Ben Folds and a Piano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 Ben Folds Rocks the Piano at Chaifetz Arena on Friday, April 16

TICKETS GO ON-SALE Saturday, February 20 AT 10 A.M. AT METROTIX.COM

(St. Louis, MO - February 16, 2010) Front man Ben Folds of the popular modern-rock trio Ben Folds Five embarks on his solo tour, "Ben Folds and a Piano," with a stop at Chaifetz (SHAY-fetz) Arena at Saint Louis University on Friday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.

All tickets are $27 for reserved seating and general admission floor. Tickets go on sale Saturday, February 20 at 10 a.m. at MetroTix.com, the Chaifetz Arena Box Office, MetroTix outlets at select Schnucks and Macy's stores, and charge by phone at 314-534-1111.

Forming in 1995, Ben Folds Five released their self-titled debut album including singles "Philosophy" and "Underground." The debut was followed by Whatever and Ever Amen in 1997 with their hit "Brick" that placed Ben Folds Five on the Billboard Rock Albums chart for the first time. "Brick" would prove to be the band's largest success landing at #11 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Their third album, Naked Baby Photos, was released in early 1998 and in 1999 the band released their final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, including the hit, "Army."

Folds started his solo career in 2001 with his first album Rockin' the Suburbs which has sold over a half million copies worldwide. Combining his former piano talent with a new style of synthesizers, multi-tracked vocals, and guitars landed Folds his first solo single, title track "Rockin' the Suburbs" (#28 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart). Folds improved on his new style in the 2005 release of Songs for Silverman that hit #13 on the Billboard 200. His most successful solo album came with the most recent 2008 release of Way to Normal that peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart.

Folds is characterized best for his melodic gifts, irony-laced lyrics, and punk-rock tendency to play piano as if it were a contact sport. Folds' aggressive piano playing falls in line with ivory-pounding rockers from Jerry Lee Lewis through Elton John, and the keyboard-based pop quirks draw from Todd Rundgren and Joe Jackson, among others. With its faux-dramatic opening, multiple vocal parts, and skewering of the so-called alternative scene, "Underground" characterizes Folds' sharp humor as well as the ability to mount surprisingly complex arrangements with limited resources. He has had many successful tours in the past with "The Bens" (himself, Ben Kweller and Ben Lee) and John Mayer.

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