 "I'm sure back home they think I've lost my mind." -- Ben Folds Five
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2002-06-18 - 10:21 a.m. I just got home from seeing BEN!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! This will most likely be long and consist of me screaming "BEN!!" several times, so if you're not a huge Ben fan, then, well first of all, what the hell is wrong with you?? Have you never seen this man??? Have you never heard this man??? He's a genius!! Second of all, yeah, if you don't wanna hear it, well that's your warning. :) So, I drove to Charlotte yesterday morning, leaving around 7 am. It took about 3 hours to get there and I went straight to the music hall where the concert was going to be to attempt to get my tickets early. I'd already ordered my ticket on-line, but you had to pick it up day of the show. When I got there, no one was there, so I went and got a hotel room. My mom had driven up with me, because I wanted my mommy to see Ben, too. She's been subjected to being forced to listen to his CD's since 1997, therefore she knows all his songs, and I have sucessfully brainwashed her into the Ben cult, even if she tries to deny it. We all know it's true. Anyway, after we got to the hotel, we called the venue to ask when we could pick up my ticket. The lady told us that we could pick up tickets at 7 pm and that there were some tickets still available at the door. So, we walked around the mall in town for a bit, then came back to the hotel and took a nap, got up around 3, changed and were at the venue at 5pm. There was a small crowd of fellow fanatics already there, and I was able to buy a ticket for my mom. If anyone was there, I was the girl in the Moulin Rouge shirt with her mommy. :) So, we sat around for 2 hours until I was able to get my on-line ticket, and then we had to get lined up outside the door. Luckily, since we'd gotten there so early, we were near the front of the line with the other Ben Folds dorks. At about 7:30 pm, still standing outside, suddenly piano music started playing and then a voice followed and IT WAS BEN!! He was practicing!! We could hear him!! If you were the stupid people standing in front of me who were talking during this time, I would like to say that I AM NOT sorry for shushing you!! IT WAS BEN, DAMMIT! HOW DARE YOU TALK WHILE BEN IS PRACTICING!! Anyway, the practice songs were a merged medley of "Fred Jones Pt. 2" and "Zak and Sara". Finally, we got inside. The venue was a standing room only kind of thing and most people immediately ran up to the stage, but there was a small set of bleachers in the back of the club and we went and sat in the top row. I figured I could make my way up to the front when Ben came on-stage, and sit while the opener played. Plus, it was a really great view of the stage. It wasn't too far to the back and if you stood up, you could see over everyone else. We sat for a little while, waiting for the Divine Comedy to come on-stage. But... But, but, but... But they never came on-stage. Because someone else opened for Ben. Someone totally unexpected... Someone named DARREN JESSEE!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! As soon as I saw him walk on-stage, I realized who it was and started screaming "DARREN JESSEE!! OH-MY-GOD!! IT'S DARREN JESSEE!!!!" People sitting near me looked at me like I'd totally lost my mind. Obviously, these people are only RTS fans and did not realize that, in the world of Ben fanaticism, Darren Jessee is one of the original apostles. Anyway, Darren was there. He had a band. They played "Emilia Bright"!!! I was so excited! They also played several other songs, said it was only their 3 show ever, and thanked everyone for being patient and letting them play. It was so awesome. I was really diasppointed in the crowd, though. I was the only person in the entire bleachers standing up, and most of the people on the floor were talking during his set. However, me being the only person standing up and cheering did afford me Darren Jessee making eye contact with me several times! WOO HOO!! Darren Jessee knows that I'm alive!