Reviews
Ben Folds
Live at Niagara University
06/05/2006
by Oliver St John
Ben Folds has been described by some as the successor to Billy Joel's title of "the Piano Man". While it seems premature to count Joel out yet, there is no doubt at all that Ben Folds is an absolutely phenomenal rock pianist. His previous work with the oddly-named trio Ben Folds Five set the stage, and now Folds is firmly occupying it.
Folds takes the stage of the university gym to thunderous applause, and gets right to work; he's got a lot of material to cover. "Bastard", the opening track on his Songs for Silverman album, kicks off this set. Everyone in here knows the words, and merrily sings along. Folds loses no time in launching into "Gone" and then "Give Judy My Notice". Only then does he take the time to address the assembled crowd; they're warmed up at this point, and already impressed with the piano heroics.
Bandmates Jared Reynolds and Lindsey Jamieson deliver thunderous, impassioned performances, letting it be known that while Folds is the name on the ticket, this is no one-man show. The trio blaze through a great deal of material from Silverman and from 2001's Rockin' The Suburbs, Folds' solo debut. From the fury of "You To Thank" to the soft, sweet sentiment of Gracie, Folds has the whole audience in the palm of his lightning-quick hand.
Approximately halfway down the setlist, out comes the song he'll never record in the studio. He's played "Rock This Bitch" in close to 80 different styles, and keeps dreaming up more. He follows this up with his improbable cover of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit", much to the delight of the assembled crowd. A hush then falls as Reynolds and Jamieson leave the stage and a single spotlight illuminates the piano.
The familiar, bittersweet piano riff of "Brick" emerges: it seems that there are a few old favorites from the Ben Folds Five back catalog that haven't died out yet. "Lullabye" and "Kate" follow, then the rest of the band returns for a rendition of perennial favorite "Army". Recent single "Trusted" is next, and then a fourth face joins the band on stage - Hi-Hat Man. As Folds tells it, the band noticed a guy busking in Niagara Falls earlier that day, with nothing but a hi-hat and a great deal of talent. They invited him to perform with them on "Zak And Sara", in which Hi-Hat Man and Jamieson complement each other's playing seamlessly.
The inevitable comes and the show draws to its close, as the title track of the Folds debut offers several thousand people the opportunity to gleefully scream profanities. All that's left now is the encore, wherein Folds stands on the piano and teaches us all to sing the chord progression for the chorus of "Not The Same". Last but not least, another old favorite: "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces", ending with Folds picking up the piano stool and throwing it into the keys, with enough force to break the stool. Angry indeed, but quite the spectacle.
While the show doesn't quite have the spontaneity factor some artists offer, there's no denying that Folds gives his audience value for money: twenty-three songs, for a show over two hours in length. Now all that's left is the drive home.
Photo courtesy of WolfTrap.