NBC’s show “The Sing-Off,” a singing competition for a cappella groups, continues tonight.  The episode will feature performances from the eight remaining teams along with Ben Folds’ keen insight.  Folds along with Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls and Boyz II Men member Shawn Stockman, are all returning as judges for the second season of the show.  It airs at 8 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Folds, meanwhile, has added another six concerts for next month in the Midwest in support of his collaborative set “Lonely Avenue” with Nick Hornby.

Starting on December 10, the new dates will go on sale.  Starting today members of Ben Folds’ Fan Club can buy presale tickets.  For additional information on becoming a fan club member to gain access to the presale, visit the website benfolds.com/members-only.

Recently Folds toured the East Coast to support “Lonely Avenue,” including a homecoming performance on Thanksgiving weekend at Tennessee Performing Arts center in Nashville, which was a benefit for the Nashville Symphony and two volunteer Middle Tennessee fire fighting organizations.  Folds will be capping his tour of the East Coast off with a show on December 14 at Beacon Theatre in New York City.

NBC last year in December landed a surprise hit when “The Sing-Off” was aired.  The four part, brief special series showed several a cappella groups, who have no use for instruments, competing for dominance.  Nota, an ensemble of six members, scored the first victory.  The show is returning for a run of eight episodes this time around with a whole new group of contestants, which includes higher profile acts such as Whiffenpoofs of Yale University and On the Rocks from University of Oregon.  Nick Lachey returns to serve as the host again.  He is still one of more engaging personalities from the era of the boy bands.  The three judges have also returned: Ben Folds, the piano rocker, Nicole Scherzinger, head mistress of the Pussycat Dolls, and Shawn Stockman, group member of Boyz II Men.

Although all three judges are great, this show does really belong to Folds.  The responses of his to the performers come from a middle ground which isn’t permitted on television usually.  He is biting without being mean really, and insightful instead of fawning.  It’s the type of balance that “American Idol” doesn’t ever strike.  Folds, in addition to having a fruitful and long solo career and main songwriter for Ben Folds Five, the breakout indie band, has lots of a capella experience as well.  During Folds’ solo shows he often led singalongs that were instrument-free, check out the “Army” version off his album “Ben Folds Live.”  Recently he issued a collection of songs of his that were performed by various a capella groups.  Folds has both the experience and chops to deliver from the judges’ chair.

What it mostly is, however, is Folds’ engaging personality.  It’s a shame he doesn’t have some kind of regular gig as pundit, band leader or talk show host.  In the old MTV days, he would have been a great VJ.  What we do have is Folds’ excellent music.  Recently he released a song collection called “Lonely Avenue” that has lyrics written entirely by Nick Horny, author of “High Fidelity.”  However “Brick,” his breakout single from his 1988 album “Whatever and Amen,” is still his most enduring piece.  It turned Folds into a household name of sorts.

Ben Folds, who currently is in the middle of his fall tour of the US, is now scheduled to tour Europe over February and March 2011 to support “Lonely Avenue, his latest album which is a collaboration with Nick Hornby, the novelist.  The set was released in September by Nonesuch Records.  The tour of 14 dates will kick off on February 18 in Dublin and will include concerts in Holland, Austria, Denmark, Germany and the UK.  On November 12, tickets will be going on sale for the general public.  Folds Fan Club Members will be getting advance access to ticket bundle opportunities and pre-sale tickets beginning on November 10.  For more information, go to benfolds.com/members-only.

The tour opener by Folds last weekend at The Rivera was reviewed by A.V. Club Chicago.  It stated that Folds had the chops for putting on a show that was very satisfying and also described the concert as piano pounding delight.  The show at LC Pavilion was reviewed by the Columbus Dispatch which described the work on “Lonely Avenue” by Hornby and Folds as often fabulous and always fascinating.

Somewhere in the collective subconsciousness of ours there are echos and murmurs from a Ben Folds show.  Whether you saw him during the ’90′s with his band or you hate him because you went to see Folds with your ex girl friend or you never went but did have tickets, you are familiar with Folds on stage sitting at the piano.  Whatever you opinion of Folds as a songwriter is, his live shows are sure to  make you smile and offer some of the greatest sing along tunes.

