Ben Folds will take the stage, not in a tutu but as a guest musician at the Ballet Ball, a glamorous black-tie affair to support the Nashville Ballet. The gala is Saturday, March 3 at the Schermerhorn Center in Nashville. Patrons who contribute $500 or more enjoy cocktails, dinner and a performance by the ballet, accompanied by Ben and The Civil Wars, a Nashville-based duo whose debut Americana/folk/alt-country album has been nominated for a Grammy. The gala is followed by an evening of music and dancing by the Pat Patrick Band. Tickets are also available at $95 to the Late Party, including cocktails and dessert while the high-rollers are dining, enjoy the performance and dance the night away. Get more information on the evening; tickets are on sale. (And who knows, knowing Ben, he just might wear a tutu after all.)
Not really a show, but worth a mention
Symphony show back home
Ben will be back in his old stomping grounds this spring, performing with the North Carolina Symphony in two shows March 22-23 in Raleigh. It will be the first show in the Triangle since the 2008 Ben Folds Five reunion show, and according to David Menconi’s story in the Raleigh News and Observer, the two shows will be different programs, not the same program repeated two nights.
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News on the reunited Ben Folds Five project
Ben Folds Five back in the studio
As you know, Ben Folds has reunited with his old bandmates Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge for a recording session, with the intention of releasing an album if things go well. Apparently, as you can see from the photo, things are going well – enough so, in fact, that not only is an album in the offing, but a tour as well. Dates and locations are being booked and firmed up, but expect to see an announcement shortly. They plan to continue recording into March, and then we’ll see what happens!
Update: The official schedule isn’t out yet but already one festival is announcing booking the reunited trio. Mountain Jam 2012, held in Hunter, N.Y. May 31-June 3, is promoting Ben Folds Five as one of its many acts. Tickets are already on sale.
‘Bubs started it all, says Folds
The current a cappella craze has its roots in college groups and glee clubs, and The Sing-Off’s first season runner-up started it all, says Ben Folds.
Folds, one of the three judges on NBC’s vocal music competition show, credits the Tufts Beelzebubs, the devilish sixteen-man a cappella group from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., with starting the migration of vocal groups to the forefront of public consciousness.
A story in Boston’s BostInno quotes Folds, who gave the group high praises for their having brought the long-brewing vocal music genre to the people. The ‘Bubs have been in existence since the 1960s with a constantly changing cast as students enter and graduate the university. They’ve released several albums of their tight harmonies and crisp vocal percussion, and provided the voices of one of the fictional glee clubs on the television series Glee.
Folds headlining Concert for Civility
Ben will be headlining the second annual Concert for Civility in Tucson, Arizona on January 15. The show is a major fundraiser for the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, which was founded by the family of Ron Barber. Barber is the district director for US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and was among those shot during the incident on January 8 in which the representative was severely injured and six others were killed. The fund supports nonprofit groups, schools and faith communities in efforts to combat bullying, improve respective discourse on public policy and awareness of mental health issues. Donations may be made online.
The concert, at Tucson’s Fox Theatre, features several local acts including Calexico. Tickets go on sale today (November 18) and prices range from $30 to $75. The top tickets include a reception with Folds and Calexico.
Further info in this story in the Arizona Daily Star by Cathalena E. Burch.
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Hall of Famer Ben
Ben Folds has been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
In a ceremony held at the Hall of Fame in Kannapolis, N.C., on October 13, 2011, Ben joined other Tar Heel native musicians including country singer-songwriter Billy “Crash” Craddock, jazz/funk bassist Maceo Parker and songwriter John D. Loudermilk.
A story on the ceremony appeared in the Salisbury, N.C. Post.
Release day for “Best Imitation”
So, what do you think of it?
Today (October 10) is the day that Ben’s retrospective compilation Best Imitation of Myself goes on sale in the United Kingdom, and tomorrow (October 11) in the US. If you’ve picked up your copy (that is, if there are any record stores left where you are), have had it delivered, or have downloaded it, let us know what you think! Leave your review in the comments section of this post and we’ll publish the best ones and bounce them over to the Magical Armchair e-mail discussion list (you can subscribe as well, using the box to the right). Is your favorite concert-only song on it? A song from a show you attended? Something you’ve only heard on a fifth-generation mixtape or bootleg, finally in the clear? Let everyone know your first impressions, and enjoy!
Own a piece of Ben’s piano
The Nashville Symphony
One of the many positives to come out of last year’s tragic floods in Nashville has been increased awareness of the music scene in the Music City beyond its iconic country-western genre. Among the artifacts salvaged from the flood, albeit in an unplayable state, was Ben’s touring piano, locked away in Soundcheck Nashville, a storage facility serving the Nashville musician community, while the rising waters of the Cumberland had their way. Now that the piano has been recovered and dismantled, Ben has autographed its keys, and they will be sold to benefit the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s annual campaign, which supports arts education in Nashville. Continue reading →
The vault is open
The collection of 56 historical Ben Folds tracks, the Ben Folds Fifty-Five Vault, is now live and available for download. The list includes many remastered and original songs from Ben’s collection of demo and alternate takes and material from Sony’s vaults as well. More than half the tracks are previously unreleased. The tracks can be purchased here from myplayonline.com. The complete collection costs $29.99, but individual tracks can be purchased for 99 cents each. Those who purchase Best Imitation of Myself, which goes on sale Tuesday, Oct. 11, will get a code which can be redeemed for a free five-song EP containing a sampling of the tracks available for download. The Free Folds Five EP, as it’s known, contains the tracks Dr. Yang, Narcolepsy (with Darren and Robert), and early demos of Song For the Dumped, Steven’s Last Night in Town and Underground. Continue reading →
Lustre fading a bit for “The Sing-Off”
Second-episode overnight ratings numbers are in for the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off, and it confirms the ratings drop for last week’s season premiere when compared with season two. Monday’s (Sept. 26) ratings averaged 1.7, with close to 5 million viewers at the start of the two-hour episode, but falling to just under 4 million toward the end of the program. The first week posted slightly better ratings, averaging 1.8 and around 5 million viewers. Overall, the show is in fourth place for Monday nights, behind shows on CBS, ABC and Fox. Continue reading →
