EXPECTATIONS were high when I arrived at THE BENS concert at CIVIC THEATRE.
With BEN FOLDS, BEN KWELLER and BEN LEE on board, you could be sure that the show was going to be pretty good.
But somehow The Bens exceeded even the highest of expectations and put on a brilliant two-and-a-half hour show, proving that Folds wasn't lying when he said the three had something special.
The trio didn't waste anytime, launching into Kweller's set.
Kweller was left to win over the crowd, and it was his goofy Texan drawl that won them as much as his delightfully quirky tunes.
Highlights included How It Should Be, Wasted and Ready and Commerce TX, as well as a tune accompanied by Folds on piano.
Just as you left to try and pick your jaw off the floor, Lee arrived on stage to perform tunes such as Something Borrowed, Something Blue.
Novocastrians were treated to a one-off when WAIKIKI'S JUANITA STEIN was pulled from the crowd to join Lee on stage for a duet of their track Here Comes September.
Folds returned to the stage with Lee to perform their version of THE DIVINYLS' I Touch Myself, with Folds adding a few orgasmic moans for effect.
The Bens had plenty of fun on stage, telling a few jokes and fitting in some KRAFTWERK style dance moves during a performance of the new electro-tinged collaboration X-Fire.
Folds took his place behind the piano and although he confused Newcastle for Newport, he had the crowd mesmerised as he hammered out a mix of solo tunes and BEN FOLDS FIVE favourites.
The final set saw the three return to perform a powerful version of Folds' ballad MISSING THE WAR.
The show finished up with each Ben performing a final song on lead vocals including Lee's Cigarettes Will Kill You and an acoustic version of Folds' classic Brick.
|