Brush up on “Army’s” horn part.  This fall you’ll be able to check out Ben Folds.  He will hit the road to support “Lonely Avenue, his newest album and greatly anticipated collaboration with Nick Hornby, British author (An Education, About A Boy, High Fidelity).  The tour will kick off at Riviera Theater in Chicago on November 5 and wrap up on November 27 with a benefit concert for the Nashville Symphony at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville.  Tickets can be purchased for the fall tour dates via Ticketmaster.

“Lonely Avenue” will be released by Nonesuch records on September 21.

2010 Ben Folds Concert Tour
October 2010
2 – Denver, CO – Boettcher Concert Hall

November 2010
5 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
6 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
7 – Grand Rapids, MI – Orbit Room
8 – Columbus, OH – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
10 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
11 – Pittsburgh, PA – Zoo Entertainment Complex
12 – Buffalo, NY – The Town Ballroom
13 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
17 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
18 – Montclair, NJ – Welmont Theatre
20 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore Charlotte
21 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
27 – Nashville, TN – Tennessee Performing Arts Center

Ben Folds, musician, and Nick Hornby, writer, are teaming up to record a new album that is set to be released sometime later in the year. It’s isn’t uncommon in pop and rock music for the lyrics and music responsibilities to be divided. Many of the the lyrics to some of Elton John‘s greatest hit songs were composed by Bernie Taupin. However it’s rare when a novelist gets involved. Hornby isn’t any old novelist of course. He is well known for having music fans. His rock music also plays a prominent role in his novels “Juliet, Naked” and “High Fidelity.”

The idea was formed by the two over dinner, with album rumors dating to 2008. However after that dinner they were never inside the same room together over the course of the project. Folds would receive lyrics from Hornby and then go to work on the music. There was some back and forth via email and the telephone.

In an interview with Paste Magazine, Folds discussed composing the music. He said, if the lyrics on their own were loud enough, they didn’t need any help from me. I was forced to be very selfless. I could look at it as Nick Hornby and Ben Folds and make sure my music got some attention too. Or I could approach it as this needs to tell the story. If someone ends up saying, the song made cry, but the music though was really stupid. It was boring and simple. Well great. Awesome. If they laughed or cried, or the lyrics moved them, even if sometimes it was thankless, I did whatever I thought it would take. There were other times when lots of music was required. I would sometimes feel like I was returning to music school to do things I hadn’t needed to do in quite some time. Things that were contrapuntally and musically very intense. I ran the gamut kind of from being the simplest I have ever been to going to Shostakovitch for some of the songs.

Folds said my mission was to ensure the lyrics spoke. It wasn’t always necessarily the way that Nick wanted them the words to speak. It make the collaboration an interesting one.

Ben Folds will be hoisting his piano atop his back and heading out on the road. The quirky singing, songwriting pianist will be starting his tour in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on March 13 and ending up in Washington DC on March 26. Folds will be on hand to perform at the first annual HullabaLOU Music Festival at Churchill Downs on July 24.

Ben Folds will be touring in support of his latest release “Way to Normal” which hit in September 2008. The album scurried up the Billboard Album charts to number 11 and featured the single “You Don’t Know Me” which showcased a fine duet between Folds and Regina Spektor. Folds also released the album “Ben Folds Presents: University a Cappella!” in April 29. It featured tracks from college vocal companies from across the United States. Folds also served as a judge on the NBC program “The Sing Off” which whittled down eight a cappella groups vying for the $100,000 prize.

2010 Ben Folds Concert Tour
February 2010
13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Hall

March 2010
13 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
14 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
16 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
17 – Gainesville, FL – Phillips Center @ University of Florida
19 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
20 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
21 – Richmond, VA – The National
23 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater
24 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
25 – Raleigh, NC – Meymandi Hall (w/ North Carolina Symphony)
26 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

July 2010
24 – Louisville, KY – Churchill Downs

Ben Folds will be following up his scheduled Lollapalooza appearance this summer by sitting at his piano with a few of the leading symphony orchestras in the country.

On September 24, the quirky songwriter/singer will be appearing in Washington, DC with National Symphony Orchestra, on October 2 in Boston with Boston Pops, and October 31 with Minneapolis Orchestra in Minneapolis. In 2005-2006 Folds toured with symphony orchestras. In 2007 he also played with Boston Pops.

