Ben Folds News

Kate Davis has shared the second offering from her upcoming album Trophy out November 8 on Solitaire Recordings (Common Holly, Jonathan Something). Consequence of Sound premiered 'Cloud' today, saying 'the track is a soft, rolling number with daydreaming guitar lines tumbling over the steady snap of a snare.' Kate elaborates, ''Cloud' is a love song written about the fleeting relationships and desires of our teen dreams. The song was tracked live at Trout Recording in BK. I do not have a creepy obsession with teens - merely a desire to relive some of my lost youth.'

Violent Femmes have unveiled another song from their much-anticipated new album, HOTEL LAST RESORT, due via [PIAS] on Friday, July 26. A rambunctious new rendition of the band's classic 'I'm Nothing' featuring pro skateboarder Stefan Janoski is available now.

Frameless Creative in association with ACT Productions and The Parker Company are proud to debut the lineup for the inaugural Miami Beach Pop Festival, set for November 8-10, 2019. The brand new festival will be held on the shore of South Beach between 5thand 10th streets, adjacent to the beachfront Lummus Park and the iconic Ocean Drive.

The one and only Violent Femmes have unveiled the latest track release from their much-anticipated new album, HOTEL LAST RESORT, due via [PIAS] on Friday, July 26. 'Another Chorus' is available now.

From Bach to Ben Folds, Beethoven to Billy Joel and Mozart to Minchin, the list of famous piano players throughout history is dominated by men. In her exceptional Melbourne Cabaret Fringe Festival debut, Emma Knights sets to balance the scales by exploring the unknown stories of historic women pianists.

The Gift Theatre continues its 2019 Season with the Chicago premiere of Hansol Jung's WOLF PLAY, a messy, funny and disturbing theatrical experience grappling with a wolf, a puppet, and a very prickly problem: What is a family? What do we need from them, today? Is it very different from the things humans have needed from families before?

Singer-songwriter Dante Mazzetti announces his new EP Hotel Vol. 1, slated for release in July 2019. With four new original songs, the upcoming EP combines acoustic, indie folk and soul, laced with lyrical storytelling. The album draws inspiration from iconic artists of Mazzetti's childhood, including Bob Dylan, The Band, Otis Redding, and Slim Harpo.

When David Taylor Gomes and Kyle Holmes set out to write an original musical for their students at Granite Bay High School, they never could have foreseen the impact their work would have on high schools across the nation. Students are reacting to having their voices heard, and the effect is monumental. People are clamoring to see and produce Ranked: A New Musical, which deals with the pressures that teenagers face today in maintaining grades, social status, and their fight to get into the college of their choice. Due to the popularity of Ranked, they decided to bring the original cast together for one more night to perform the show in concert style at The Crest Theatre. Broadway World Sacramento spoke to Holmes and Gomes about the making of Ranked and what we can expect in the future.

The Orchard Project is announcing the artists participating in its thirteenth summer theatre residency program. More than 30 artists and ensembles were selected for residencies this summer from nearly 1000 theatre artists and companies who applied.

Pasek and Paul's teen musical sensation has style, substance and a great cast, though the score is sometimes a little generic.

A Red Orchid Theatre announces the addition of eight new members to the Artistic Ensemble: Karen Aldridge, Myron Elliott-Cisneros, Levi Holloway, Travis A. Knight, Jess McLeod, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, and Steve Schine. A Red Orchid also welcomes two Resident Stage Managers Stephanie Heller and Christa van Baale.

The University Singers, the University of Virginia's flagship choral ensemble, will be on tour this May 2019 appearing across the Northeastern U.S. and Canada.

Compagnia de' Colombari, an international collective of performing artists founded and directed by Karin Coonrod, presents More Or Less I Am: a music-theater piece drawn entirely from Walt Whitman's revolutionary free verse long poem, 'Song of Myself,'one of the original twelve pieces that comprise his 1855 collection Leaves of Grass. The next performance in this series, spanning multiple venues throughout the five boroughs, will take place on Sunday, May 26, 2019, 7:30 pm at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn.  

The guest lineups for the upcoming episodes of Live from Here with Chris Thile in St. Louis, MO on May 25, Vienna, VA on June 1, Louisville, KY on June 8 and Lenox, MAon June 15 are set, featuring Ben Folds, Bruce Hornsby, Guster, Anaïs Mitchell, Adia Victoria, Lucius, I'm With Her and Ian Edwards.

Kaufman Music Center's 2019 Gala will honor Kaufman Board President Cathy White O'Rourke, a distinguished business leader, classically trained pianist, and devoted advocate for music education. Kaufman Music Center is also proud to honor The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund, a generous champion of education and the performing arts.

In 1995, a group of writers, directors and actors gathered on Manhattan's Lower East Side for what was supposed to be a one-time only event: write, direct, produce and perform new plays within the span of 24 hours. Twenty-four years later, The 24 Hour Plays and The 24 Hour Musicals are regularly performed around the world, touching everyone from celebrities to student artists and raising millions of dollars for charities. Today, The 24 Hour Plays announced that they'll mark their anniversary with an intimate production of The 24 Hour Musicals on Monday, June 17th at 8 PM on the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center.  

The Gift Theatre announces casting for its Chicago premiere of Hansol Jung's WOLF PLAY, a messy, funny, and disturbing theatrical experience grappling with a wolf, a puppet, and a very prickly problem: What is a family? What do we need from them, today? Is it very different from the things humans have needed from families before?

 This past weekend, multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, global superstar and philanthropist, Josh Groban hosted his fourth annual Find Your Light Gala at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, CA where stars joined together for a night of cocktails, dinner, auction, and performances by top musical artists. The event raised over $1.4 Million dollars to help provide arts education to children around the country. 

MUSE/IQUE continues its signature Uncorked series on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at California Institute of Technology's Millikan Pond, with SWINGING/STARS, a dynamic musical journey that will unfold beneath the stars. MUSE/IQUE founder and artistic director Rachael Worby will lead pianist Alan Steinberger, bassist Michael Valerio, percussionist Ted Atkatz, guitar virtuoso Laurence Juber, the ARORA vocal group, vocalist Kenton Chen, and Dr. Michael Watkins, Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in an evening featuring both classical and popular songs about the cosmos

I last saw Duo Concertant in 2017, for former New York City Ballet dancer Robbie Fairchild's retirement. Seeing Balanchine's work away from his home excitingly challenged this company. Nashville Ballet dancers are grounded, pliable, almost earthy at times in their approach. Here, they embraced the speed, lightness, and attack required by Balanchine, tag-teamed with the complexity of Stravinsky's score.