Events

[ROCK] Ben Folds has always been an unlikely rock star, and he’s made it his stock in trade. Going back to the Ben Folds Five (a trio, incidentally), he celebrates the plight of the nerdy underdog, giving voice to guys hidden behind thick Buddy Holly specs like none other and maintaining a dark sense of humor about it all along. Although the band’s origins straddled the lines between punk energy and melodic pop, Folds’ solo work has been more the stuff of an adventurous composer, utilizing his gift for the piano to soundtrack the meanderings of William Shatner (Has Been, 2004), write a three-movement concerto with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (for which he was co-commissioned by the Nashville Ballet and the Minnesota Orchestra) and collaborate with author Nick Hornsby on 2011’s Lonely Avenue. Along the way, he’s produced releases for Amanda Palmer and Sara Bareilles, toured with Tori Amos, Weezer, John Mayer and Barenaked Ladies, and briefly reformed the Ben Folds Five for an album of new material. His latest project, which brings him to Artpark on Wednesday, July 13, is a partnership with genre-busting classical ensemble yMusic, entitled So There, and it includes the concerto performed with the NSO as its second half. Released last year, So There also features eight new pop songs in Folds’ typical tradition of scathing self-deprecation—married and divorced four times now, he suffers no illusions about the dark underbelly of human nature, especially when it comes to issues of honesty and trust. Perhaps most remarkable is the way that he continues devising compelling ways of describing the failings of the human condition. In this case, yMusic helps keep the sound fresh, filling the musical space between, above, and below Folds’ piano and voice with organic textures. For those interested in knowing more about this fruitful collaboration, Folds will be joined for a pre-show talk with acclaimed violinist Nadia Sirota, a member of yMusic and also the host of the Peabody Award winning podcast, Meet the Composer, on WQXR. A short Q & A will follow the talk, which begins promptly at 4:00 p.m. outside the Mainstage gates on the Emerald Grove stage. While this is NOT a meet and greet, it’s a chance to hear Folds and Sirota speak of their musical adventure firsthand, and in a fairly intimate setting. Gates open at 4:45 p.m. for the actual concert, which features an opening set from daughter Gracie Folds at 6:30pm. Folds and yMusic take the stage at 8:00pm.