Folded.

I genuinely love it it when my friends become successful. That's not faux-modesty, or in the slightest sarcastic. It makes me incredibly happy when people who are good and kind and deserving of all that's awesome in the world get to reap some benefits.

And sometimes, that benefits me as well, which is how I happened to find my way into the Ben Folds show at Terminal 5 in NYC last night (and had the best burger in Manhattan, which is a secret I cannot post in a blog but will gladly tell you in person or via drunken phone call at some point in the near future). I was overwhelmed by the crowd and the quality and the energy that Folds and his crew were pumping out; so much so that it wasn't until a few songs in that I remembered I had a VIP pass. This meant I got a great view and a chance to embarass myself hooting and hollering amidst islands of suits and haute-haught.


That's my friend Sam on the drums, and in this photo he's got a sort of Hindu-multiarm look, which is suitable for drummers, I think.

The new stuff is really good (and suited for the time in which we are living), and I'm planning on picking up a copy of the new record at an actual record store. Now I know what you're saying, you're saying "but do such places even still exist?" And the complicated answer is 'yes.'

But why I wanted to write about this was because of a moment I shared with several hundred people, when Folds had the entire audience doing tripartite harmony on "Not The Same." It was like being in church if church still had the power to move me. It was like being kissed properly. It was one of the most electrifying moments I've had in the city on this particular trip, and I don't even know how to articulate it beyond saying that it certainly helped me get some shit settled and move into a severe abundance of hope.

I'm yammering on, and not doing particular service to any involved parties. But I tell you, it was one of the most profound little moments I've had this year, and I thought I'd share it with whomever happens to be reading.



Recently, I saw:

RALPH (d. Alex WINCKLER) ***
L'HEURE D'ETE/SUMMER HOURS (d. Olivier ASSAYAS) ****
APRIL FOOL'S DAY (d. The Butcher Brothers) -
SECURITY (d. Lars HENNING) ***
THE WRESTLER (d. Darren ARONOFSKY) *** 1/2
WAIT FOR ME (d. Ross KAUFFMAN) ***
CHANGELING (d. Clint EASTWOOD) ***
GOMMORAH (d. Matteo GARRONE) ** 1/2

and here's the latest Folds video, directed by Tim and Eric (of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! fame).