THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #758 - January 15, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Thursday, January 15 1998 Volume 01 : Number 758
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
D.C. show...
Virginia Beach Show
Uprights, DC show, PJ/SNL and NBP
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #752
NBP
Tour date update
Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #738
One more tour date update
taping shows....
nbp and bf5 sightings
BF5, The Beatles, and Bongo Java
Porno Name (Sorry Steve Miller and SNL fans)
Singles off Naked
nbp, snl (i swear it's not long and bitchy!)
Let's not start attitudes again
ultimate sacrifice
Armchair in Naked baby Photos?
Bad Idea (I feel retarded...)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 08:07:00 -0500 (EST)
From: marc s kaplan <mkap@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: D.C. show...
If the show is a 9:30 club show, then tix should be through:
1) Your local Record and Tape Traders stores.
Or
2) Protix
Either way you get a service charge, but Protix's service charge is
usualy much less than ticketmaster.
See ya
-/\/\arc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 08:28:48 -0500
From: rosaliem@exoticomm.com
Subject: Virginia Beach Show
Hi everyone,
Is anyone planning on going to the Feb. 23 show at the Abyss in Virginia
Beach?
Please e-mail me.
thanks!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 98 08:42:32 CST
From: amit_saha@VNET.IBM.COM
Subject: Uprights, DC show, PJ/SNL and NBP
Hi gang,
Nick said:
>also, pj was not the first to do this, nor were they in the middle of the
>success for "ten". i remember back in '86 or so (based on comedy central
The SNL in question was taped just after the release of Vs and about a week
after Cobain killed himself. PJ played "Not For You", "Rearviewmirror" and
"Daughter".
Alden asked:
>I dont get it.
>
>Whats wrong with an upright?
There are many factors that contribute the sound of a piano but, in my
humble opinion, one of the biggest factors is the size (and quality) of
the soundboard. A full sized grand piano has about an 8 foot long soundboard.
A full sized upright (like what Ben played) has about a 5 foot soundboard.
The typical, modern upright has about a 3 foot soundboard. Larger soundboards
are much richer and have greater dynamic response. I'd think a full sized
upright would be sonically similar to a baby grand. I've got a Heintzman
full upright from 1904 and it sound better than most baby grands I've played.
Jared said:
>I would have to agree with Entertainment Weekly when they said "...How could a
>band with just two albums and little commercial success possibly merit a
>rarities/outtakes album? ..."
Poor Jared - he's gonna get flamed for agreeing with EW so I'm gonna get in
his corner and say I agree with him. EW isn't necessarily negative about
Ben Folds Five - they really like the guys. They're just questioning if
BFF has enough quality stuff in the can for a b-sides/rarities release,
which is a valid question for me, too.
Finally, DC tickets are on sale through PROTIX - not Ticketmaster. Try on
Thursday 01/15.
Amit (who let me out of lurk mode????)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 09:06:24 -0600 (CST)
From: SCHUTTE <eschutte@eagle.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #752
All I have to say is...Naked Baby Photos rocks. Especially Fanny Packs
and Emaline.
peace out,
emily
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1988 00:20:01 -0700
From: Pluvius Dope <Policy@Mobsters.com>
Subject: NBP
Well, I figure that since I bought it, I have a right to discuss what I
feel about the album in question. I too saw the Entertainment weekly review
of the album, and in some respects I agree with him. Ben Folds Five WOULD
have been better off releasing some new studio material, and a lot of the
stuff on the album is trvial. HOWEVER, I'm a huge fan, and fuck
Entertainment weekly, *I* want to hear this stuff, I would have payed $15(I
had to buy it at and indy record store because the local best buy AND media
play decided not to order coopies of NBP) for a copy of Emaline(my new
favorite song) and Eddie Walker on CD. Im not into owning everything a band
is related to, so I think that paying $20 for an import single is
outrageous, so the only time I could listen to half of these songs is on
MP3, on which the quality was QUESTIONABLE at best. Some things that could
have been left off the album (Replaced with live boots of better songs, Ill
name them), Dick Holster was worthless(Much too short to merit a song slot,
but worth having on the album in some form), it should have been better
replaced by the Sexy MF jam Robert does, or that funky thing he does with
his amp and bass connect. Satan Is My Master is a piece of crap too, it
would have been interesting if I hadn't heard it before, I would have
rather seen it replaced by a live version of Free Bird. For Those Of Y'All
could have been left off the album too. it's long, but not very good
listening, I would have rather seen a version of Video Killed The Radio
Star. Overall though, it was well worth my money. Tom and Mary, Emaline,
Eddie Walker, these are all veriafiable possible singles in their own
right, and with some more live stuff, this could have been a VERY
sustainable new album, and not even need to be titled a rareties and
B-Sides album.
Did I hear that the new album is DUE in March (Joy!) or that they are
going to start recording it in March(Come to Denver for a Concert to record
live then).
