Ben Folds

Tonight Ben Folds was in concert in Dayton (sponsored by the Charity Committee). A few thoughts:

- No beer, no standing area, assigned seating; and people wonder why we can't get bigger bands to come near campus. I think a lot of this was because of the fact that he was paid to come in by a school organization that is funded in part at least by SGA and the Campus Activities Board. In CAB's "rules" of sponsorship I'm pretty sure there is a no-alcohol clause. Still, when the event is allowing the general public to come in through Ticketmaster ticket sales, etc., something should be done to allow this. Putting it in the Arena was an interesting choice, but instead of allowing people to stand on where the court would be and get a more lively atmosphere that Ben Folds could feed off of, we were assigned a specific seat on a first-come, first-served basis. Understandable to some point, but that, combined with the general level of sobriety for a college-focused concert was awkward at times. Still did nothing to ruin the night.

- Folds makes it nearly impossible to tell that he is 43 and with a few kids of his own. Everything, from the energy to the lyrics and song selection ("Bitches Ain't Shit" cover, anyone?) scream 20-something still finding his way in the world. I take comfort in the fact that growing up - in the becoming a fat cranky stiff context - really is optional, as proven by him.

- As good as Ben Folds was, his opening act was equally entertaining. The Australian-born Kate Miller-Heidke showcased her vocal talents with one guitarist, making for an interesting combo of Folk/Opera/insanity. Her songs were playful at times, thought-provoking and emotional at others. A few personal favorites, the hilarious and all-too-true "Facebook Song," and the more serious "Caught in the Crowd":





Oh yea, and she's right up my alley in the looks front:

The killer accent is just bonus points.

Seriously, give her a listen. While you're at it - or if you have been living under a rock for the past few years - throw some Ben Folds in.

P.S. Good news! It's pre-finals week and finals week. You know what this means, lots of "study time." For the blog, this means an excessive amount of short/insane posts with the "procrastination" label. Hollaaaaa