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Nerdist was started by Chris Hardwick and has grown to be a many headed beast.

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Nerdist Podcast: BEN FOLDS

The superbly awesometastic Ben Folds joins us at Swinghouse Studios in LA to chat about song writing, the sexual exploits of Superman, William Shatner and helicopter rides. PLUS details on the upcoming Ben Folds 5 reunion. ALSO an A.MA.ZING live performance! On PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT. It’s almost like we’re a real show or something.

You can follow @BenFolds and/or catch his show The Sing-Off on NBC.

 
65 comments read them below or add one

  1. I love how that photo kinda makes it look like Jonah is Ben Folds (if you didn’t know what anybody looked like). :)

  4. Slightly irrelevant fact: I have a friend from high school whose band (Jukebox the Ghost) opened for Ben Folds on a recent tour.

    Nice to know Ben Folds is such a cool dude – you always wonder with musicians, actors, etc. if they’re secretly massive douchenozzles.

  5. The picture for this podcast is how I know I’m at home with fellow nerds. The three guys that know each other well are the focus of the picture while the celebrity guess is almost an after thought. #StaringAtFeet

  6. Well duh. I made the plaid-shirt-memo comment before actually listening to the ‘cast. I’m not going to comment anymore.

  7. YES! I cannot wait to get off work to listen. I am actually looking forward to going to the gym now! I literally clapped my hands and jumped up and down in delight when it was mentioned on an earlier episode.

  8. How the heck has Portland not sold out yet? What is wrong with the Portlandians? Ah well, more non-creepy Nerdist hugs for me then.
    But seriously people. Buy tickets.

  9. GORGeous podcast! Amazing to “sit in” with Ben Folds. I appreciate his humility at taking someone else’s stories and just kind of bearing witness and honoring them. I am blown away by the final song”… Im sorry Mr. Jones, its time…”. So glad that he decided to go ahead and sing too! His voice is in my head and I am glad to have there among the others. ;-P

  11. Sorry to be a big nerd, but is it possible to get the performance part of the podcast in like a V0 or even 320kbps?

    Thanks for the great podcast guys!

  13. So, is anybody else thinking that a Ben Folds, The Nerdist sessions album would be a fantastic idea?

  14. Long show! I like when things I like are long. It’s better than when things that are short are that, still. Or however grammar works.

  15. I love what ever length of sound you gentlemen (and occasional lady) put out into the world. Great team-up for the length with song finale’s. Wow, I do that whole psychological routine of writing about mundane or stupid things just to let it out in some form but suddenly refreshing the page or erasing everything. I just need that crap on the screen or something…

    I’ll leave you guys with; great podcast as always, great mysterious guest (I don’t know this fellow but I loved his chat roulette thingy), awesome song stylings from Folds and Thanks nerdcast.

    ~~~because, his wife died

  16. I own one Ben Folds Five CD, now I must purchase all Ben Fold’s works. Great podcast, I loved the songs at the end too. Mr. Folds seems like a really genuine nice guy, and glad that he was able to join into the conversations as he did.

    Nice work.

  18. I just want you guys to know that I have been having a pretty shitty month and Ben Folds Music has been a crutch I have used. This Podcast has made my month!

    Thanks Guys!

  19. Thank you for this beautiful 90s catharsis. His voice just….ah. No words.

    Also, the extended discourse on the state of the music industry was quite educational.

    I am informed, entertained, nostalgic, full, and I know a dirty soda joke now.

  25. It took me a minute to get it, too, Mr. Stupid. It helped to see it written out.

    Why does Mr. Pibb COME in a can? Because his wife died!

  27. Musical and comedic brain cum leaking out of my earholes!!
    Two well four of my favorite entertainey types in one amazeballs podcast. Pure joy!!!

  28. Ben has always been one of my favorites- a musician of great talent and class that I still follow. I’ve been fortunate enough to see him live (if memory serves) four times over the years, both with the “Five”, with his other band and solo with a piano- all special for different reasons. And Chris- Philosophy is my all time favorite :)

  31. I was at that Milwaukee gig. It was a blast. In the pouring rain. His memory is a bit off. He sang two songs completely a cappella (Bitches Ain’t Shit and Best Imitation of Myself) for us too. And then played Not the Same on the piano. We were soaked. And Ben was great to us.

  36. Hey Chris, thanks for the shout out to Racine Wisconsin. Just about blew coffee all over my notebook. Where did you come up with Racine Wisconsin as some random town? Love the podcast! Later from Racine!

  37. Hey Chris, Matt and Jonah,
    didn’t think any podcasts in recent memory could top Penn Jillette. That one made me laugh like a deficient child at an Eddie Murphy film. Then you fuckers have to put out this podcast where, sure, I still giggle along like a spastic, but then the music starts and my heart almost cleaves itself in half. I nearly auto-clefted myself!

    keep up the phenomenally good work!

  40. The first time I saw Folds live was at the Bens tour in Melbourne. I went to the signing during the day beforehand and shook those cats by the paws, and it’s still one of the happiest days of my life. Anyway the concert was phenomenal, the whole concept of a musical chairs band with each dude backing up each others tracks made for no downtime between sets, although I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick up the EP.

  41. @TheLoverly Jukebox the Ghost is one of my favorite bands! I’ve always wanted to see them live since I heard them the first time. The sheer reach of the concept in their first album… Let Live and Let Ghosts. You are lucky.

  42. Just finished this Podcast and now I want a Ben Folds VH1 StoryTellers. This was great! I would have loved to hear Selfless, Cold and Composed. Love this song!

  43. Good episode. Not my favorite, but good. I never was a fan of Ben Folds’ music, but seems like a genuinely nice and funny guy!

  44. Does this episode repeat after the 75 minute mark for anyone else? Just when the story about the ska band’s stolen trumpet begins, the intro replays and then the audio just repeats.. this has been happening a lot lately and it must be something on my end.

  45. Loved the episode! Must say I’m not quite so keen on the Genius Mix though… for some reason, it always included “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, whether I started with Billy Joel or Billie Holiday. Fairly soon, it artificially inflated “Wreck” to one of my most-played songs. Maybe I missed a setting on the iPod?

  46. Sweet mother of Jesus, this podcast made me want to be friends with you guys even more than normal, because I have great harmonies in my head for all of Ben’s songs. This was a stellar “get” for the pod cast, and I am happy that I have listened to each and every one of your podcasts, even though you don’t include props in your “quemments”…

    Maybe you should.. I’d be ok if you started with me…

  47. My favorite yet. I love hearing about Ben’s process, how he starts with chord structures and sequences he likes and goes from there. As a music theory nerd, I was in heaven.

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