.edu>
Subject: Re: DC show?

Autumn Patterson <apatte2@gl.umbc.edu> wrote:

>On their web site it says that they will be playing the 9:30 Club in
>Washington, DC on the 31st...HOWEVER the 9:30 club is apparently not aware
>of this.  Does anyone know if this show has been finalized and if not if
>perhaps they will play somewhere else in Baltimore or DC?  And if so, will
>tickets be available soon b/c it's getting pretty dern close to may
>31st... Just wondering...

I just got my tickets for the show today! Yay...my first BFF show!
Apparently only some of the tickets are for sale and the rest are being
given away by WHFS or something since this is an "HFStival Eve" show.
Bettie Serveert seems to be co-headlining but the ProTix girl didn't have a
clue...I hope the boys won't be just openers.  Anyway, all the info is at
http://www.930.com

So I guess this means the Five are going to be at the HFStival then (2nd
stage, I'm sure) but it's not listed on the bffweb page.  Anyone know for
sure?  Since when does HFS play BFF anyway?

- --
Pat
psavage@vt.edu

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 12:44:58 -0700
From: Eric Ebert <ebert@cpg.mcw.edu>
Subject: Re: fIVE fOR fIGHTING [sparse BF5]

> 
> Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 14:55:32 -0400
> From: Evan Chakroff <chakroff@ee.net>
> Subject: five for fighting
> 
> Who are these guys? I remember reading about them a little when I first
> joined the armchair. Are there five of them, or jest three? Because that
> would be the factor making the difference between a ripoff, or merely a bad
> imitation.
> 
> - -ec

fIVE fOR fIGHTING is a pretty good band IMHO -- I just recently picked up 
the disc and I really like about half of the tunes on it.  They don't 
sound much like BF5 at all - it's more like Eddie Vedder singin' and 
playing the piano.  A couple tunes are upbeat, poppy-type stuff 
('Bella's Birthday Cake', 'Happy') but most of the album is slow... their 
subject matter is a little bit darker and more thought-provoking than Ben 
Folds.  I'm not quite sure where they're trying to go with some of their 
tunes, but like I said, I like `em.  Oh, and there are 4 guys pictured 
on the insert, but 5 guys listed as being the band, so I'm a little 
stumped.    
- -- 
Jugglin' one-handed & doin' magic tricks,
Eric "Erokk" Ebert	<ebert@cpg.mcw.edu>

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 13:53:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Lunasa1@aol.com
Subject: Morph 

During Steven's Last Night in Town at Irving Plaza gig, I thought Ben looked
like a cross between the golfer Tom Watson and the loopy guy on Third Rock
who isn't John Lithgow.

Why don't we call ourselves the origamis? (Folding = Folds = Origami?)

I'll sign off now.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 13 May 97 15:13:57 PDT
From: evlbison <evlbison@neo.lrun.com>
Subject: Armchair members name.

As far as a name goes, I don't much like the idea of dwarfs 
OR solomn faces. My reason is this. To name ourselves after 
a single Ben Folds song is (to me at least) a bad idea. I 
mean, I personaly like ALL of their songs, so I think a more 
fitting title should encompass all the group, their songs, 
and the Armchair. 

Just my $.02
Steve



"Speak softly, drive a Sherman tank"
~They Might Be Giants - Everything thats right is wrong 
again~

"On the run from Johnny Law... Ain't no trip to Cleveland"
~Dignan - Bottle Rocket~

"He was thrown head over heels into the traffic coming on, 
but then all is fair in love"
~Ben Folds Five~

"Good... Bad... I'm the guy with the gun.
~Ash - Army of Darkenss~

------------------------------

End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #300
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