Ben Folds Five

Formed in 1994 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this trio's trademark is the unexpected. Though the group shares its name with founder Ben Folds, there are three, not five, members, and unlike most bands whose lead instrument is the guitar, BFF features a piano. The group's first major hit, “Brick” (1997), off Whatever and Ever Amen, deals with the stark subject of a young couple's relationship after they seek an abortion. The band released their sophomore effort, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, in 1999. The band members are: Ben Folds (pianist, singer); Robert Sledge (bassist), formerly with the band Toxic Popsicle; and Darren Jessee (drummer).