THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR

The Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #333a - June 5, 1997



Magical Armchair Digest     Thursday, June 5 1997     Volume 01 : Number 333



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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:

    top ten
    Cincinnati Show
    Top 10
    Fivers 
    BFF in MN, top 10 
    no HORDE in WA 
    Top ten
    Disappointed
    Cincy 6/3/97: Bogart's ;P
    mystery quote
    minneapolis BFF: ??? 
    ooofah
    AGH
    Darren and some albums
    Have I got a treat for you...

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 21:11:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Oddsman <oddsman@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: top ten

Here goes in no particular order...

1. Pearl Jam:  Ten
2. Brendan Benson:  One Mississippi
3. Blues Traveler:  Blues Traveler
4. Ben Folds Five:  Ben Folds Five
5. Odds:  Bedbugs
6. God Street Wine:  $1.99 Romances
7. Jason Falkner:  Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown
8. The Posies:  Amazing Disgrace
9. Soul Coughing:  Ruby Vroom
10.Pearl Jam: Vs.

Honorable mention:

Umajets:  Demolotion
Odds:  Nest
Pink Floyd:  Dark Side of the Moon
Rush:  Presto
Fountains of Wayne:  Fountains of Wayne
The Grays:  Ro Sham Bo


Kev

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 21:29:38 -0400
From: sandishortcake@juno.com (Sandi Shorter) 
Subject: Cincinnati Show

Went to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati...both were GREAT shows...  I was the
one who yelled "HEY BEN!  SOMETHING'S FALLING OUT OF YOUR POCKET!" (in
Cincy), thinking it was something important that he was about to lose. 
Turns out it was a 2nd or 1st grade work sheet (yes from school) where
you match up money amounts (such as $1.59) to the pictures of the actual
money.  He explained what the paper was (all while on stage) and then
gave it to me!  Yay!  I got them all to sign it after the show... I still
have no idea why he had it, but that's what makes it even more funny.  
Also, to Toby who wrote the review of the Cincy show: THANKS!  I was
wondering if I was hearing things when he introduced Philosophy as
"Sandi's Theme", guess not!  That would be Sandi with an "i", not a "y".
<giggle> That would explain Ben's smile and nod to me as he said it... 
Duh...guess I'm a little slow these days.

I had planned on waking up this morning and driving to Milwaukee for the
show there, but I woke up sick...so anyone up for an adventure to the
great white north?  a.k.a. Toronto, Canada...I have Friday off of work,
if anyone wants a ride, e-mail me...I'm only considering the trip at this
point...

- -Sandi

"get born.  keep warm.  short pants.  romance."  -Dylan
http://kent.edu/~sshorter
Where we discuss the Wallflowers, BF5, strange dreams, & things that piss
us off!
Check it out!                 sandishortcake@juno.com

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

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1997 21:43:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason Martin <un036034@wvnvaxa.wvnet.edu>
Subject: Top 10

All right, might as well...

Ben Folds Five- Ben Folds Five
Barenaked Ladies- Gordon
Dave Matthews Band- Crash
Violent Femmes- Violent Femmes
Seven Mary Three- American Standard
Better Than Ezra- Deluxe
Weezer- Weezer
Sublime- 40 Oz to Freedom
Squeeze- Singles
They Might Be Giants- Flood

ok, on to the Ben content:

Does anyone know if HORDE is coming through Pittsburgh?

Muchas gracias,

Jason at WVU

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 21:43:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Zerolyzer@aol.com
Subject: Fivers 

Yes, Fivers, the name for Ben Folds Five fans.  any seconds?
P.S. - are BF5 playing on the HORDE tour?  I heard rumours, so I guess I'll
go check the HORDE website.  I hope they are, gives me a reason to go. (well,
BF5 and the Squirrel Nut Zippers).

- -Jeremy

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 21:28:33 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Thomas P. Kluis" <kluistp@cda.mrs.umn.edu>
Subject: BFF in MN, top 10 

sorry, this was in the day that get messed up

- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 1997 23:28:20 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Thomas P. Kluis" <kluistp@cdm.mrs.umn.edu>
To: armchair@maillist.il.fontys.nl
Subject: BFF in MN, top 10

Hello everyone.  This is my first post so I thought I'd say he to all you
great folks out there.  BFF's tour ends on Wednesday June 4 at First Ave
in Minneapolis and I'm going with a bunch of my friends and we too would
like to meet up with some folks before the show.  If you don't want to
meet up, and see a shirt with the KUMM radio logo on it during the show,
say hi, it's cool to meet new people.

