Singer and pianist Ben Folds grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, listening to the music of Billy Joel and Elton John. By the time Ben Folds began playing on his own, his soft, lilting piano music and thoughtful, often whimsical lyrics separated him from the grunge-influenced music of the mid-1990s. Despite its apparent musical accessibility, his work typically contained the sarcasm, conflicted self-doubt, and angst of a good punk song. This attitude could often be found in his titles, from Ben Folds Five’s 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen to that disc’s first hit, Battle of Who Could Care Less. During this time, Ben Folds gained a reputation as an energetic performer who put on a lengthy stage show and stayed on tour in support of his music. His hard work finally paid off when Brick, a touching song about a teenage girl getting an abortion the day after Christmas, became his breakthrough hit, reaching number seventeen on the Billboard charts.
When Ben Folds Five disbanded in 2001, the leader struck out on his own, experimenting with a variety of musical styles and playing with a host of disparate artists that ran the gamut from “Weird Al” Yankovic to the Nashville Symphony (on his 2015 album So There). In 2012, Ben Folds Five reunited to record The Sound of the Life of the Mind, which reached number ten on the album charts. Through it all, Ben Folds has kept his hard-to-define place in alternative pop music by blending the easygoing tempo of a 1970s AM radio staple with the introspective yet troubled lyrics of punk rock’s best to establish an easily identifiable sound in today’s music world. Score with TicketCity - the place to go for Ben Folds Tickets.
Ben Folds So There Tour
Like so many rock and pop stars before him, Ben Folds has turned to classical music to showcase his musical chops, but few of them are such a natural fit. Touring to promote his 2015 release So There, Ben Folds’ soft piano playing and gentle voice blend smoothly with the strings and woodwind instruments of yMusic, a six-piece ensemble. Intact are Ben Folds’ sarcasm, introspection, and salty language that make his live performance a dichotomous construction of styles that work together seamlessly. Fans used to buying tickets to see Ben either alone with his piano or in a traditional pop-rock venue will have to prepare themselves for slightly nicer concert halls and an ensemble of well-dressed and classically trained musicians crowding him on stage. Still, they will experience several of Ben Folds’ best-known songs and concert staples, but shouldn’t be surprised if he takes a tour through Bach or Brahms, as well as his own classically styled compositions like Not a Fan and Long Way to Go. Fans have lauded these concerts as unique pop experiences, keeping doubters about the validity of pop and classical music as a combined art for at bay. As Ben Folds might say, “So there.”