Ben Folds (Photo by Joe Vaughn)
Ben Folds and Violent Femmes have announced a very special summer co-headline tour, set to begin July 28, and landing at The Anthem on Tuesday, July 30.
The very same day Ben performs at The Anthem, he publishes his first memoir via Ballantine — A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons, a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming-of-age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. In his book, Ben opens up about finding his voice as a musician, becoming a rock anti-hero, and hauling a baby grand piano on and off stage for every performance. Ben circles back to DC on Oct. 1 for a book chat at the Kennedy Center with Politics & Prose.
Meanwhile, Ben and Violent Femmes bring good vibes to The Anthem! Ben has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. His last album was a blend of pop songs and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra that soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts.
For over a decade, Ben’s performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, and in 2017 was named as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. He continues to perform with orchestras, and also does solo touring, delivering a high-energy rock show with the intimacy of a solo piano performance.
Watch the official music video for “Capable of Anything” from the album So There by Ben Folds on YouTube:
Violent Femmes formed in 1981 as an acoustic punk band playing on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their main influences at that time were Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps and The Velvet Underground. Their goal was to rock harder than any other acoustic act on the planet. Violent Femmes eponymous debut album became the first and only album in Billboard history to enter the charts with a platinum certification eight years after its release. Over the ensuing three decades, the Femmes became a mainstay of festivals, clubs, and theaters in more than 20 countries worldwide.
More than 30 years into their careers, Violent Femmes will spend 2019 touring extensively and have announced a new album to be released in late summer.
Watch the official music video for “American Music” by Violent Femmes on YouTube:
Ben Folds and Violent Femmes
w/ Savannah Conley
The Anthem
Tuesday, July 30
Doors @ 6:30pm
$55 GA/ $75 Super Excellent Seats
All ages