I'll stop rambling and get on to my list of albums....
(drumroll, please)(in no particular order)

1.  Ben Folds Five - Whatever & Ever, Amen
2.  Pink Floyd - Division Bell
3.  Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
4.  Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Sleeps with Angels
5.  Counting Crows - August & Everything After
6.  Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
7.  Beck - Odelay
8.  Cracker - Kerosine Hat
9.  Pink Floyd - The Wall
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie.. 

sebadoh and weezer are up there as well.  Hope to see you at the show

Thomas K.
"This is the U-90 Alternative, KUMM 89.7 FM, Morris Minnesota"

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 19:52:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: jrhee@wolfenet.com (Pollyanna Rhee)
Subject: no HORDE in WA 

First off, ten albums...

1. Strangelove - Love and Other Demons
the rest...
Blur - Parklife
Ben Folds Five - s/t
the Auteurs - Now I'm A Cowboy
Radiohead - The Bends
the Cardigans - Life
the Stone Roses - s/t
Tindersticks - The First Tindersticks Album
Blur - MLIR
Sloan - Twice Removed

Portland is the only NW date for HORDE, it isn't happening at the Gorge.
Oh, two weeks ago, a store sorta by me was still had three BFF BOWCCL
singles the one w/ "Hava Nagila" & "Fanny Packs" if anyone still doesn't
have that one.

- -Pollyanna... the biggest wannabe Brit/obsessive Anglophile on the armchair

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

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1997 22:40:17 -0500
From: "Damian P. Marshall" <damer@nwu.edu>
Subject: Top ten

I've been enjoying all of the Top Ten record lists, so I think its high
time that I contribute:

Ben Folds Five----Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five----Whatever...
10,000 Maniacs----MTV Unplugged
The Beatles-------Rubber Soul
The Beatles-------Abbey Road
The Beatles-------Sgt. Pepper's
Billy Joel--------Greatest Hits Vol. I and II
Nirvana-----------Nevermind
Madonna-----------Immaculate Collection
Freedy Johnston---This Perfect World
Damian P. Marshall
Northwestern University 2000
damer@nwu.edu
"I've faith that there's a soul somewhere that's leading me around."---Ben
Folds Five 

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

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1997 22:53:31 +0000
From: Kenneth Bunn <kennyb20@mindspring.com>
Subject: Disappointed

I couldn't help it, I'm a long time Armchair subscriber (since before it
was the Armchair) yet its my first post, but I had to let the guys know
I'm disappointed they didn't stop in Indianapolis during the tour.
I'm an NC native and saw the guys at the Brewery in Raleigh back before
their first album. I heard them earlier that day on the WKNC doing an
interview and got hooked.My wife heard the same interview and insisted
we go...yes I'm old...I have a wife and a kid and a house in the
suburbs, not your typical BFF fan. I've also seen the guys in Chapel
Hill and was down in Athens last year at the Georgia theatre for the
show.  Sadly, I've relocated to Indy this year and doubt I'll get to see
them very often. If there are any BFF fans in Indy, let me know. We'll
have to petition
the guys for a return trip (the Horde tour is only enough to make you
want more). Well since I decided to post, I might as well get my money's
worth. 
My Top Ten (of course it'll change tomorrow): 
- -BFF (self titled)
- -REM Murmur
- -Elvis Costello Trust
- -DMB The Recently EP (gotta love All Along the Watchtower!)- but
basically you can substitute any DMB in this slot
- -The Smiths The Queen is Dead 
- -BFF Whatever and Ever Amen
- -Counting Crows August
- -Athenuem self titled (Great Album even if you have know idea who they
are)
- -Barenaked Ladies Rock Spetacle
- -REM Fables. 
Runners Up - Housemartins, Prefab Sprout, Roxy Music, The Cure.
Sorry for all the idle chit-chat...but hey, its my first post.

