Ben reports he’ll be co-hosting with Hoda Kotb (pictured left) on the late-morning segment of NBC’s The Today Show on Friday, September 30. The show, which airs on the NBC-TV network from 10-11 AM Eastern time (but check your local listings), features the lighter side of its newsier early-morning cousin, with celebrity gossip, entertainment news, and segments such as cute baby contests. Now that Ben’s a mainstream TV celebrity as judge on the peacock network’s The Sing-Off, he’ll need to keep it clean for the daytime audience. Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda’s regular co-host, has been in Seattle working on a theatrical production. Update: In case you missed it, you can watch the show online. Ben said his drink of choice was a Gin & Tonic, and Tweeted “What the hell did I just do? after the show. (30 Sept 2011)
Ben co-hosting Today Show
Free LA show on Monday
Ben will be performing in Hollywood Monday, September 26 as part of It’s a School Night, a Monday night regular series at Bardot, 1737 Vine Street. Free entry may be had by RSVPing at the It’s a School Night website. Hosted by DJ Chris Douridas, formerly the music director at KCRW in Santa Monica and host of the station’s long-running music program Morning Becomes Eclectic, the show will also feature live sets by English singer-songwriter Charlie Winston, and the pop escapist sound of Chad Valley, the side project of Jonquil’s frontman Hugo Manuel, along with sets by two local DJs.
Related show
More press on a Five reunion
More on the news we broke to you over a month ago (with thanks to the Boston Globe), there’s increasing chatter about the expected reunion of the former Ben Folds Five. Ben’s talking more about getting back together with Darren and Robert for a recording session and maybe more, no doubt fueled by the nostalgia as he dug through years of archives and eventually reuniting for three songs on the upcoming Best Imitation of Myself compilation. Recently, there have been stories in Digital Spy, 7News, Contact Music, and Spinner, and probably more to come as the details develop. Update: Billboard.com has a story today, including mention that there’s not a lot of pressure to get it right the first time (“If it’s not great, we can check out and come back later”), but now that the cat’s out of the bag, they’ll “feel a need to make it really great.” (27 Sept 2011) Update: The interactive magazine Zimbio has an item as well. (30 Sept 2011)
“The Sing-Off” third season debuts
The third season of NBC-TV’s hit a cappella show The Sing-Off debuts this evening (Monday, Sept. 19) at 8:00 PM (ET) in the US. The first eight contestants appear on tonight’s show.
Ben will be blogging his observations on the show and contestants, with each episode’s blog post going up shortly after the show concludes in the Pacific time zone. There are links to his current season blog as well as last season’s blog, Twitter feeds and more info in the right column.
Second new Ben Folds Five track released
The second track from the upcoming retrospective collection The Best Imitation of Myself by the reunited Ben Folds Five is now out. Stereogum is hosting Tell Me What I Did, which was recorded in June as part of a three-track taste of what may be to come from Ben, Robert and Darren. The first track, House, came out last week, and the third track, a cover of Stumblin’ Home Winter Blues by Darren’s post-BFF band Hotel Lights, is expected soon.
