Folds’ solo tour breaks rock star stereotypes

By Shana Dines
Daily Bruin Contributor

Disco balls, crystal chandeliers and velvet curtains, oh my!

Not exactly what’s expected from a rock concert, but then
again, neither is a thirty-something pianist with a receding
hairline. None of that seemed to bother the crowd of fans packed
tightly into the El Rey Theater on Tuesday night for the second of
two sold-out shows in Hollywood.

Backed by a drummer, bass and guitar, Ben Folds tore into his
ivory keys with the skill of Mozart and Elton John and the
intensity of Anthony Kiedis and Steven Tyler on speed.

Folds rocked Hollywood, despite his un-rock-‘n’-roll
image.

Just months after the dissolution of Ben Folds Five, the trio
““ yes, trio, not quintet ““ with whom he had been
performing since 1995, Folds set out on a solo tour in support of
the album he recorded two years earlier. With the Epic Records
release of this, his first solo album, “Rockin’ the
Suburbs,” Folds has been showcasing his new material to
excited fans across the country and, in a few days, Japan as
well.

Breaking all stereotypes of the beloved rock star, Folds
flawlessly transitioned from waltz to ballad to a mock-rock TRL
hit, all the while propped in front of his piano with his feet
apart and knees bent in a “ready position” that Bruce
Lee would admire.

Singing about Fred, the fired newspaper reporter, Sara
(“spelled without an “˜H'”) who can see the
future, and even Stan, the textbook hippie man, Folds painted
pictures of colorful, eccentric, but always lovable, characters
through his quirky songs.

Folds’ enthusiasm and energy onstage radiated throughout
the ballroom-like club and infected every member of the audience.
By dancing, singing and playing air-piano, the crowd joined in on
the collective effort of the show alongside Folds and his backup
band. The spirit of the show was raised even higher with the
sing-a-long of “Make me, Mommy,” a song Folds claimed
to have written as a four year old.

“I was most captivated by his ability to play from so many
facets,” said Jared Hersh, a third-year math student at UCLA.
“He has mastered the classical and hard rock styles of
music.”

The show opened with a set performed by Snuzz, (pronounced
“snooze”), Folds’ backup guitar player. He
performed five solo songs, which made apparent the origin of his
nickname.

He is no doubt a talented guitarist, otherwise he would not be
onstage with Folds. He simply needs more variation in his own
tunes. The crowd was temporarily awakened when Folds did join him
on the piano for his last song.

Moments later, however, they were lulled back into a daze by
Telulah, a mousy-voiced, Jewel-wannabe. On stage with an acoustic
guitar, she was backed-up by a French horn, trumpet and for one
song, a karaoke-esque boombox. She warned the audience, “Are
you ready to not rock?”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Talking persisted throughout her half-hour set and, before her
last song, a clearly audible moan arose from the crowd. This
unnecessarily cruel act was casually brushed off with a touch of
grace and Telulah did not lose her cool.

The lack of excitement in the opening acts and the almost
45-minute set change ironically worked to build up the anticipation
of the already restless audience. Following Folds’ first set,
which consisted mostly of songs from the new album, in addition to
a couple of unreleased cuts, Folds returned to the stage alone to
play some of the favorites from Ben Folds Five. This seemed to
enliven the audience even more than the new material.

As a special treat, singing siblings Hanson, who have aged since
the days of “MMMBop,” joined Folds on stage for an
animated rendition of “I Wanna Be Kate.” The moment was
hilarious, shocking everybody in the audience.

The show closed with the hit “Song for the Dumped,”
for which the backup band returned to the stage. In addition to the
participation of every single person in the theater, the song
blasted on for just under 10 minutes with improv solos from every
member of the group.

Folds proved that he can do it by himself, providing an exciting
and characteristically surprising show for a sold-out crowd, which
included Weird Al. Folds rocked Hollywood, despite his
un-rock-‘n’-roll image and instrument. A piano has not
been this hip since Billy Joel.