Folds is continuing to support “Way to Normal,” his third album released in September. It hit the No. 11 spot on Billboard’s 200. “You Don’t Know Me,” the lead track on the album that features Regina Spektor made Triple A radio’s Top 30 list. That single along was a few others off the album can be found streaming on the MySpace page of Ben Folds.

Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello) was the producer of “Way to Normal.” The set features Ben Folds on piano and vocals, Sam Smith on drums and Jared Reynolds on bass.

In April “Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella” was released by Folds. It’s a compilation of different Folds songs being performed by US college vocal troupes. Folds said to NPR.com that in the process he gained a new appreciation for that genre.

Folds said, I can play chords on piano or guitar that falls into my hands, however that doesn’t mean I know always what I am doing. When arranging for a capella you need to understand theory, chords and voice leading. Everybody that’s part of the group needs to understand. It is very cerebral. It’s performed live. It’s truly an event which is how music should be.

A brief winter outing by Ben Folds has expanded to now include over a dozen dates over the eastern part of the US as well as Canada.

The theater and club outing will be kicking off in Princeton, NY on February 11 and now continues through March 1. Since last check an additional nine cities have been scheduled, including Atlanta, Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Miniature Tigers, a geek rocker up and coming band, will be opening the shows for Folds. The band from Phoenix released “Tell It To the Volcano,” their debut album, on iTunes. This spring the set will be out in stores.

Fold is continuing to support “Way to Normal,” the third solo album of his career. It was released in September and landed on Billboard’s 200 chart in the No. 11 spot. “You Don’t Know Me,” the lead track that features Regina Spektor, made the Top 30 list for Triple A radio. The single along with a few others are streaming on the MySpace page for Ben Folds.

Dennis Herring, who has also worked with Modest Mouse and Elvis Costello was the producer for “Way to Normal.” The album features Ben Folds on piano and vocals, Jared Reynolds on bass and Sam Smith on drums. Last summer the musicians tricked their fans by leaking a fake album version over the internet.

Folds said, we wrote songs that were completely new around the titles. We basically wrote the lyrics in the airport and on the airplane while we were on our way to the UK from the continent.

Then the band booked a studio and for eight to ten hours recorded, then mixed and mastered the set before immediately releasing it to the internet.

Folds said, people were really confused. Fans started to figure out that it was bull. We were able to see people react.

Folds also said that there were some fake tunes rivaling the real album songs. The joke tracks are available to Folds fan club members on a two disc set that was recently released called “Way to Normal: Stems and Seeds.”

Ben Folds Five on September 18 will be reuniting to kick off their new music program sponsored by MySpace called “Front to Back.” According to a recent press release, the series will be featuring first class artists performing a seminal album of theirs live in concert. Later “Front to Back” will rebroadcast it on the official MySpace profile.

Ben Folds Five are scheduled to perform “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner,” their last studio album” in its entirety in Chapel Hill, NC, former hometown of the band, at UNC Memorial Hall. It will be the first live show for the band in almost ten years.

In October the online concert will be aired. It will include interviews with members of the band as well as artists who were influenced and inspired by the album.

On September 8, tickets for the Ben Folds Five recording will be going on sale through etix.com. In the months ahead, more “Front to Back” performances will be announced.

Ben Folds, with his headlining tour to back his new album underway, has devised a plan for helping fans that aren’t able to see him this fall playing live still be able to hear his performances.

Folds, who continues the outing in Fort Wayne, IN on October 3, will be recording one track in 10 difference cities during the tour. Then the next day he will release them through the Apple iTunes Music Store.

Tracks will be recorded onto a Mac, then they will be previewed using an iPod. Folds will then make original cover art using the Photo Booth application from Apple and sent the next day to be put up for sale on iTunes. Once the tour has ended a live album that contains all of the 10 songs will be put together and then sold through iTunes exclusively.

Folds is touring to support “Way to Normal,” his latest studio album. The set was released last month. Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello) was the producer. The album features Ben Folds on piano and vocals, Jared Reynolds playing bass, and Sam Smith playing drums. Regina Spektor is a guest vocalist appearing on “You Don’t Know Me,” the first single from the album.

In July Folds intentionally leaked a “Way to Normal” incomplete version to the internet which consisted of some alternative versions of songs appearing on the new album as well as some melodramatic tracks. Fans of Folds argued online about how true the leak was. During an interview with Triple J Radio in Australia, Folds admitted the fake album version had been leaked as a joke he played on his fans.