Ben Folds Five is a brand that has always been synonymous with quality, both in the studio and on stage. Most attribute this success to the charisma and energy of the band’s namesake. So it came as no surprise that with a terrific new solo album under his belt, and a fresh band to boot, Folds turned out a memorable performance at the Pageant last Saturday.
Part of the treat was that the band never took itself too seriously. There wasn’t an ego in sight as the group jammed in perfect harmony all night (you would think that they’d been together for years). A perfect testament to this polish was their performance of “The Ascent of Stan,” an epic casebook on an aging hippie (Once you wanted revolution/Now you’re the institution/How’s it feel to be the man?/It’s no fun to be the man). Opened by a beautifully intricate piano solo by Folds, the song delicately builds to its bass-driven chorus before gradually slowing down again. The rhythmic progression was highlighted by the minimalist (read: hilarious) triangle work of drummer Jim Bogios, and the perfectly articulated one-word background vocals (read: “Stan”) of guitarist “Snuzz.” Finally, the audience was treated to a gorgeously harmonized acappela of “la de da das” from the whole band before the instruments were brought back in for the finale.
Folds’ ironic, on-the-spot humor shined between songs. He instantly connected with (or mocked, depending on how you look at it) the college crowd when he requesting a beer from the stage crew between songs and deadpanned “oh I’m partyin’ now.” Later, he gave up a monologue after tripping over a few words, and simply started a new song. Confessing that he hadn’t slept for two days, he took a swig of beer, and started busting out the piano melodies. And for his big radio hit, “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” Folds donned a red baseball cap in honor of his role-model Fred Durst (he later accessorized this with big goofy sunglasses give to him by someone from the audience). Needless to say, the crowd loved it.
While these on-stage antics alone were worth the price of admission, the encore easily stole the show, in which Folds returned alone for a piano-only run through some of his old-school material.
During these songs, Folds transformed from being a boy with an identity crisis in “Best Imitation of Myself,” to an optimistic adolescent in “Video,” and finally to a confident, introspective man in “Philosophy.” This transformation was complimented brilliantly by the seamless slide of the last song into a climactic rendition of the delightful “Song for the Dumped,” with the rest of the band returning for one final hurrah.
Folds poured his heart into his performance, and it was in good hands that night. The Pageant saw a group of musicians having a great time doing what they loved, cheered on by an audience that loved them for doing it. I will forever be part of that audience, screaming for Folds to get his money back, along with his black t-shirt, from the bitch who stole them that night.

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