25 January 2008. Ben Folds ROCKS the HOUSE at the Ark Benefit: Always a good time! Although what is it about rich people???
This Ben Folds show was a new first for me: I was sitting in "the rich" section of a performance.
When I lived in Tucson, the symphony orchestra (which I think I was trying to help with programming skills but I don't remember actually helping) would have a performance. The one noticeable section of the crowd was and the first two aisles: they would be filled with "old people" wearing furs (strangely enough in Tucson!) The other thing they would do is empty out "en masse" somewhere in the middle of a composition, apparently indifferent to the music performance they were attending.
Ditto for this show. Despite being a great show. Despite the fact that the non--rich sections were singing all but the new songs, and he even conducted a melodius audience performance of The Dr-Dre-cover-that-can-not-be-named on this site, my section was eeirly silent. Despite being an excellent show, and not being particularly long (Ben Folds had to check his watch a couple of times to make sure he "didn't get in trouble"), the row in front of me cleared out before the encore!
Sam Smith (drums) and Jared Reynolds (bass) rocked! One humourous moment was Smith getting winded during a particularly long rap in the middle of "the Dr.-Dre-Cover-That-Can-Not-Be-Named-Here")
(Solonators please note.) Ben had a full sheaf of papers (sheet music) with him to help him remember his newer songs!) The other acts were also good (it's a wonderful venue, although amplification was slightly too loud at points for BF)
The BF Set List (songs from the new album*):