Singing a song with a piano man: Ben Folds edition

There are street fests, and then there's the annual, bro-tastic Old St. Pat's two-day shindig, the self-proclaimed "world's largest block party." It's a lot pricier than most ($35), almost everyone gets wasted off the five drinks included with admission, and the fest often features headlining bands as uninteresting as they are bland—to wit, the 1998 edition, taped for The Real World, starred Big Head Todd And The Monsters (and found a sloshed Cara bringing Big Head Todd himself home). Oh, the fun. But reason enough to attend: Tonight, July 11, features Ben Folds, a musician who is much more talented and engaging than this gig would presume—or even require. And, as a bonus, Folds regularly incorporates sing-alongs, a favorite pastime of drunks everywhere. (Yes, everyone will be drunk; nobody attends a show that includes five beers and goes for O'Doul's or opts for water.) Before braving the crowds, peruse The A.V. Club's guide to Ben Folds' more crowd-participatory tracks—and hey, the lyrics are pretty simple, too.

"Not The Same"
Lyrics to know: "Uhhhhhhh-AAAAAAAAAH"
This song's pre-chorus uses a vocal rise (low to high) as a lead-in to its anthemic release: "You were not the same after that." At first, the notes stand on their own; later, Folds sings over them, which can confuse the timing. Luckily, he sometimes directs the crowd before and during the song, often dividing the audience into a three-part harmony.
Biggest challenge to audience: Remembering which part.


"Army"
Lyrics to know: "Da da daaaaa / da da daaa daaaaaaaa / da da da daaaaaa / da da duuuuuuu"
Folds' odd, American-themed rant on The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner ("grew a mustache and a mullet / got a job at Chick-Fil-A") prominently features a horn section during the bridge with saxophones and trumpets. Once again, Folds calls upon the audience to fill in the gaps, having one side do the sax part (outlined above) and the other doing the trumpets (basically the same, but syncopated).
Biggest challenge to audience: Having both parts roughly run on the same time signature and end accordingly.


"Fair"
Lyrics to know: "Ba daaaaaa da / ba daaaaaa da / ba daaaaaa da / ba da du daaaa da"
This accusatory song about heartbreak has a surprisingly perky chorus: no words—just the above syllables in falsetto. It's downright infectious and easy to follow along with Folds; plus, it sounds a hell of a lot better with lots of people.
Biggest challenge to audience: Possible voice cracking.


"Magic"
Lyrics to know: "Sha la laaaai la la laaaaaai la laaaaaaai"
The chorus in "Magic" has no words—but its haunting tones work beautifully with the song's somewhat mystical quality. (It's called "Magic" after all.) It's the perfect opportunity to show off those eight years of vocal harmony classes.
Biggest challenge to audience: Explaining how you came to take eight years of vocal harmony classes.

"Philosophy"
Lyrics to know: "Keeps my feet on the ground… groooooooooound… my phil… oooo sooooo phyyyyy."
Ben Folds Five's popular anthem, from the group's self-titled album, included the other band members singing these in-line lyrics during Folds' rendition of the chorus. Then Folds went on a solo tour, and the audience carried the torch. The fact that Folds now has a full band of his own hasn't stopped that tradition.
Biggest challenge to audience: Avoiding distraction from remembering that Folds, possibly as a joke, has claimed the song is about his penis.