ChatRoulette: for those of you not in the know, it’s a new internet ‘sensation’ where you are randomly paired with someone to video chat. You can hit ‘next’ at any point to move on to a new random chat partner).
A fellow by the name of Merton (Ben Folds) has started using ChatRoulette to write improvised songs about the people who pop up. You can take a look here.
After posting several of the videos to youtube and garnering a following - he performs it live!
Talk about a great live show - he puts the camera on him and the audience, so an unsuspecting chat participant is greeted by a screaming crowd. More often than not they run away, but a few stick around and receive improved songs written about them.
The audience gets to ‘participate’ by almost teaming up with Ben Folds. When the chat partner pops up - yes it’s Ben writing the song and singing, but the entire crowd cheers and is with him. They don’t know what’s going to happen and neither does he; so in turn they both - the audience and ben - become performers for the random chatter together.
Love it.
