I could hardly move through the sea of people at Anaheim’s House of Blues the night of June 20th. The room was packed with Ben Folds fans, staunchly claiming their spot on the floor and waiting for the man of the hour to take the stage. But first, they were treated to opening act Kenton Chen.
Kenton Chen
The Irvine native and former Sing-Off contestant played a quick thirty-minute set, but the great talent he showed off in that short time was awe-inspiring.
Chen opened with an a cappella rendition of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” that left audience members stunned by his tremendous and soulful voice. His smile lit up the stage as the crowd burst into applause, and he quickly followed up the performance with a funky and unique version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” Chen looped his vocals through a machine to create backup vocals and harmonies for most of his songs, which added an interesting and unique element to his set.
He finished up with a few hauntingly beautiful tracks off his album Something About Love, giving the crowd a taste of his piano skills and his dancing skills.
Ben Folds
Only a short time after Kenton’s set had wrapped, Ben Folds took his place at the piano and got straight to work. Opening with the clever and funny “Levi Johnston’s Blues,” Folds got the crowd laughing as they bobbed their heads along to his jazzy tune.
His performance was rather simplistic, with him merely sitting at the piano for much of it, but what he lacked in mobility he made up for with incredible wit and musicality.
He played an array of songs, such as “Effington,” “Jesusland,” and “Fred Jones Part 2,” and he even put together an impromptu song after one audience member apologized for her raucous shouting, aptly titled “Apologetic Heckler.”
Each song included a hugely impressive piano solo that was a testament to the musical genius of Mr. Folds, and his performance was an incredibly enjoyable and exciting one.
See more photos from this concert here.