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! So, yeah, I GOT TO SEE 2/3 of Ben Folds Five in one night!! Anyway, after Darren's set, we waited for the stage crew to set up for Ben and Darren walked right past me! To the people below me, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for almost knocking you over so that I could chase Darren Jessee. And also, I'm sorry that I made you move so I could come back to my seat after I lost him in the crowd, only to see him again and almost knock you over again to chase him (again). I'm sorry. I have a problem, okay?? I love Darren, OKAY??? GIVE ME A BREAK!! *ahem* Sadly, try as I may, I was never successful in catching Darren, though I did make quite a fool of myself running after him through the club. If the place wasn't so damn crowded! That man is so cool, too. He just disappears in the crowd... So, I got back to my seat just in time to see Ben come on-stage. He promptly went to his piano and started playing "Eddie Walker", which most of the crowd didn't know, because like i said before, they only came to hear "Rockin' the Suburbs". He then went right into "Zac and Sara", and the crowd went crazy. After that, he explained that the show was being recored for a live album, said it was good to be back in the south, and played some more. Here's the complete setlist, with notes added in: Eddie Walker Zak and Sara Annie Waits The Luckiest (during this song, I used a nearby fan's cell phone to call Adam and scream "I'M AT BEN FOLDS!! I'M AT BEN FOLDS!!!! LISTEN!! *holds phone up so he can hear part of the song* DID YOU HEAR??" "Yeah? I can barely hear you..." "I'M AT BEN FOLDS!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!" "When are you coming home, I tried to call you yest--" "I'M AT BEN FOLDS!!!!" "When are you coming hom--" "BEN FOLDS!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!" "When--" "BYE!" I'm sure back home they think I've lost my mind. continuing with the set list: One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces (Ben did a rap at the beginning of this song -- hilarious!) Stage banter in which Ben talked about how he had a contract to write 12 songs a year, but had only written like 7 songs, so he decided to "shit out" something just to turn in to fulfill the contract, then played two of the songs that he "shit out": The Secret Life of Morgan Davis One Down Some armchair (fan list) people had presented him with a plaque beforehand, which he also read before "Morgan Davis". It had a poem about cream of wheat on it. Heh. continuing with set list: The Ascent of Stan Philosophy, with Theme from Dr. Pyser incorporated into the end (AWESOME!) Then, he said that the next one was for the recording, and that he'd attempted it 3 times already, but fell on his ass, and asked us to pray for him that he'd get it right this time. He then stood up, folded his hands as if praying and bent towards the piano, sat down and played "Narcolepsy" absolutely perfectly... unbelievable... Next was "Army", with the crowd divided in half to do the sax and french horn parts, and Ben telling us to "make Darren and Robert proud!"). He also changed the ending to "I've been thinkin' a lot today. Y'all been drinkin' a lot today... I thought about... *laughs* your mommmy!" Then, he did "Fred Jones Pt. 2" Selfless, Cold and Composed Kate (with crowd going crazy for this one) Rockin' The Suburbs (which he introduced by saying, "This is a song that I wrote for my friends in the band Korn") Not the Same (had audience do 3 part harmony, singing the "AHHHHH-AHHHH!" part -- He coached us on the part and we practiced a few times until we got it right, him adding, "No, no, more high-pitched, drunken high note toward the end!") For the encore, he did: EMALINE!!!!!! (AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!) The stupid people beside me GOT UP AND LEFT during this song, and let me tell you, I was VERY offended! NO ONE LEAVES DURING EMALINE! What the hell were those people thinking??? He then did... EVAPORATED (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!) And finally, he did "Song For the Dumped" (which he explained the band thought would be a huge hit, but wasn't as big as they thought it would be because radio stations complained that if it was a sad/angry song, it should have been written in the minor key, so he played what he called the "director's cut" of how it *should* (sarcastic) have been written, in the minor key. Audience participation was encouraged... everyone sang along, especially the "FUCK YOU, TOO!" part...) He then had a mock fight with the piano, and ended by throwing his stool at the keys, crowd going nuts... Absolutely unbelieveable experience. I am now addicted and want to go to another show! I'll be working on that soon... For those of you who have not yet checked out Ben Folds, I will again pose the question: What the hell is wrong with you???? You now have no more excuses! I can die happy now. :) the forest - the trees - randomness 
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