Monday, June 16, 2008

The Last Bitches Ain't Shit


Though Ben didn't exactly debut any completely new songs at Bonnaroo this weekend, it likely saw the retirement of a fan favourite and surprising crowd pleaser, his strangely poignant cover of Dr. Dre's Bitches Ain't Shit. Apparently he already played it "for the last time" at recent gigs, but this may very well be THE final performance since Ben wanted it to go out in a blaze of glory. With the song recorded for posterity (thanks AT&T!), as far as I'm concerned it is... The Last Bitches Ain't Shit.

Ben Folds - The Last Bitches Ain't Shit (live at Bonnaroo) [originally by Dr. Dre]
I love how it's totally become this huge sing-a-long and everyone knows the overly profane lyrics verbatim.

Three new songs played from his as-yet-untitled album due in the fall:
Ben Folds - Errant Dog (live at Bonnaroo)
Ben Folds - Hiroshima (live at Bonnaroo)
Ben Folds - Free Coffee (live at Bonnaroo)

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The Bonnaroo webcast also yielded a typically great performance from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, who finished off their set with some James Brown tracks.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings:
Nobody's Baby (live at Bonnaroo)
It's a Man's Man's Man's World (live at Bonnaroo) [originally by James Brown]
Things Got to Get Better (Get Together) / There Was a Time (live at Bonnaroo) [originally by Marva Whitney / James Brown]
The big closing number starts off with Things Got to Get Better (Get Together) by Marva Whitney, a funk diva who performed as part of the James Brown Revue, then segues into James Brown's There Was a Time, which serves as a showcase for Sharon Jones to demonstrate various dance moves. She starts with the Camel Walk, does the Boogaloo, the Mashed Potato, The Tighten Up, and more. You really need to see the accompanying video for the full effect, but I still think you can get a sense of the Dap-Kings experience just from listening to these live tracks. If they come to your town, definitely check 'em out.

8 comments:

boyhowdy said...

Damn, that's some clear, clear live recording. Sharon Jones' Man's World cover is clear as a bell. Almost like being there, except without the mass dehydration and sleepless crowds.

Fongolia said...

No kidding. Major kudos for corporate sponsors, eh? The people running that AT&T Blue Room did a great job. I read they'll be doing the same thing for Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits too!

Ray said...

I was there for these shows, and Bitches Ain't Shit was amazing for the audience participation alone. Thanks for posting! You don't have a non-youtube rip of the videos, do you?

Fongolia said...

You were there? Lucky duck. I couldn't figure out how to capture the video, just the audio. Though I'm under the impression at least some (hopefully all) of the video will be available on the AT&T Blue Room archives soon.

Anonymous said...
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Arlo said...

So........ the links don't work anymore?

DAMN! I'm trying to collect here! :)

Fongolia said...

Sorry, links are only valid for a few weeks. If you're looking for the Ben Folds tracks, bootlegs and more including the Bonnaroo set can be found here.

Arlo said...

Wow! What an incredible resource!

Thanks so much!