Ben Folds

On Saturday after we finished the necessary yard work and envelope stuffing required for the wedding, Steve and I got to go up to Deer Valley to the Ben Folds Concert. We grabbed some Café Rio in Park City, hiked the hill from the parking lot, staked out a good spot and ate our “picnic” on the lawn. I’d never been to Deer Valley before, and I was not disappointed. It was beautiful! We watched the sunset as the concert started, the temperature could not have been better and everything around us was green.

Ben Folds was playing with the Utah Symphony. He created orchestrations to some of his most popular songs, and the Symphony accompanied him on his piano. I’ve liked Ben Folds for awhile, but it was Steve who introduced me to him back when we dated in High School. So he was far more excited than I was for the concert. It was fun to be able to watch him, watching Ben Folds. Steve’s learned a few of his songs on the piano, so he knows when the hard parts are coming up, and what keys the songs are written in so he’d point those things out to me, and it totally made me realize how talented Ben Folds is. To watch him play the piano was hilarious, incredible and exhausting. His fingers move so fast it’s ridiculous, and he not only plays his songs, but writes them as well! His language left a lot to be desired, (he doesn’t hold back the swearing, even in front of a Utah audience.) but we got to hear some awesome arrangements with the symphony. My favorites were Gracie, Lullabye and Landed, which sound amazing the string section behind them. Another one that I didn’t know very well before but that I loved was Narcolepsy. (It was nice to have Steve there to point out the songs I didn’t know well.)

The best part of the evening however happened after the concert. Some people sitting next to us, who were sort of smashed, turned to us and asked if we wanted 311 tickets. We were strangers, and it seemed weird to me they’d even ask, but we just smiled and said “we’re good.” They asked why not and I said “because we’ll be on our honeymoon…” because I think that’s when the 311 concert is. However, our slightly drunken friends thought I said, “we’re on our honeymoon.” They laughed and “oohed and ahhed” and started the whole section cheering for us. We just decided to play along, because it seemed like it would be a futile attempt trying to explain their mistake. We just smiled and gave them a thumbs-up as we left the concert, and they had a grand old time teasing us as we walked away. Good times.

All in all it was a fun night out for us. Steve and I have been so stressed about the wedding, it was nice to just get away from the planning and be together with no worries attached.

Only 1 month to go!