Crónicas de Ben Folds en Schermerhorn Symphony Center

4....... 3 ......... 2 .......... 1, i am letting you go. Ben Folds and the NSO

Sun 7 Sep – Ben Folds, Nashville Symphony Orchestra

ONE. Our hotel in freakin Nashville. SWANKY ASS AWESOME! TWO plasma screen tvs... a swanky bathroom (you knew it had to be when the bowl is above the countertop and there's no real shower curtain, and it's one of those waterfall kind.) and two awesome beds, and a couch/living area. it was swanky. and cheap-ish. thank you william shatner!!

then the next morning we did some sight seeing. and for some reason on benventures i have this knack of being awake first. only on vacations. i swear. saw the Parthenon and the studio and other ben related locales.

we met up with lynn and frank for sushi. it was delish. though, both brooke and i read the menu wrong. whooopsises.

then we headed over for the show. the show was good times.
though, brooke was hoping the show wouldn't start the same as the waso dvd. well. it did.

Zak and Sara

Smoke

All U Can Eat
Ascent of Stan

Landed

Fred Jones Part 2

Gracie

Jesusland (with a choir, see below)

Cologne (with Jared and Sam and other choir members... and Ben mentioned that the song wasn't supposed to be on the album in the first place and after they made the orchestra version and then blew the video budget on it and then added it to the album) --- PS THIS WAS AWESOME!

Effington (Choir sang on this one too)

One Down (solo)

Not the Same (which Ben didn't play the piano in at all, just sang it)

Steven's Last Night in Town

Narcolepsy (with a tenor)

Encore:

The Luckiest

Cologne was AMAZING. just. Amazing. I dunno if I'll like the song stripped down when we get the album.

SPEAKING OF. after the show we scuttled on over to Starbucks. and the guy behind the counter was letting us know that we just made it before they closed. And chatted a bit about what we might be celebrating... and told him that we just were at the Ben Folds NSO gig. And he chatted to us about Cologne and how the song sounds different on the real album. And as he was showing us out, he mentioned to us that he knew Sam. Oh we said. And he said that Sam and him used to play in a band together. DUH The Comfies. WTF?! There was Ben A Harper (not to be confused with the other one) serving us at a Starbucks! He also informed us that Ben has to pay for his coffee there. all around a good guy.

Ben Folds w/the Nashville Symphony (27/15)

Sun 7 Sep – Ben Folds, Nashville Symphony Orchestra

it was beyond amazing. the opener was the symphony and they did some greats, classical, american folk (steven foster), and then an amaaazing beatles medley. kel you would have dieeeed! the conductor was wonderful, a funny old dude who wore comfy shoes who didn't match.

so i think the easiest way to do this is to just go song by song in the setlist.

1. zak and sara - opened JUST like the dvd. piano wasn't up high enough so we missed out on that.
2. SMOKE. just like WASO, brilliant as ever.
3. all you can eat - the audience got a kick out of this one. they were tee-heeing.
4. Ascent of Stan - loverly! just like WASO
5. Landed - first brand new one we heard! so wondrous.
6. FJ II - same as always. would have liked to hear something different.
7. Gracie - he told the cute story of the twins birth and the arrangement fit perfectly.
8. Jesusland - a choir came out! Sam and Jared included! Bad sound mixing though, could barely hear them.
9. COLOGNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE. We were the first ones to see this one live, eva! Choir stuck around and it was incredibly powerful. Ben did say this song was not originally part of the record, but then the music video came along.
10. Effington - there is an orchestral arrangement?! Who knew?! Ben finally figured out the real name of the town is Effingham, lol.
11. One Down (solo)
12. Not the Same. Ben played NO piano, he stood up and sang instead, and did his usual 'Ahh-ahh' stuff.
13. STEVEN'S - just like WASO but amaaaazing.
14. Narco - also just like WASO, tenor and all. But again, sound was fucked up and we couldn't hear him at all at first.
15. Luckiest

Aneela had the BEEEEEST seat in the house. Front row right in front of the stool.

Fleur was seated one row behind Mel, and Joe Costa.

And that was it! It was kind of evil, he came back around to bow (through the opposite door we were not expecting) and took another bow but no more songs. The lighting (which cost at least 400k we figured out, ask Allison...) and orchestra really made it seem like there was going to be one more. So really, that and the sound mess-ups were the only down parts. Of course, the three year wait and the drive were more than well worth it. Oh, Ben seemed to have some trouble hitting some notes tonight too.

THEN after that we went to Starbucks, and it turns out the guy who worked there...is in The Comfies! Benjamin A. Harper. Haaaa. He told us to "watch out for Sam." "You know Sam Smith?' "Yah we were in the Comfies..." "WHAT?!" LOL. What the fuck are the odds of that?