Ben Folds, former singer/songwriter of Ben Folds Five will perform at 8 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium today as part of his first-ever solo tour.
Although his entire top-40 career consists of one song, Ben Folds has had a large presence in the music scene for many years. Folds, along with Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee made up the Chapel Hill, N.C. trio Ben Folds Five in 1994. One year later the group released their self-titled debut album. Led by pianist/singer Folds, the guitar-less band was known for its unique musical styles, most notably for using a piano as the driving instrument.
After the success of their debut, the post-grunge band picked up a strong following and put out albums with off-the-wall titles such as "Naked Baby Photos," "Whatever and Ever Amen" and "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner."
In addition to having diverse musical styles and catchy hooks, their lyrics cover the entire spectrum of themes. The only Ben Folds Five single to break the pop charts was "Brick," a slow, provocative ballad about the effects of abortion.
Also on "Whatever" was the rough-edged "Song for the Dumped," an offbeat and precise break-up tangent, in which he informs his ex-girlfriend, "I wish I hadn't bought you dinner right before you dumped me on your front porch."
The social commentary "Kate Army" is the fictional story of a man who wants to join the army but instead wastes his life away by joining an unsuccessful band and working at fast-food restaurants.
In Oct. 2000, the members decided that the band had run its course and they wanted to pursue other musical interests.
Ben Folds' individual style remains largely the same as that expressed in the trio. The same blend of satire and thoughtful lyrics are evident in the pianist's first solo project, "Rockin' The Suburbs," though many of the songs focus on transition. In a LiveDaily interview, Folds explained that the album was written "from the perspective of the realization that no matter how far you think you've come, you've still got [issues] to deal with."
"Rockin'" was recorded in a church in Adelaide, Australia and, although Folds has begun to branch out by using new instruments, the piano is still at the core of his sound. While Folds experiments with some more adventuresome topics, the themes of unrequited live and heartbreak are still prevalent.
In a note to his fans, he said his album contains "singing, piano, songs, instruments, beats. Distorted basses, some slap basses. A power ballad here and there. Short drum solos. There's some acoustic guitar, some electric guitar. Songs that speed up and slow down. Words about what I'm thinking about. There are elbows on pianos" In other words, there's a little of everything on his solo album.
The title track to this release, a spoof of the current rock music scene, delivers a blow-by-blow account of the troubles of a white, middle-class singer: "I'm rocking the suburbs, just like Michael Jackson did. I'm rocking the suburbs, except that he was talented."
The same lyrical honesty of "Brick" is felt in the single "Still Fighting It," an ode to raising his twins. Folds sings disappointedly, "everybody knows it sucks to grow up."
Following the breakup of his band, Folds moved to Australia with his wife and two children. In addition to his album, Folds has written, recorded and produced songs for the films "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "100 Girls."
Folds also covered the Beatles' "Golden Slumbers" on the "I Am Sam" soundtrack released earlier this year. The inspired version displayed Folds' dynamic and quick finger work.
Chapel Hill friends Snooz (guitar/keyboard), Millard (bass), and Jim Bogios on drums will join Folds on stage. The tour will hit small venues and theaters in the States before returning to Australia in April. Folds completed the first leg of his tour in October. The shows were hailed with rave reviews for their energy and emotion.
Folds does, however, explore new ground by breaking out silly freestyle raps and singing an '80s hair band version of "Brick." He even plays a few Ben Folds Five tunes in the encore. The encore has frequently featured Ben alone at his piano with no one else on stage.
