In seventh grade, probably in the month of December or January, I came across a YouTube video titled “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces- Ben Folds Five”. The name of the song alone was enough to grab my attention, so I figured why not. I watched it once, I watched it a second time, and I just continued to watch it. I’ve always loved the piano, but I’ve never heard it used as the lead instrument in a pounding rock group. I was hooked.
So I looked up more songs by Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five, and became a fan. As time went on and I got older, my love for him continued to grow. I even got a tattoo for him. One thing that was missing, was seeing him live. I have had the opportunity to before, but it never worked out.
On October 28th, I finally got to see my idol perform live. It was everything I wanted, and more.
Ben opened with Phone in a Pool, then right into Annie Waits. He ended the set with Steven’s Last Night In Town and probably the coolest drum solo ever.
For his second set, that’s when the paper airplanes flew. Everyone wrote a request on a paper airplane and sailed it towards the stage. Ben would then proceed to pick one up, then play whatever song was on that plane. It was amazing.
After he ended the ten song paper airplane set with Narcolepsy (the song I actually open my shows with) he then walked off stage. I would’ve been satisfied had the show ended there. I just saw my personal hero do what he does best. But he didn’t play the first song I ever heard from him.
But then I realized, the lights never came back on. It was still dark with one spotlight focused on his Yamaha Concert Grand. He then walked back out on stage, and pounded out One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces. I screamed and no shame, shed a tear. I got to see the man I look up to perform his heart out. Hell of a night.