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Nationwide Insurance commercial

toddler_nationwide_250What’s that song again? Your ears don’t deceive you. The latest television ad campaign for insurance giant Nationwide features the 2008 Ben Folds & Regina Spektor song You Don’t Know Me as its musical soundtrack.

The 30-second spot is titled Toddler and it depicts dealing with adult frustrations, such as waiting at the motor vehicle office and enduring terrible service in a restaurant, by showing toddlers in these real-world grown-up situations to emphasize that good service, such as that which Nationwide provides, is everything.

Watch the commercial here.

Image copyright and courtesy Nationwide Insurance.

Nashville’s Studio A Building Rescued

bens_studio_250An end-of-year move by famed music producer Mike Curb has resulted in 30 Music Square West being rescued from demolition and the building preserved.

The iconic RCA Studio A, now known as Grand Victor Sound leased and operated by Ben Folds, will stay open and continues to do a brisk booking business.

The somewhat nondescript 1960s-era building, which had been sold to Brentwood, Tenn., developer Tim Reynolds earlier in the year, was slated for demolition, and tenants had been told their leases would be cancelled in November. As permits were being pulled for the wrecking ball, a deal was struck between Reynolds and a consortium of Nashvillians consisting of preservationist Aubrey Preston, healthcare executive Charles Elcan, and music producer and former politician Mike Curb. (more…)

If trees could sing

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Image by Pollinator / Creative Commons 3.0 ShareAlike

In recognition of the many species of trees in Nashville’s Centennial Park and the role they play in our everyday lives, the Nature Conservancy has sponsored a series of short videos featuring some of the country’s top musical performers talking about their favorite tree. Ben Folds is fond of the sweetgum, a tree native to North Carolina, and he recorded a tribute to the species with many interesting factoids about it.

“Native Americans used sweetgum sap to treat their wounds, and when it hardened, they used it for chewing gum,” Folds said of the tree that can grow to over a hundred feet tall and which turns brilliant shades of red and yellow in the fall.

“Who doesn’t have a favorite tree?” (more…)

PopUp Brooklyn

popup-dinner-image-smBen Folds has been announced as the headliner for this summer’s PopUp Brooklyn do-it-yourself picnic dinner and fundraising event for the Prospect Park Alliance, a community effort to preserve and improve the storied greenspace in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Advance pre-sale tickets for the June 28 event sold out in April but others can ask to be placed on the guest list and purchase tickets ($35 per person).

The concept behind the pop-up dinners is simple. At a predetermined time (5 pm) and at a secret location (announced to ticket holders two hours prior), revelers dressed in white gather to set up tables, enjoy dinner and wine they bring themselves, then music and revelry. After the event, everyone pitches in to clean up and remove their trash, leaving no trace of where they were in the park. (more…)

Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine

cchcLive music from Ben Folds will be on the menu along with exquisite cuisine from top Las Vegas chefs at this year’s Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine event Thursday, June 5 at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. The 26th annual event, in Las Vegas for the first time, is a benefit for the Scleroderma Research Foundation and is hosted by raunchy comedian Bob Saget, the star of TV’s Full House and How I Met Your Mother. The event features stand-up from Saget and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno, along with fine wines and outstanding cuisine from celebrity chefs Susan Feniger, Rick Moonen and Mary Sue Milliken of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. The event seeks to raise $600,000 for research to help find a cure for the chronic disorder; tickets for the event are $150 for the entertainment only and $500 for dinner and the show. More information is on the Foundation’s website.