Fantastic
by Gina on 10/5/23The Paramount - HuntingtonRating: 5 out of 5Ben’s shows are always amazing and this one did not disappoint. Great venue, great musician.

No more results on this page
Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation.
He's created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. His last album was a blend of pop songs and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra that soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts.
For over a decade he's performed with some of the world's greatest symphony orchestras, and currently serves as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.
Folds released his first book - a collection of interrelated essays, anecdotes and lessons about art, life and music - in 2019, which debuted as a New York Times Best Seller, and is currently hosting a podcast series spinoff of his book entitled "Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds." In addition to solo rock and orchestral touring, he's also developing a new unscripted tv series with Fred Rogers Productions, continues to appear in various film/tv guest starring roles, and is working on two new albums.
An avid photographer, Folds is also a member of the prestigious Sony Artisans of Imagery, has worked as an assignment photo editor for National Geographic, and was featured in a mini-documentary by the Kennedy Center's Digital Project on his photographic work.
An outspoken champion for arts education and music therapy funding in our nation's public schools, has served for over five years as an active member of the distinguished Artist Committee of Americans For The Arts (AFTA), and serves on the Board of AFTA's Arts Action Fund. He also served as Chairman of the Arts Action Fund's ArtsVote2020 national initiative that encouraged voter engagement in the 2020 US elections, and continually advocates for improving public policies for the arts and arts education.
Set 1:
Intermission
Encore
Encore
Encore
Ben’s shows are always amazing and this one did not disappoint. Great venue, great musician.
Ben Folds was amazing!! His grand piano playing was impeccable and his telling of stories before the songs was quite a treat and entertaining! We've seen him with a band and with an orchestra and this was just so special! His concert is a must see!
Absolutely loved seeing Ben Folds again! It has been years but this venue made it amazing. Of course, Ben Folds is awesome, felt like I was chatting with a friend. Just him & his piano & me. 😊
Ben was great. Played a mix of new songs and favorites. 18 songs in a tight 90 minutes. Venue was great, too. Good sight lines and easy bar access.
I had heard he was touring with a band but I was pleasantly surprised that it was just him and a piano though I'm sure he's great with a band too!! Fantastic show! The audience participatory parts of the gig were a highlight as well as the new stuff and some old gems! I wouldn't wish a bad break up on anyone, but the man has literally made a career out of them! Great songs! Great show!
Ben always puts on a great show. Enjoyed hearing his song writing process for many of his new songs. Music was amazing and stories were great. Amazing time. Great venue. Couldn’t believe how close I was to the stage. Great crowd, several women were singing background vocals in the audience and they sounded like a choir. Great night. Ben played a great mix of old and new songs. Great experience.
An excellent show in an excellent space. He combined his new tracks (and the thinking behind their creation) with many classics. After he realized that the audience was definitely up for participation, he broke out in singalong style. “Kate,” “Army,” and other BF5 hits were done with pure joy to round out the show. Definitely worth it.
Fantastic show, great support, and a beautiful venue. I could've done with Ben's voice being slightly louder front of house, but that was only occasionally. Incredible musicians, and a really great night out. Ben is a wonderful raconteur, and I'll make sure to see him again as soon as possible.
Wow. Just. Wow. Tall Heights was AMAZING too!! Was worth every penny. Thanks Ben and co!
We got hooked on Ben Folds' live shows because he is enthusiastic and energetic every single time. This was no exception. After seeing a solo show a few years back, and then a show with the Portland Symphony last year, this one fell somewhere in between as far as presentation, and was the best of all of those good shows. He played the entire night with the two musicians from Tall Heights (cello and guitar, his opening act) and also a drummer, bassist, and harmonica player. It was more like the Ben Folds Five days, but more polished. Lots from the new album, many of the classics, one improvisational song . . . still a master of piano, still hitting all the high notes, still tearing the place down. Great show.
This is my 7th time seeing Ben Folds (or Ben Folds Five) over the past 25 years and he is truly my favorite musician. Overall, his most mellow show - maybe he's showing some age and maturity? Music was good as always - his band was very good, but didn't add much. The harmonica player had some nice moments and the Tall Heights band added some nice harmonies, but over all it felt just a little off from his normal energy. I will forever and always see him when he comes to town, but this felt a little off.
Boring AF and the people there were super grumpy. Won't go see him again. Venue is fantastic, and the staff were awesome.
I have long loved Ben Folds. He is a great musician and songwriter and I love his sense of humor. Tall Heights were.an interesting opening act and provided a perfect backup band for his show as well. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Eight songs from new album? Most would hate that, but I have the album, it’s fantastic, so I loved it. Great band too. Just do NOT park on street, some homie broke into car, $450 for new glass.
Tall Heights was an excellent opening act and perfect for his band. Harmonies, cello, varied guitar sounds... all splendid Ben was witty and brilliant as ever!! Awesome sound. What Matters Most was the theme of the entire evening. Loved it! Best show of 2023.
Ben Folds was hilarious and brilliant as usual. His back up band was incredible. He played his new album, which had some good songs and he hit some old solo stuff. No Ben Folds Five songs were played, which was a bummer. However, he has such great solo stuff that it was still a fantastic show.
Hearing Ben Folds on the radio in the mid-90's can only mean one thing... You are old like me! Seeing Ben live has been on my bucket list for 25. A great show by a great artist.
The opening guys (Tall Heights) were so wonderful and then the way they meshed with Ben throughout the night, along with the rest of the musicians-it was truly one of the best shows I’ve been to in a while. It was a complete 180 than the vibe Ben put on in Dubuque earlier this year. That was just him on the piano, which is always a fantastic time, just different than the Cedar Rapids show. Definitely a fun evening with some extremely talented individuals all working together and having a good time. :) supposed to be outside. I was miffed when they moved it indoors but the weather forecast was stormy and it was hot and humid so the air conditioning was nice. Plus, we were so close to Ben! ;)
I have been a Ben Folds fan for decades now...the addition of Tall Heights as the backup band, along with the audience participation made for a well-crafted performance. Ben seems to always know when to balance a soulful ballad off against a rocking rant. Loved it!
I didn't know too much about Ben's program and I originally thought it would be with the orchestra but ended up being him solo, so things happen. I would have preferred the larger ensemble. He is VERY talented in writing and playing the piano, but I would have enjoyed less profanity and a little less talking, more music. We had a long interruption due to a failure in a part of the piano but the techs worked it out while we had an extra beverage. Again, things happen I'll look forward to seeing him again but with the orchestra. The facility is wonderful and I appreciate the efforts in keeping it up to the level it is.