Last month Ben Folds announced a special 30th Anniversary edition of his debut recording with the Ben Folds Five.
As he reflected in the liners that accompany that release, “Here’s my 59-year-old self’s take on the album we made when I was 28: Overall, it’s good! It’s NOT the kind of record you’d hear produced these days. It’s pretty rough and tumble, mostly in a good way. And it’s emphatically unique. It’s from an era when you could still identify a band by the instrumentalists, before you’d even hear the vocalist. I don’t think that’s been a thing since computers allowed us to get things just right.”
"This first Ben Folds Five record doesn’t even TRY to do the things most might aspire to, with or without the technology, and that’s one of the first things I hear while listening. Many indie rockers of the 90s claimed to be raw and not care. We actually lived that, though it’s just not obvious because it’s based around piano and complex songs, which was an odd combo,” adding, “for better or worse – wow. I’m hearing a record that really just puts it out there, and I’m glad we did all of that.”
His appreciation for that album extends to his bandmates as well, and they will reunite for a series of dates in 2027. Although the group’s name was Ben Folds Five, it actually was a trio that featured Folds on piano and vocals along with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee. The trio came together in 1993, releasing three albums before parting company in 2000. They later reconvened in the studio in 2011 and on tour the following year before moving on to other ventures. After the 2023 passing of Caleb Southern, who produced their first three albums, they played a few songs at a concert in his honor but have not mounted a proper run of shows since 2012.
The group has announced nine Southern dates, opening in Knoxville, TN at the Tennessee Theatre on April 12. Following a presale on Thursday, October 22 at 10 AM local time, a general onsale will take place on Friday, October 23 at 10 AM local. Additional shows will yet be announced.
Ben Folds Five Dates
12 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
13 – Chattanooga, TN – Tivoli Theatre
15 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
16 – Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Beach Amphitheater
17 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound
20 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater
21 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
22 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
24 - Birmingham, AL - Avondale Brewing Company
