Live Music Shenanigans

Inspired by: “F10-D-A” (2015) from the Ben Folds (with Y Music) album So There

I have seen Ben Folds perform live at least a dozen times, though the number is probably closer to 20 the more that I think about it. Aside from probably the first time I saw him – the X96 Big Ass Show in 1999 – it never fails that some jackass will scream from the audience “Rock this bitch!” at some point. It’s something that started at the early Ben Folds Five shows, when the “Five” were booking “rock clubs” and people would be surprised when there were only three dudes, one of which was playing a piano.

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Juggling and Magic Tricks

Inspired by: “Best Imitation of Myself” (1995) from the Ben Folds Five album Ben Folds Five

The song that inspired it all!

This song is probably among the top ten if I was to ever do a ranking of Ben Folds songs. It is perhaps one of the most impactful songs from his catalogue that had lasting consequences on my life. I’ve mentioned my history with this song briefly before:

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Imposter Syndrome

Inspired by: “Fred Jones, Part 2″ (2001) from the Ben Folds album Rockin’ the Suburbs

I’ve never been fired from a job. Not directly, anyway. I’ve left many, or had other “temporary” ones end. Sometimes, I got out ahead of likely being fired by quitting, but that was probably only one time.

I feel like, after years of searching, I’ve found a job that I can comfortably see myself doing for the next 16 years and 11 months… but who’s counting? But that doesn’t mean that I don’t often feel bouts of imposter syndrome, that, despite being told to the contrary, I am not very good at my job.

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The Ideal Woman

Inspired by: “Kate” (1997) from the Ben Folds Five album Whatever and Ever Amen

When I think about Ben Folds Five and what led me to them in the first place, it’s the album Whatever and Ever Amen, and this song in particular. As this is the second song from that album that has been randomly chosen for this little experiment, let’s take a spin in the wayback machine to when I first heard the song referenced…

When the album was released in March 1997, I was in the midst of my sophomore year of high school. I had just turned 16, and as most boys of that age, I was crushing hard on girls. In the religion of my youth, the one that dominates the state of my birth, 16 was a magical age. It was the year that young Mormons were finally allowed to “date,” whatever your version of the word means. For a lot of my friends, it was a time where you could find a comely lass and invite her to a dance, and maybe if there was some version of mutual affection, you would “go out” with each other.

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