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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
This was one of the best concerts I have ever attended. Not only was the music spectacular, but Ben Folds was really involved with the audience. He even brought one guy on stage and let him sing a song while Ben played. He also would get the audience to sing along and sing harmonies. If you get the chance, GO to one of his concerts!!!
I admit I was a bit skeptical about seeing Ben Folds perform solo on piano without his bassist and drummer on his high-energy alternative pop songs and assumed he would perform only ballads. I wondered: Who will supply the amazing three-part harmony and vocal responses which have become the backbone for many of Ben Folds songs? My fears were put to rest quickly. The answer? The audience! There, within the confines of the intimate House of Blues Orlando concert hall, were about 1000 fans, nearly all of whom knew by heart, word-for-word, each and every one of the lyrics, ooo-ohs, ah-ah-ah-ahs, and claps. Perhaps the most impressive feat of audience participation was when the female members correctly sang each and every single tiny one-word line of Ben Folds duet in place of Regina Spektor: "said,” “head,” “what,” etc. without missing a beat. In addition, the audience was also treated to a rare performance of some of Ben Folds lesser known works: including “Alice Childress,” “Eddie Walker,” “All U Can Eat,” “Philosophy,” and “Bastard.” In addition, Folds played some of his larger hits, sans rock band, including “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” with an oddly intimate ending as Folds sang a cappella without the giant band in the background. Folds also played 1.6 unpublished songs he completed in order to fulfill a record contract, as well as two new songs he cowrote with novelist Nick Hornby who supplied lyrics, including, “Levi Johnston’s Blues” which brought the crowd to laughter with a line in the chorus about going out to shoot a moose.
Ben Folds is obviously a talented musician. He is also an incredible and engaging performer. He really interacts with the audience. He does more with a piano and a microphone than most bands do with a wide range of instruments and computers at hand.
I saw Ben last year at the Hard Rock Orlando with his backup band. This time, he was just with his piano and no backup band. A completely different experience but still brilliant. He has complete control over the audience (and they ate it up.) I've seen Ben 4 times now going back 1997 - never disappointed! You rock ben!
Ben Folds put on a great concert. He'd play a couple of songs, then talk to the crowd for a few minutes, and then do more songs and so on. That was the theme for the night, crowd interaction. At one point he even had a student come on stage and sing a song with him. Fantastic night.
Amazing piano playing, old stuff, new stuff, as one guy yelled out - Perfect!
The Ben Folds and a Piano show in Gainesville was awesome! Ben Folds is an amazing piano player with a great voice. His humor and wit create music with heart and soul as well as meaning. Ben Folds was interactive with the audience and had us singing harmonies. It was an awesome night!
First of all, I have been a huge fan of Ben for the better part of 10 years. Second, I will go see him any chance I get. While I was not too big a fan of the venue, I thought the concert was amazing. He even brought a fan on stage which was probably the most amazing part of the concert! He took requests from the audience (which got a little annoying after a while because the UF students wanted songs that were, to say the least, not his best in my opinion). Ben really puts on a great show and I look forward to seeing him perform again!
Ben Folds gives a wonderful performance and his skills as an amazing artist are on full display in this show!
Ben Folds is an incredible performer. He interacted with the audience and sang quick songs to excite the Gainesville audience. He played numerous songs from his new album, including "Levi Johnston's Blues" which was hilarious. For songs like Army, he asked the audience to sing harmonies and backing vocals, conducting on top of his piano. The crowd was laughing along with him; it was an unforgettable, enjoyable night.
He is a superb musician, as well as being casual, conversational, clever, and witty. He was full of surprises, and fun to watch.
just amazing. that is all i can say. I would see him again in a sec and recommend to anyone that loves piano or Ben Folds.
I've been a fan of BF for over 10 years now and this was my first chance to see him live. His performance was everything that I ever thought it would - and could - be. Seeing BF's enthusiasm for the crowd and his willingness to engage the audience and field requests was meaningful and intimate, and truly made the show worthwhile.
When just Ben Folds is on stage with his piano, you don't even notice that the band is missing. This show was absolutely awesome and really proved how great of a muscian Ben Folds has become.
Can't get any better than Ben Folds & a Piano... He tore it up!!
Ben Folds and a piano is exactly as the title suggests, just him and a piano. Don't let that scare you off, Ben Folds puts on a power house performance playing all of his favorites and a few improv tunes and with a little help from the audience he rocks the house just as well as any other full band would, or could. Ben Folds explains his songs and where they came from giving the concert a casual feel, an evening with Ben Folds, rather than him just playing one show after another. The audience participation also makes the show fun and leaves you feeling involved, especially if you know the songs. I will add that the Orlando House of Blues audience performance was surprisingly good.
Ben Folds is a genius, plain and simple. I was not a huge huge fan before, but now I can't get him out of my head. This was the best show I've ever been to, and I've been to quite a few shows. The venue was perfect, Ben was perfect, the audience loved him and so did I.
Ben Folds never fails to rock the piano! His showmanship and audience participation is unsurpassed! HOB was a great venue for his show, and we'll be back, again, and again, as every time we see him he only gets better! ROCKED!!!
This show was incredible! Ben rocked HOB! He is insanely smart and played for 2 hours.... the show was amazing.
awesome show! Ben Folds is a fantastic performer, even without the other 4