KEN

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

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1997 23:58:12 -0400
From: Allan Hsu <animate2@underworld.net>
Subject: Cincy 6/3/97: Bogart's ;P

Ok... last night, I went and saw BFF at Bogart's in Cincinnati...
almost didn't make it, missed the meet & greet at Buzz's Coffee Shop,
but I'll live... The show was very good, on par (if not better) than the
show last June 11th at Club Gotham... I think someone else posted the
set they played. During that transitional period of time between
September of '67 and BFF, someone threw a condom onto the stage... (I'll
display relevance in a second) While Darren and Robert were talking on
stage right when they got on, Ben picked it up and took it out of the
wrapper, threw the condom back into the crowd, and left the wrapper
onstage. Eventually, (after the show), I spend about 1.239 seconds
onstage, trying to find a setlist or a pick or something, but the best I
could do was the condom wrapper... Well, at least I can say that I have
Ben's condom wrapper...?? The roadie-type-person eventually threw
Darren's drumsticks out into the crowd; a friend of mine got one, and I
almost got the other... (I had to wrestle some kid for it, and then I
just ended up giving it to the girl that *almost* (but not quite)
touched the drumstick when it hit the ground... *shrug*) 
	After the show, I hung out a while, by the back exit of Bogart's, and
Ben come out after a while... I got him to sign my liner notes and cover
page to W&EA... He seemed sort of surprised that I had the Japanese
edition, and asked me if I was 100% Americanized or something along
those lines (I'm of Asian descent, but I don't have an accent or
anything)... When I told him that I wasn't even Japanese, he seemed kind
of embarrassed, so he signed over his picture in the liner notes "Sorry
I assumed you were from Massechussettes -Ben Folds" ;P Ben had a blue
fishing cap, and put it on shortly after he came outside. It seemed that
whenever anyone got a picture taken of/with him, Ben was either talking,
or just making a weird faces... He actually made a comment about how
funny he was going to look, in his fishing cap and making weird faces.
Later, after Ben left, Robert and Darren came out and talked, signed
stuff, etc...Darren signed the cover, and then signed over his picture
in the liner notes so that his signature was like a mustache... Robert
didn't do anything neat like that, but he made a comment about his
picture in the liner notes... For those that haven't seen the Japanese
edition, the inside of the liner notes have neat artsy-like pictures of
the band... in Robert's pic, he's looking really contemplative, stroking
his chin and whatnot... Robert said he was prolly thinking really
hard... on what he was going to have for lunch that day.
	I asked Ben about the story behind the change from the Japenese
artsy-overexposed album to the cut & paste look of the American version.
It seems that one night, after a show in Europe (Amsterdam.. I think?)
they first saw what the album was going to look like and it made them
kind of uncomfortable (too polished?) so they went to a copy shop and
cut & pasted the American version together... Ben said something along
the lines of: "That [the Japanese version] may be a better album design,
but at least we made the American version ourselves."
	Although I went to the Club Gotham show last year, I was only able to
talk with Ben and Darren a little bit (Robert retreated backstage before
I even noticed he was gone). After last night's whole post-show BFF
experience, I left feeling as if Ben, Darren, and Robert were all
down-to-earth guys; they were trying not to let it all get to them. Ben
talked about how playing at a place like Bogart's wasn't bad, but once
it got bigger, it got really weird... I'm going to stop typing about the
show-experience now, because I've got finals all week... (blech!)
- -- 
Animate2/Allan Hsu: Master of Reality    
<http://www.underworld.net/allan>
Dept. of Eigenstate Theory, Dept. of Sleep Deprivation - Masters of
Reality
"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that everyone isn't out to get
me."
"Just because you aren't paranoid doesn't mean that everyone isn't out
to get you."
Ben Folds Five: <http://www.underworld.net/bff>

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 23:01:53 -0500
From: Clotho@webtv.net (David Shapiro)
Subject: mystery quote

I sent this message the other day, but I don't know if it got to you
guys since all I recieved were two blank messages!  Sunday I was driving
in my car, and a song came on the radio.  I don't know who it was, but I
recognized a line from someone's sig (possibly someone on this list).  I
liked the song, but I don't know who it was by.  Here's the quote:

"I dress for success, but success is not impressed."

