Ben Folds @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre (22/05/2011)
'It's raining in Adelaide'. The line from Ben Folds' 2006 ode to the capital of South Australia, and his home for a brief period of time, definitely rang true on the night of his concert at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre. Nevertheless, the cold, wet and windy weather couldn't put a dampener on the joy I felt about finally seeing Folds in concert again since he was last here in 2006. Although Folds in no longer a resident of Adelaide, his fans here will always think of him as practically a local, and he seems to have held a special place in his heart for Adelaide.
At almost 8:30 on the dot, Folds and his four-piece band made their way onto the stage, all looking like a regular bunch of guys who could have just as easily been playing a gig down at the local pub. At a Ben Folds gig there are no unnecessary frills or wacky costumes - it's just all about the music. Folds kicked the night off with Lonely Avenue track Levi Johnston's Blues, a hilarious ode to the former fiancé of Bristol Palin (daughter of Sarah).
An early highlight of the set came in the form of a cover - Ke$ha's song Sleazy, no less. Folds explained that before the tour begun, they had picked the song currently at number one on iTunes to be their cover song for the duration of the journey. Folds and his band achieved what seemed like the impossible by making the song sound amazing. Seriously, if you don't believe me, Youtube it.
Crowd participation is always a part of Ben Folds' concerts, and tonight the audience was recorded along with the band while we sung the 'ahhh ahhh' harmonies of Not The Same. Folds is hoping to include a live version of the song on a retrospective in the future and thought it would fitting if that version could be from Adelaide, just down the road from the studio where the track was originally recorded.
Naturally, the song that received the most rapturous audience response was Adelaide. Shortly after, Folds' invited support act Kate Miller-Heidke on stage to accompany him with her beautifully haunting vocals for From Above and You Don't Know Me.
There was an interlude where his band left the stage and Folds performed several songs solo including Ben Folds Five most well-known track Brick, and an improvised version of Rock This Bitch, referencing Adelaide and the importance of using good manners when requesting songs at a concert. When the band returned to the stage, we were treated to more of the amazing songs from both Ben Folds solo career, including Zak and Sara and Landed, and the Ben Folds Five catalogue, with Kate and Army.
It seems that encores have become requisite at most concerts, regardless of whether the audience is cheering loudly or not. However, from the roar of the crowd when Folds left the stage, his returning for an encore was definitely warranted. Instead of returning straight to the piano, Folds took to the drums for an improvised percussion solo with some of his band members. Showing his talent as a lyricist, Folds once again came up with some amusing on-the-spot words to go with their "syncopated white-boy beats". Back at the piano, Folds and his band closed the show with two more Ben Folds Five songs, Philosophy and Theme From Dr. Pyser.
Although Folds performed for around two hours, the concert seemed to end far too soon. Folds' energetic performances, note-perfect voice, and playful personality make his concerts an event that should not be missed. I just hope it's not another five years before he's back performing in Adelaide... on a plane, far from the United States of LA.
Chelsea McIntyre
At almost 8:30 on the dot, Folds and his four-piece band made their way onto the stage, all looking like a regular bunch of guys who could have just as easily been playing a gig down at the local pub. At a Ben Folds gig there are no unnecessary frills or wacky costumes - it's just all about the music. Folds kicked the night off with Lonely Avenue track Levi Johnston's Blues, a hilarious ode to the former fiancé of Bristol Palin (daughter of Sarah).
An early highlight of the set came in the form of a cover - Ke$ha's song Sleazy, no less. Folds explained that before the tour begun, they had picked the song currently at number one on iTunes to be their cover song for the duration of the journey. Folds and his band achieved what seemed like the impossible by making the song sound amazing. Seriously, if you don't believe me, Youtube it.
Crowd participation is always a part of Ben Folds' concerts, and tonight the audience was recorded along with the band while we sung the 'ahhh ahhh' harmonies of Not The Same. Folds is hoping to include a live version of the song on a retrospective in the future and thought it would fitting if that version could be from Adelaide, just down the road from the studio where the track was originally recorded.
Naturally, the song that received the most rapturous audience response was Adelaide. Shortly after, Folds' invited support act Kate Miller-Heidke on stage to accompany him with her beautifully haunting vocals for From Above and You Don't Know Me.
There was an interlude where his band left the stage and Folds performed several songs solo including Ben Folds Five most well-known track Brick, and an improvised version of Rock This Bitch, referencing Adelaide and the importance of using good manners when requesting songs at a concert. When the band returned to the stage, we were treated to more of the amazing songs from both Ben Folds solo career, including Zak and Sara and Landed, and the Ben Folds Five catalogue, with Kate and Army.
It seems that encores have become requisite at most concerts, regardless of whether the audience is cheering loudly or not. However, from the roar of the crowd when Folds left the stage, his returning for an encore was definitely warranted. Instead of returning straight to the piano, Folds took to the drums for an improvised percussion solo with some of his band members. Showing his talent as a lyricist, Folds once again came up with some amusing on-the-spot words to go with their "syncopated white-boy beats". Back at the piano, Folds and his band closed the show with two more Ben Folds Five songs, Philosophy and Theme From Dr. Pyser.
Although Folds performed for around two hours, the concert seemed to end far too soon. Folds' energetic performances, note-perfect voice, and playful personality make his concerts an event that should not be missed. I just hope it's not another five years before he's back performing in Adelaide... on a plane, far from the United States of LA.
Chelsea McIntyre