Marc
It's been a weird weekend. I came back to the apartment after a prolonged absence to discover, much to my delight, that we were going to be the proud host of a keg-party. Yippy ... Just enough people showed up to make it free. For the first time in a quite a few years we abandoned the notion of a "free party", but we only charged $2 a cup. Them's not bad prices now, is they?
I spent the latter half of Saturday night shaving Jesse's head, which then lead to many muffled sobs and meaningful hugs and so forth. I had written about the whole episode a bit, but deemed it inappropriate and deleted. Just know that I spent a good portion of the night crying like a big old sissy. I cannot see people that I love break down with out breaking down myself. Some call it a fault. I call it compassion.
So now, here I am, on a Monday afternoon, with nothing to do, still wondering why no one else is writing. Their loss, I guess. It doesn't seem like all that many people have stopped reading, so I guess that means you guys don't necessarily hate me, which I'm taking a sign to keep going. Is that okay with you?
Good, then. Let's proceed.
If you were a Ben Folds Five fan, you are obligated -- nay, bound by honor to pick up their Sessions At West 54th DVD. Its really incredibly good. It must have been taped right after the Whatever and Ever, Amen album, but they still did a healthy mix of both those songs and ones off their first disc. Its hard to explain how incredibly talented that band was. No one can rock on a piano quite like Mr. Folds does, and although I've have trouble taking his solo album out of heavy rotation, I'm perfectly comfortable saying that anything he produces in the near future will be hard pressed to hold a candle to his previous band. One, they just plain old rock and roll. Darren Jesse plays incredibly tight, hard rock drumbeats but is willing to tone it down when called upon to do so. Robert Sledge has the best distorted bass sound I've ever heard, and is so deft at hiding just how good he really is. You hardly notice how often he's keeping up with the rolling piano rhythym notes, but if you pay close attention, you hear him cascading just as often as Ben Folds. Two, they had an urgency about them, which is something that many people don't recognize. By the time their last album came out, they'd lost that little edge a bit, which is why I believe many people gave up on them. But, you can't look me straight in the eye and tell me that even their light-hearted songs like "Kate" and "Steven's Last Night In Town" didn't have a certain something to them that just made you want to scream and bop all over the room. Come on now, you know I'm right. Three, and lastly, they were by far the best live band around at that particular time. They were tight, funny, and incredibly agile in the use of their instruments. Folds uses his feet and forearms just as often as a lineman does in a football game. Going a little far, you say? Maybe. Those were good times. If Zook ever shows back up, maybe he can tell us all about how we went to see them play at the Vic in Chicago. We didn't even know each other, really, but that didn't stop us. That band had the ability to bring people together, and they are sorely missed.
I'm going to get off my pedestal now. Thank you for reading.
It's been a weird weekend. I came back to the apartment after a prolonged absence to discover, much to my delight, that we were going to be the proud host of a keg-party. Yippy ... Just enough people showed up to make it free. For the first time in a quite a few years we abandoned the notion of a "free party", but we only charged $2 a cup. Them's not bad prices now, is they?
I spent the latter half of Saturday night shaving Jesse's head, which then lead to many muffled sobs and meaningful hugs and so forth. I had written about the whole episode a bit, but deemed it inappropriate and deleted. Just know that I spent a good portion of the night crying like a big old sissy. I cannot see people that I love break down with out breaking down myself. Some call it a fault. I call it compassion.
So now, here I am, on a Monday afternoon, with nothing to do, still wondering why no one else is writing. Their loss, I guess. It doesn't seem like all that many people have stopped reading, so I guess that means you guys don't necessarily hate me, which I'm taking a sign to keep going. Is that okay with you?
Good, then. Let's proceed.
If you were a Ben Folds Five fan, you are obligated -- nay, bound by honor to pick up their Sessions At West 54th DVD. Its really incredibly good. It must have been taped right after the Whatever and Ever, Amen album, but they still did a healthy mix of both those songs and ones off their first disc. Its hard to explain how incredibly talented that band was. No one can rock on a piano quite like Mr. Folds does, and although I've have trouble taking his solo album out of heavy rotation, I'm perfectly comfortable saying that anything he produces in the near future will be hard pressed to hold a candle to his previous band. One, they just plain old rock and roll. Darren Jesse plays incredibly tight, hard rock drumbeats but is willing to tone it down when called upon to do so. Robert Sledge has the best distorted bass sound I've ever heard, and is so deft at hiding just how good he really is. You hardly notice how often he's keeping up with the rolling piano rhythym notes, but if you pay close attention, you hear him cascading just as often as Ben Folds. Two, they had an urgency about them, which is something that many people don't recognize. By the time their last album came out, they'd lost that little edge a bit, which is why I believe many people gave up on them. But, you can't look me straight in the eye and tell me that even their light-hearted songs like "Kate" and "Steven's Last Night In Town" didn't have a certain something to them that just made you want to scream and bop all over the room. Come on now, you know I'm right. Three, and lastly, they were by far the best live band around at that particular time. They were tight, funny, and incredibly agile in the use of their instruments. Folds uses his feet and forearms just as often as a lineman does in a football game. Going a little far, you say? Maybe. Those were good times. If Zook ever shows back up, maybe he can tell us all about how we went to see them play at the Vic in Chicago. We didn't even know each other, really, but that didn't stop us. That band had the ability to bring people together, and they are sorely missed.
I'm going to get off my pedestal now. Thank you for reading.
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