If anyone knows what song this is from and what artist it is by, please
e-mail me or post to the list.  Thanks.

Dave

- ------------------------------------------ 
Proud to be the treasurer of the David Shapiro Fan Club! (still looking for a President) 
- ------------------------------------------ 
 
"Here's the church, here's the steeple, open the doors and go to SLEEPLE!"  -Mystery Science Theater 3000

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 23:20:41 -0500
From: Ryan_Yoong01@blake.pvt.k12.mn.us (Ryan Yoong01)
Subject: minneapolis BFF: ??? 

very late idea
is anyone going to try and bootleg the concert?
- -muzzi

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

Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 00:45:00 -0500 
From: excandescent@thenexus.com
Subject: ooofah

       hi there..i changed my address..(and since im the only one on the
list with thenexus.com as a domain its probly pretty easy to figure out)
       anyway i kinda need a favor..umm..i need ben folds five
B-sides..anything..if anyone has stuff like emaline, tom & mary, eddie
walker this is your life, any live stuff or anything..can ya possibly
tape it for me?  i can send you postage & a blank tape or i can trade if
ya want..i don't have much in the way of BFF besides the mr. wrong and
the truth about cats and dogs soundtracks and the battle of who could
care less b-sides..and i have tons of soundgarden if yer into that :)
umm..somone lemme know..please :)

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

Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 00:46:12 -0500 
From: excandescent@thenexus.com
Subject: AGH

       sorry, i forgot to mention this in my last post..anyway..if
anyone has the lyrics to "bad idea", id really like them..please..again
:)

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

Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 00:52:32 -0000
From: "Bryan L. Brown" <idaho@appstate.campus.mci.net>
Subject: Darren and some albums

So I want to, once again (as I have in the past), give all humble thanks to
Darren Jesse, the enigmatic and often overlooked percussion section of BFF.


 The shows I've seen have been the most entertaining when Darren was making
those damn wacko faces he makes when he pounds.  And what good pounding he
does!!  Most pop/rock bands play nearly everything in 4/4 time which is
incredibly easy for a drummer to play in most cases (not that 4/4 can't be
challenging).  However, for those of you who are semi musically savvy out
there, you know that BFF uses all sorts of differing times and often change
in mid stream.  I'm impressed anyway. 

 So for all of you guys who spend all of your time lauding Ben and Robert
(not that they don't deserve it), HERE'S A BIG FAT TOAST TO DARREN!!  

Oh yeah.  The greatest album thing.  I'm not sure how this started
(admittedly I don't have time to read every word of every Armchair) and it
seems people are focusing only on pop/rock so here's my take:

BFF:  BFF (of course the obligatory praise to our favorite band)
REM:  Murmur
Talking Heads:  (fraid I can't quite pick an album)
Indigo Girls:  Nomads, Indians and all that
Indigo Girls:  Rites of Passage
Micheal Hedges:  Taproot (so he's not exactly rock/pop--sue me)
Unrest:  Perfect Teeth
Archers of Loaf:  Icky Mettle
Concrete Blonde:  Bloodletting
Pearl Jam:  Ten

See ya'll
Bryan L. Brown

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

Date: Wed, 4 Jun 97 03:05:59 -0500
From: Dan Goodspeed <goodsd@rpi.edu>
Subject: Have I got a treat for you...

  Hey there people,

Just thought I'd brag a little bit about the fact that I got an interview 
with the band last week when they came to Saratoga Winners last week.  We 
talked for like 45 minutes, and a lot of what we talked about is on the 
Belle's Underground Market homepage:

  http://www.rpi.edu/~goodsd/bum.html

There you can find the interview, concert review, and CD review.  It's a 
great site.

If you want to subscribe to its mailing list, just send me an e-mail at 
goodsd@rpi.edu, or
use the online subscription.

Frame-compatible browser required.

  later,



                                      
| Dan Goodspeed   (518) 399-9822    | "While Frank Sinatra sings 
| goodsd@rpi.edu pianoman76@aol.com |  stormy weather,
|   http://www.rpi.edu/~goodsd      |  the fly and spiders get 
| BUM: www.rpi.edu/~goodsd/bum.html |  along together"   JM

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

End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #333
**************************************


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