Hear one tune from this guy, and it can reveal so much.
Four songs into Ben Folds' super-strong, high-energy show at Union College Friday, the ironic pop pianist broke into “Trusted” off his new album, “Songs For Silverman.” Musically, the tune is filled with lush harmonies and an ultra-catchy chorus that gives it a quality almost akin to a feel-good children's song. But what are those lyrics about? “Trusted” is a chilling tale of two people in relationship that's imploding, being eaten away from within by a lack of faith in each other.
This is Ben Folds for you. His strength lies in the juxtaposition of beautiful melodies and caustic lyrics that intentionally play off each other for a nice, ironic touch. And Friday's sold-out crowd of nearly 1,000 got precisely that – delivered expertly by Folds and the two players backing his piano on bass and drums.
Dressed in a simple T-shirt, with a shaggy mane and black thick-rimmed glasses, the lanky Folds – a geek-rocker, really – was in top form. Clear voiced, he led a tight band that so often produced a sound bigger and more textured than any respectable trio can hope to produce.
Moving back and forth between his solo stuff and the material he created with Ben Folds Five in the late '90s, he was at his best on “Still Fighting It,” “Army,” “Philosophy” and “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces.”
On “Still Fighting It,” he moved seamless from chanting to sweet, emotional, quiet vocals. “Army” was a peppy, charged rocker during which Folds coached the audience to sing along as a choir. And he took the song in a new direction with some ragtime-style piano improvisation that was smart and sassy. “Philosophy” was fun and catchy with a piano solo that included a surprising – albeit brief – foray into yiddish sounds that somehow worked. And on “One Angry Dwarf,” Folds and company brought the tempo to a dizzying spot, speeding up a song that is already notoriously fast.
The whole 110-minute affair was impressive – if only for Folds' charisma and energy. But the Folds brand of irony – while witty and smart – can grow tiresome. He can be almost too cute, too quirky. And irony can rule over sincerity, which makes Folds at times seem like a wise-cracking observer with a shrill voice.
Nevertheless, Folds does what he does better than perhaps anyone. And the makeup of Friday's crowd – mostly college-age men and women – says a lot about the artist. These are fans who were tweens when Folds first emerged into the mainstream. Ten years later – as Folds approaches 40 – he's still hip as ever (in his own way).
Perhaps more admirable, he's made career decisions that have, ironically, both kept him from a mass audience and ensured that he'll be around for another 10 years.
Colorado pop-rock quintet The Fray, meanwhile, opened the show with a solid half-hour set. While the band isn't breaking much new ground, its guitar-rich songs were instantly likable.