Peace,
PLUVIUS DOPE
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:13:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Frank Maynard <maynard@mail.oeonline.com>
Subject: Tour date update
The opening act on the February tour will be Robbie Fulks. He has a four
piece band including 2 guitars, bass and drums. Robbie is one of the
hottest-rising starts in the "alternative country" scene and mixes a dark
view of the world with wry humor. He has two albums, "Country Love Songs"
and "South Mouth" and is set to appear on an episode of PBS' "Austin City
Limits" this month.
Latest info on all the dates, venues and on-sale dates:
Feb. 4: Portland, OR - La Luna - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Feb. 5: Seattle, WA - DV8 - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Feb. 7: San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
Feb. 8: Hollywood, CA - Palace Theatre - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Feb. 9: Tempe, AZ - Club Rio - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Feb. 11: Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Live - On sale Jan. 17
Feb. 12: Houston, TX - Numbers - Tickets via Ticketmaster - On sale
Jan. 15
Feb. 14: St. Louis, MO - American Theatre - 314-231-7000 - On sale
Jan. 16
Feb. 15: Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Feb. 16: Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's - Tickets via Ticketmaster.
All ages; tix on sale Jan. 16; $15 in advance, $16.50 day
of show
Feb. 18: Toronto, Ont. - The Phoenix - On sale Jan. 15
Feb. 20: New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom - On sale Jan. 16
Feb. 21: Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory - On sale Jan. 17
Feb. 22: Washington, DC - 9:30 Club - On sale Jan. 15
Feb. 23: Virginia Beach, VA - The Abyss - Tickets via Ticketmaster
(If no On Sale date is listed, tickets are already on sale)
-fjm
The world is sleeping. I am numb
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 10:24:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Nate Mathews <nmathews@mork.uni.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #738
two songs on a desert island would be: Evaporated and Philosophy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cross Country: Finally a practical use for golf courses
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:35:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Frank Maynard <maynard@mail.oeonline.com>
Subject: One more tour date update
Ticketmaster will be handling the New York (Hammerstein Ballroom, Feb. 20)
and Philadelphia (Electric Factory, Feb. 21) shows. On sale this Friday
and Saturday, respectively.
-fjm
Here is the time we didn't speak, it seemed, for years and years
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 12:01:12 -0500
From: aplauri@juno.com (Philip J. L.)
Subject: taping shows....
alright, i am a bootlegger, and i was wondering if we could account for
almost all of the shows on this tour to be taped by people volunteering,
i myself plan to tape the clutch cargos show..... any help on this would
be greatly appreciated by me and all the other booters out there so that
we can put a lot of the new stuff in circulation. even if you feel like
you could tape a show, but you dont have the best equipment, go for it!
cant hurt to try, and i am sure people will trade for the show, (me being
one of them... i'll trade for any BFF boot regardless of quality, if i
dont have it.) so just let me know if you plan to and i can come up with
some kind of list as to who is doing what....!
thanks- philip
my bff boots webpage-
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/4999/bff.html
"who's got the looks, who's got the brains. . . who's got everything???"
- -BEN FOLDS
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 13:07:57 -0500 (EST)
From: Ginger Nance <gnance@email.unc.edu>
Subject: nbp and bf5 sightings
Well I finally got NBP and I must say that I absolutely love it, but agree
it's mostly for us diehard fans who understand stuff like "The Ultimate
Sacrifice." I'm just in a state about finally having the original version
of "Emaline"--I made my roomie listen to it like 4 times last night.
Speaking of my roomie, she was walking down Franklin St. the other day and
saw Darren going into The Lizard & Snake Cafe (one of the boy's fave
hangouts, from what I've heard). I was so jealous!
Also, the local mailing list for the campus Jewish organization had "her
mom and dad went down to charlotte/they're not home to find us out" as its
quote of the week. The review of SNL in the Raleigh paper is pretty
cool--it's main merits are the fact that the guy obviously like BF5 and
thinks they should have gotten their 2 songs, too (and that is the last
you'll hear me say about that).
Ginger :)
Ooooo Ginger Nance
( ) ginger_nance@unc.edu
) ( gnance@email.unc.edu
(o) http://www.unc.edu/~gnance
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 13:00:15 -0600
From: "Johnson, Sarah Ann" <sarah.a.johnson@vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: BF5, The Beatles, and Bongo Java
Hi Everyone!
I studied at Bongo Java last night, a coffee shop here in Nashville
(home of the famous well-preserved Mother Teresa cinnamon bun.) Anyway,
they had two tip jars on the counter. One was labeled with a Beatles
song, and one was labelled "Sad and Free- Ben Folds Five" Even though I
think that should have been "Evaporated", the BF5 tip jar had
significantly more cash in it than did the Beatles. I found that
amusing, and contributed as well.
Hope everyone is enjoying NBP!
Love,
Sarah J.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Johnson, Sarah Ann
Vanderbilt University
Email: sarah.a.johnson@Vanderbilt.Edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 14:03:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Patrick J McDonough <mcdonpj@wfu.edu>
Subject: Porno Name (Sorry Steve Miller and SNL fans)
>Hello! Since we are the tour, anything we talk about is, by definition,
>BFF content.
