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Formed: 1993 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Ended Sept. 11, 2001, the day leader Ben Folds' first serious solo record, Rockin' the Suburbs, came out. Re-formed a decade later to record a few songs. Folds, like Springsteen before him, missed his old buddies enough to get the band back together.
Sounds like: Amanda Palmer's nerdy boyfriend who plays drums for the marching band and is president of the AV club.
For fans of: Referential piano-based pop music, The Rockford Files, Randy Newman.
Latest release: The Sound of the Life of the Mind.
Why you care: Because Ben Folds left money on the table to make this happen. Folds has been selling out theaters at large colleges for the past decade without the other two dudes, but he wants them anyway. As he told The Village Voice, "Getting the guys back together, you know, it's actually a pay cut for me. But I'm into it because this is inspiring." Why? Maybe the four-time divorcé just desperately needs partners in life.
SEE IT: Ben Folds Five plays the Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., on Tuesday, Feb. 5. 8 pm. $55.
WWeek 2015