Someday I'd like to go to Chapel Hill

Ben Folds dropped by The Suburbs, hinting at plans for "Chapel Hill on Sept 18th that I'm told we have to wait a few more days to announce. There will be those who shit. I know I will. Very excited but I gotta hold it in a few more days."

Could it be a one-off reunion everyone's favourite fraudulent quintet, Ben Folds Five at their old stomping grounds??? Makes sense. Darren Jessee and his band Hotel Lights just put out a new album with an unreleased BFF song on it. Ben's just one state over in Nashville, Darren Jessee's based (I think) in Chapel Hill, and Robert Sledge is still active there... in fact Lucky, a new band with Squirrel Nut Zippers' Katharine Whalen and Will Dawson, are playing a gig with the Robert Sledge Band in Chapel Hill on September 13th. I still can't believe two of my favourite bands both come from Chapel Hill (BFF and SNZ).

Ben Folds Five - Song for the Dumped (Sessions at West 54th)

If true, that's really bittersweet because I definitely would not be able to go, but still it's wicked if this comes to fruition. Somebody send a camera crew!


By the way, one time Squirrel Nut Zipper honorary member Andrew Bird is in town this weekend for The Stanley Park Exhibition with the New Pornographers. Ugh, can't go but that would've been pretty awesome. Thankfully I've seen both acts before. Anyway, hope they do it again next year.

Andrew Bird - Jesus Gonna Make My Dyin' Bed [traditional]
From his appearance last month at the Calgary Folk Fest, recorded by the fine folks at CBC Radio 2. Blind Willie Johnson first recorded Jesus Gonna Make My Dyin' Bed in the late 1920's from a traditional gospel tune, Bob Dylan recorded it as In My Time of Dyin' on his 1962 self-titled debut, and so did Led Zeppelin on 1975's Physical Grafitti, their longest studio track and one of my faves. I'm guessing Andrew Bird's version reaches way back to its traditional roots because it is not remotely recognizable from any version of the song I've heard. Sounds great though!