>Q. What's the name of your first pet?
Mmm...I never had pets, but I did have a stuffed animal elephant named
"LongNose."
>Q. What's the name of the street you grew up on?
Cochato Rd. in Braintree, MA
I guess that makes my name "LongNose Cochato." Not too cool. Now if my
aunt had named her nephew's elephant "LongMojo"...I'd have had a really
strange aunt.
But speaking of porn stars, I have a great shot of Ben dancing with his
pants around his ankles at the Lupo's show from NBP. I will try to get it
scanned. Any chance of the tour sneaking into NC? If not, I guess I
haven't enjoyed the great state of VA in a while.
Patrick from Winston-Salem
mcdonpj@wfu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 14:08:15 EST
From: Soapscribe <Soapscribe@aol.com>
Subject: Singles off Naked
To The Philly reviewer who said "Emaline" woulda made a great single -- well,
why not? And a perfect follow-up to "Brick", I think. I looooove "Emaline"
(it's too Todd Rundgren for words), tho I can see how it didn't quite fit
into the first album. "Twin Falls" would make a gorgeous single, too, but
I'm afraid it would send the wrong message apres "Brick" and have Ben
breathing down Michael Bolton's neck on the Adult Contemporary Charts.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 12:27:07 -0500
From: ljd128@psu.edu (firstname lastname)
Subject: nbp, snl (i swear it's not long and bitchy!)
well, i got nbp at 10:02 am at my local best buy, cutting classes to get it
i might add. ran home and listened to it. it was really cool to hear
actual cd stereo versions of emailine, tom n mary, eddie walker, etc,
instead of the ratty boots i have or trying to hear mp3s on my shitty old
peocessor. yeah, there's some goofy stuff on there that sucks, but i think
it's cool that they pt a record out like this, for all their fans. ever
since "piscese iscariot" and landslide, everyone thinks that a bsides
record is just trying to get more hits per band. whatever. i'm happy to
own nbp. it's got enough cool songs to make it worthwhile. if you don't
like the other ones, fast-forward.
was i the only one who noticed that the boys looked and sounded BEAT on snl?
len damico jumpingcow@psu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 00:56:18 -0500
From: schander@juno.com (joe s schanderson)
Subject: Let's not start attitudes again
Just trying to nip this in the bud. Here is an example of a
non-democratic, "I'm more special and intelligent than you" post.
>>SHUT THE F*UCK UP ABOUT SAT NITE LIVE!!!!!!! GET OVER IT!
>>Secondly...I would consider myself a friend of the boys
SOOOO what? Your opinion is more right or more fair?
Also, the * does little good when you write all the letters anyway.
As annoying as it might be to some, every single person on this list has
the right to talk about BF5 on SNL. I'm glad not everyone did but if they
had, well that's their right. Certainly talking about BF5 on the BF5 list
is allowed no matter how repetitive it might be.
No, this is not an attack, this is a plea for civility......PLEASE.
michigan joe
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:51:14 -0800 (PST)
From: "J. Osebold" <johnozzy@u.washington.edu>
Subject: ultimate sacrifice
I've heard many versions of this song, but have never seen it live. During
the middle "soft" part, where Ben sings, "Here I sit...broken hearted," I
always hear the audience laugh hysterically around that part. What the
hell is going on onstage that's so funny?!
John
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 98 15:19:05
From: evlbison <evlbison@neo.lrun.com>
Subject: Armchair in Naked baby Photos?
The description Ben wrote for Philosophy on Naked Baby Photos, he says "This
song is about my penis - if thats what you think it's about.
Is this because of that "helmet head" discussion we had a few months back?
Still saying helmet head is referring to his hair,
Steve
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 15:49:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Glitter Girl <starfish@email.unc.edu>
Subject: Bad Idea (I feel retarded...)
Hey people,
So here's the scoop. Two weeks ago I posted that Sheet-Music.Com was a
source for the BF5 music book. Well, yesterday, I got a little notice
that it was out-of-print and they'd be unable to send it to me. So for
all of you who ordered it, you'll probably get a notice soon. I apologize
for posting the bad info - I'm so disappointed. I was really looking
forward to learning The Last Polka. Sigh...
On another note, I've been lurking for a little while, and just wanted
to say that on the whole, I've been very impressed with the comments on
the board. But at the same time, there are so many repeated questions and
comments and such that it really clogs up the list and wastes time and
space. It's not my intention to make anyone feel bad or act superior, but
before asking what potentially could be a common question, check out some
of the past Armchairs in the archive. It will ultimately save everyone
time and trouble if the answer to your question is there. I don't know...
maybe I'm overreacting, but a little common sense goes a long way.
I'm enjoying NBP and have introduced our little trio to my roomie - it's
so nice that I can play my Tori and my Ben Folds, and know that the other
person in the room doesn't object. Sigh...
Again, sorry for the bad info on the sheet music. : (
Lee
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #758
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