Ben Folds – Live With The National Symphony Orchestra

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There’s a certain magic behind Ben Folds and his unique brand of quirky, piano-based pop rock. It’s hard to put your finger on why it’s so impactful and meaningful when you listen to his music, but it’s undeniably there. This “magic” is on full display in the surprise-release of Live With The National Symphony Orchestra, that was recorded at Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center before the current administration took over the day-to-day operations and artistic direction. I’m so glad this recording exists, since Ben Folds has always had a knack for writing insightful music directly from the heart. The vinyl version of the recording features ten songs, while the digital version includes an additional four bonus tracks. For eight years, Folds served as National Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Artistic Advisor at the Kennedy Center before he resigned, and yet this album does an incredible job of playing homage to this wonderful legacy Ben Folds and The National Symphony Orchestra have each established at our Nation’s capital’s most historic venues for the arts.

Ben Folds carefully guides The National Symphony Orchestra with the quiet build-up found on “But Wait, There’s More” from Folds’ What Matters Most, while the addition of more instruments makes for a great opening statement on this record. Once Ben Folds adds in his vocals in the first verse, it’s hard to not be sucked into this incredible moment in time. The chorus poses the question of “Do you still believe in the good of humankind?” before Folds answers, “I do.” Given the current political situation, it’s a remarkable statement that there is still hope in the resistance. “Fragile” follows the Danny Elfin-esque opener with another great vocal performance from Folds, while the beautifully strummed violins back his every lyric. It really brings out the shimmering vibes from What Matters Most, and accentuates Ben Folds’ great songwriting chops and cements my thinking that he truly is a musical genius.

”Kristine From The 7th Grade” allows Ben to take his piano to the center stage, albeit with a sweeping orchestra in the background to pull on all the right heartstrings. “Effington” (with Tall Heights) adds in some audience participation from The Kennedy Center, while Ben quickly bounces along on the piano to further engage with the crowd. The audience also adds in their own vocal performance in the early stages of the song to give the album that “live record” feel.

The truest gem on the album comes on the gorgeous arrangement found on “The Luckiest”, one of my all-time favorite Ben Folds songs. The Rockin’ The Suburbs-classic is stripped down to its purest form and Ben Folds beautiful vocals in the chorus transcend what music is all about, and is paired with a stellar performance from The National Symphony Orchestra. It’s one of those songs you need to experience with a good pair of headphones to fully absorb the emotion of the track.

”Capable of Anything” plays out like Danny Elfman’s “What Is This?” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, with its speedy orchestral arrangement and unique sounds put on blend. I also hear a little bit of AJR in this type of song arrangement as well. “Still Fighting It” features another cameo with Tall Heights, and the sweeping orchestral parts in the early stages of the song evoke just the right emotions, much like a film score that brings you to tears in the theater. The most raucous song on the set comes in the form of “You Don’t Know Me” that surprises the audience with a guest vocal performance from the timeless Regina Spektor, as the audience claps along to the steady bounce of the song. I also loved the “Say It!” lyric that the audience shouts back to Folds/Spektor as the backing orchestra is more than happy to keep up with the crowd’s infectious energy.

”Landed” offers a whole new take on the perfect song from Songs For Silverman, that features a thunderous opening piano medley before Folds sings triumphantly in the chorus, “‘Til I opened my eyes and walked out the door / And the clouds came tumbling down / And it’s bye-bye, goodbye, I tried / And I twisted it wrong / Just to make it right / Had to leave myself behind / I’ve been flying high all night / So come pick me up / I’ve landed.” It’s another standout moment on the record that is filled with so many breath-taking moments. It’s a shame this particular song didn’t make its way onto the vinyl tracklisting, but I’m so glad it exists, in some form, on the digital version.

”Still” (from Over the Hedge) follows in the sequencing, and it largely allows for Ben Folds’ piano and vocals to take the major reins of the heartfelt ballad. The piano continues to mystify as the song unfolds, while some backing vocals are added to harmonize gorgeously in the second verse. “Cologne” brings the orchestra back into the fold on full blast, so to speak, while Ben Folds provides breathy vocals to tug on all the right heartstrings. “Moments” once again features Tall Heights to harmonize behind each of the majestic lyrics, while “Gracie” sounds simply huge in this arrangement with the National Symphony Orchestra. The album closer of “Not The Same” via Rockin’ The Suburbs sounds like it was written for the Bridgerton Netflix series, but put on steroids. The thunderous opening chords on Folds’ piano are absolutely stunning, while the crowd happily adds in the “ahh’s” at just the right tempo in the pre-chorus.

With so many breathtaking moments to be found on Live With The National Symphony Orchestra, it’s not surprise that this recording will be something that I am so happy exists, and will be coming back to the foreseeable future. Ben Folds has to be pissed off that this administration has targeted the arts in the way he did, but to have this album come out on our Independence Day is a big middle finger to the status quo. I applaud Ben Folds for sticking to his morals, while simultaneously delivering a career-spanning recording that will stand the test of time and live up to Folds’ musical legacy he created.

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