Ben Folds Five, Phebe Starr @ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (16/11/2012)
You could say I have been a fan of Ben Folds Five for around two-thirds of my life. I can distinctly remember loving Brick whenever I heard it on the radio at age seven or eight. The song was a single from the bands 1997 album Whatever And Ever Amen. My mother bought the album for my father that year; however, it wasn't until several years later that I claimed the album for my own collection. Following the release of their third studio album, Ben Folds Five disbanded amicably in 2000 - meaning I never had the chance to see them in concert.
When Ben announced in late-2011 that he and drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge would reunite for a new album, to say I was excited was an understatement. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind was released in September this year, with an Australian tour for Harvest Festival scheduled soon after in November.
I saw Ben Folds Five at Harvest in Melbourne five days before their show at Adelaide's Thebarton Theatre, so I had some idea of what to expect. The night begun with Sydney musician Phebe Starr, performing solo with a keyboard. She was received well by the slowly growing crowd ― her sound could be likened to Little Birdy or the more upbeat moments of Kimbra's album.
Earlier in the evening I had been a little worried about the small size of the crowd, but by the time Ben Folds Five hit the stage, the theatre was close to full. As they have done for most of this tour, the band kicked off their set with Michael Praytor, Five Years Later ― my favourite track from the new record.
For the first eight songs of the set, the band more or less alternated between new songs and classic favourites like Jackson Cannery and Selfless, Cold and Composed. They followed this up with Landed (the only track from Ben Folds' solo catalouge of the night) and the now-famous improvisational song Rock This Bitch. This rendition referenced local landmarks such as the Clipsal 500, Glen Osmond, Mile End, and the "mean, mean streets of Port Noarlunga" ― all familiar to Ben from his time spent living in Adelaide during the early 2000s.
The second half the set focused more on the bands back catalogue, including Kate, Brick, Uncle Walter, Underground, and set-closer Army ― accompanied as usual with back-up vocals from the enthusiastic audience.
It didn't take long for the trio to return to the stage and launch into Song For The Dumped, to rapturous applause and a sing-along of "give me money back, you bitch" from the audience. The two-song encore ended all too soon with One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces.
Ben, Darren, and Robert perform together so perfectly that it is impossible to tell that they have only just begun touring collectively after a 12-year separation. It feels as though they never broke-up, and I am sure I'm not alone in hoping this reunion will be permanent. My only complaint of the night would be that they didn't play Battle Of Who Could Care Less. But there's always the next Australian tour, right?
Chelsea McIntyre
Check out our photos from the night here!
When Ben announced in late-2011 that he and drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge would reunite for a new album, to say I was excited was an understatement. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind was released in September this year, with an Australian tour for Harvest Festival scheduled soon after in November.
I saw Ben Folds Five at Harvest in Melbourne five days before their show at Adelaide's Thebarton Theatre, so I had some idea of what to expect. The night begun with Sydney musician Phebe Starr, performing solo with a keyboard. She was received well by the slowly growing crowd ― her sound could be likened to Little Birdy or the more upbeat moments of Kimbra's album.
Earlier in the evening I had been a little worried about the small size of the crowd, but by the time Ben Folds Five hit the stage, the theatre was close to full. As they have done for most of this tour, the band kicked off their set with Michael Praytor, Five Years Later ― my favourite track from the new record.
For the first eight songs of the set, the band more or less alternated between new songs and classic favourites like Jackson Cannery and Selfless, Cold and Composed. They followed this up with Landed (the only track from Ben Folds' solo catalouge of the night) and the now-famous improvisational song Rock This Bitch. This rendition referenced local landmarks such as the Clipsal 500, Glen Osmond, Mile End, and the "mean, mean streets of Port Noarlunga" ― all familiar to Ben from his time spent living in Adelaide during the early 2000s.
The second half the set focused more on the bands back catalogue, including Kate, Brick, Uncle Walter, Underground, and set-closer Army ― accompanied as usual with back-up vocals from the enthusiastic audience.
It didn't take long for the trio to return to the stage and launch into Song For The Dumped, to rapturous applause and a sing-along of "give me money back, you bitch" from the audience. The two-song encore ended all too soon with One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces.
Ben, Darren, and Robert perform together so perfectly that it is impossible to tell that they have only just begun touring collectively after a 12-year separation. It feels as though they never broke-up, and I am sure I'm not alone in hoping this reunion will be permanent. My only complaint of the night would be that they didn't play Battle Of Who Could Care Less. But there's always the next Australian tour, right?
Chelsea McIntyre
Check out our photos from the night here!