Ben Folds

Ben Folds and a Piano
March 26, 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.

Ben Folds unleashed his melodious rage on his grand piano before an oversold-out crowd at the 9:30 Club on Friday. His two hour-plus set rolled through a few Ben Folds Five oldies such as “Kate,” “Army,” and “Evaporated” but the bulk of the set focused on his solo career, launched in 2001 with the album, Rockin’ the Suburbs.

Folds is famous for his angst-laden lyrics and more than a smattering of profanity, the bulk of which came during the last song, a Dr. Dre cover that he performed with an amusing guy picked from the audience. The crowd was filled with die-hard fans gleefully singing along, and not only when prompted.

An old-school Folds fan, I was a little disappointed that he skipped over his first Ben Folds Five album, particularly after spotting a setlist from his Norfolk show a week earlier in which he played both "Philosophy" and "Best Imitation of Myself." That said, the show was excellent: high-energy, quirky, and great fun, as one always expects at a Folds show. And, solo with a piano, it was as intimate as a show can be.

Opener Zach Williams had a gorgeous, powerful voice as he sang several originals from his debut album Story Time. He also threw in an outstanding Patty Griffin cover, “When It Don’t Come Easy,” though most of the crowd had no idea who she is, and that’s a shame.

Ben Folds Setlist:

1. Free Coffee
2. Annie Waits
3. Sentimental Guy
4. Eddie Walker*
5. Effington
6. Jesusland
7. All U Can Eat
8. Gone
9. Levi Johnston's Blues
10. Picture Window
11. You Don't Know Me
12. Kate*
13. Bastard
14. The Secret Life of Morgan Davis
15. Still Fighting It
16. Dr. Yang
17. Landed
18. Zak and Sara
19. Emaline*
20. There's Always Someone Cooler Than You
21. Lullaby
22. Hiroshima
23. Army*
24. Evaporated*
25. The Ascent of Stan
26. Not the Same

Encore:

27. Narcolepsy
28. Bitches Ain't Shit (Dr. Dre cover)
    
    

* Ben Folds Five songs