Ben Folds: A New Hope

by Jack Douglass

I think there’s hope for music yet.

Two nights ago I attended the Ben Folds concert in Bender Arena (at American University in Washington, D.C.). This was my first true concert experience since I was dragged to a Vince Gill/Amy Grant performance about, oh, five years ago, so I was naturally excited.

However, I didn’t know what to expect as I had only heard a few of his songs. I went with my girlfriend (who is a huge fan) to the crowded gymnasium full of other excited students. We sat through the opening act, a hilarious Meatloaf look-alike named Corn Mo who rocked “Free Bird” on his…wait for it… accordion. Finally, after numerous “WHERE IS BEN” jeers, the main attraction stepped onto the stage.

For three people, the band produced a deceivingly big sound. All the stage provided was drums, piano, bass guitar, and a synthesizer. Plus, Ben himself didn’t seem like much to me; he dressed ordinarily and wore unflattering glasses. But as soon as he started “Trusted,” all my judgments were blown away. These guys could PLAY.

Each chord filled the gym, and the melodies flowed in an unpredictable yet addictive style. The lyrics, too, weren’t just catchy but meant something. The band sang (yes, both bass and drums, too) about love, death, “what could have been,” trivial everyday situations, and everything in-between. Some of the highlights included “Zak and Sara,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” and of course, “Bitches Ain’t Shit.”

What got me, though, was the crowd’s enthusiasm. As I looked around, I saw seas of heads bopping in time with the occasional arm in the air. My girlfriend screamed the lyrics with the band, and the guy in front of me had to be in some supernatural trance judging by how he moved. Once “Bitches Ain’t Shit” began, the mostly-white audience happily sang along, and I couldn’t stop laughing.

I forgot what concerts were all about; sure, the music itself was phenomenal, and the few songs I recognized were played exactly the same way as I had heard on the CD. But what it boils down to is the experience of hearing the band live and getting swept away by it all. These people were so passionate about Ben Folds, and what gets me is that his music is so great that I just don’t see it as “concert” music. But this is a good thing; it gives me hope that people are getting pumped about actual music. When I think of a concert, I think of heavy drums, lead guitar, and an obnoxious lead singer playing an FM radio favorite. Ben Folds broke that stereotype for me because his instrument of choice is the piano (and he’s damn good at it). I had this previous thought that music was going downhill, and I’ve long ago stopped listening to the radio. Now, thanks to this concert, things are looking up.

(Check below for Ben Folds and his band performing a live cover of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit.")



Ben Folds
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