Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth is a DVD featuring performances by singer-songwriter and pianist Ben Folds

Ben Folds

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

, backed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra

West Australian Symphony Orchestra

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...

. Filmed over two nights on March 12 & 13, 2005 at Kings Park and Botanical Gardens

Kings Park, Western Australia

Kings Park is a park located on the western edge of Perth, Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with two thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland. With panoramic views of the Swan...

 in Perth, Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

 - a venue Folds jokingly refers to as a "luminous green petri dish" - the DVD offers 14 songs from the three major Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...

 albums and Folds' debut solo album Rockin' the Suburbs

Rockin' the Suburbs

Rockin’ the Suburbs is an alternative rock album by singer/songwriter Ben Folds, released on September 11, 2001 . His first solo album after leaving his band Ben Folds Five , Rockin’ the Suburbs is also Folds' most popular LP to date, and includes the...

.

Played to over 9000 fans, the two concerts featured on the DVD represent the first time Folds' music was set to an orchestra; a trend Folds has since continued with performances with various orchestras around the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and the world, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra , commonly known as the Sydney Symphony, is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney...

, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...

, members of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

A founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member professional ensemble led by Dirk Brossé...

, and the Boston Pops

Boston Pops Orchestra

The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....

. Folds' music was rewritten and arranged specifically for symphonic performance by members of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Kenway.

Track listing

1. "Zak and Sara" (arranged by Iain Grandage)


2. "Smoke" (arranged by Michael Pigneguy)


3. "Fred Jones Part 2" (arranged by Iain Grandage)


4. "Steven's Last Night In Town" (arranged by Graeme Lyall)


5. "Boxing" (arranged by Stephen Newcomb)


6. "Annie Waits" (arranged by James Ledger)


7. "Brick" (arranged by James Ledger)


8. "Evaporated" (arranged by Stephen Newcomb)


9. "Not the Same"


10. "The Ascent of Stan" (arranged by James Ledger)


11. "Lullabye" (arranged by Graeme Lyall)


12. "Narcolepsy" (arranged by James Ledger)

Encore

1. "Rock This Bitch (Perth Version)"


2. "The Luckiest" (arranged by James Ledger)

Personnel

• Ben Folds
  Ben Folds
  Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
  
   - vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
   and piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• West Australian Symphony Orchestra
  West Australian Symphony Orchestra
  The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...
  
   - 83 pieces
• Simon Kenway - Conductor
• Graeme Lyall
  Graeme Lyall
  Graeme William Lyall , is a Western Australian saxophonist, composer and arranger. He became a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2003: "For service to music as Artistic Director of the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, and as a musical director, composer and...
  
   - Saxophone and arrangement
• Stuart Haycock - Tenor

Production

Produced and Presented by West Australian Symphony Orchestra

West Australian Symphony Orchestra

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...

Assisted by Botanic Garden and Parks Authority, Perth, Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

• Executive Producer: Calvin Aurand
• Producer: John Minor
• Director: Ray Black