The as-yet unnamed upcoming album by the reunited Ben Folds Five, due out in late summer or early fall, is seeking subscription support from fans for distribution via Pledge Music. Through the Pledge Music system, one makes a “pledge” or payment of financial support and, depending on the amount chosen, can receive a variety of rewards ranging from a digital download of the finished project to signed CDs, tour t-shirts and a vinyl pressing. For the Ben Folds Five project, a basic download is $10, and other premiums range upward to $62. Though the project reached its monetary goal less than a day after being launched, one can still enroll and claim one of the premiums. (more…)
Announcements
Ben Folds Five to crowdsource distribution and promotion of new album
New track from upcoming Ben Folds Five album released
Updated below
Do It Anyway is the first new track to be released from the upcoming album by the reunited Ben Folds Five. It’s the product of the writing and recording the trio did starting last December. The album, as Ben has mentioned, is an ongoing project that hasn’t fully come together, but he’s hoping for an early fall release and some touring (they’ve already announced UK dates for November and December). Download the track here.
Update: Tom Bisset, the Scottish musician and video artist known as Pianoshizzle, has produced and posted on YouTube a video of the new track.
Ben Folds Five touring the UK this fall
It’s been announced that the reunited and reconstituted Ben Folds Five (Ben, Darren, Robert) will do an eight-show tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland later this fall.
The tour kicks off in Bournemouth on November 23, and visits Nottingham, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, and wraps up in London December 4.
Details and ticket links are on the tour dates page.
Win a sound check with Ben!
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Live Nation are offering a lucky fan a chance to attend a show and sing on stage with Ben during his sound check. The prize includes round-trip travel, accomodations, some spending money and premium tickets to the show. More details on MetLife’s Facebook page.
Folds to perform for the President
Update: Item in the Huffington Post, with advice on avoiding the traffic snarls. Tickets sold out shortly after the event was announced.
Ben Folds will be one of the musical guests at a special gala reception for the President of the United States, Barack Obama, in New York on Thursday, March 1. The event, sponsored by Obama for America, is being organized by Deepak Chopra, Paulette Cole, Phil Suarez, Russell Simmons and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and is to be held at ABC Carpet and Home in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Joining Ben will be the Philadelphia-based neo-soul band The Roots and actor Aziz Ansari of NBC’s Parks & Recreation. Tickets to the event are $1,000 per person; an event host designation is $10,000 and includes a photo reception with the President; and you can be an event chair for $35,800. The majority of the funds, of course, go to support the President’s re-election bid and the Democratic National Committee. Ben has played within a stone’s throw of the White House a number of times, but as far as I know, this is the first time he will have performed for the chief executive.
