While I can’t say I’m as big a fan as some of the others in the room, Ben Folds has been at the top of my “to see” list for quite some time, and not only did he not disappoint, but provided me with one of the most memorable evenings I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
Entering the Opera House on a Monday evening is certainly not a regular occurrence in this reviewer’s life – but I really couldn’t think of a better way to get the week off to a good start. And if they just happen to throw in a bit of Ben Folds along the way– well, I’m not complaining.
Indeed, Ben Folds has returned to our shores for the first time since 2007, playing solo in this, the first of 3 shows at the iconic venue.
Oh Mercy were given the honour of supporting Ben Folds this evening. Being asked to not only support an artist they admire, but to do so in the Opera House, was no doubt a thrill – and admittedly they looked a bit nervous, understandably so. But the crowd was kind, and the music was rather nice, standard, soft (indie) rock – or whatever you want to call it. I can’t say they catered to my particular musical taste, but they were a tight band, talented in their own right, who knew exactly what they were doing as a group, and the sound they were capable of. And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you can never go wrong with a bit of Harmonica, as displayed by the lead singer’s Bob Dylan moment.
Worth checking out, just nothing you haven’t seen or heard before.
But the sold out crowd was all here to see Mr. Folds, and after a short interval, he ran enthusiastically onto the stage, launching straight into “Free Coffee”, one of his many light-hearted numbers.
Hearing some of his better known tracks solo was an interesting experience – especially in the Opera House. Just Ben and his piano; the acoustics were truly something to marvel at. He’s a brilliant pianist, and he was able to display his skills in full during the set, delighting the crowd with often varied takes on his best known (and unknown) songs – and of course a good bit of (often hilarious) banter in between.
He is an entertainer, there is no doubt, but wasn’t solo for the entire set. He brought on a group of local bongo players to help him out on a few tracks, which only added to the relaxed atmosphere both on stage and in the 360 degrees of crowd surrounding him (probably not the best venue to pick, he noted, after recently putting his neck out).
While “Rockin’ the Suburbs” made an almost-surprising appearance, finishing off the main set along with “Army”, fan favourite “Brick” didn’t make the cut. “Zac and Sarah” was given the honour of finishing up the show, and “Landed” proved to be the song we were all singing when we left the venue, despite an early appearance. It’s just that good. Other highlights included the “Bitch Went Nuts (Alternate Version),” “All You Can Eat”, a goosebump-enducing cover of Iron & Wine’s “Such Great Heights” (which he put together for Triple J’s Like a Version), and a brand new track called “Levi Johnston’s Blues” – a song written by Nick Hornby (who he is currently collaborating with), about the kid who got Sarah Palin’s daughter pregnant. Stealing lyrics directly from the guy’s Myspace (regarding drinking, killing Mooses and what not…) was pure genius, and I can’t wait to hear the final version.
There was plenty of audience involvement in this show as well, with some tracks requiring our backing vocals (replacing female support on the recording), “Rocking the Suburbs” resulted in the crowd chanting “Fuck” over and over again – possibly a first at the venue? Certainly lovingly out of place, in any case. And finally, the first track of the encore involved the sold out crowd becoming a chorus – Ben embarking in an ambitious three part harmony. The result was pure beauty – this country has (seriously) never sounded so good. And with every man, woman and child deeply wrapped up in Ben Fold’s spell, they ALL sung their part, and it honestly gave me the sort of experience of community I’ll never forget. But then again, anyone can sound good in that room.
While I can’t say I’m as big a fan as some of the others in the room, Ben Folds has been at the top of my “to see” list for quite some time, and not only did he not disappoint, but provided me with one of the most memorable evenings I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. And indeed, it was more than a concert – Ben, with just a piano by his side (do you really need anything more? Well, aside from bongos of course…) made it an experience – one I won’t soon forget.
