Guy (Ben Folds?) plays piano and sings about the people he's chatrouletting with

I could watch Piano Chat Improv all day!

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Matt Deckard

I was going to chime in before, but I figured that nobody actually thought this was Ben Folds. When I first saw the video I was struck by how similar this guy’s style is to Folds’ and how much he looks like him, but it’s pretty freaking obvious that is not Ben Folds’ voice!
Gspeex

Mark- I realy think u oughta do the same thing, but with one of yer homemade ukes!
Anonymous

NOT Ben, but still awesome.
Andy

@krnna and others… no, this is definitely *NOT* Ben Folds. The playing style is somewhat similar, but not nearly as fluid and polished as Folds (even Ben’s improvisational work done in concert seems effortless). Plus, Merton’s face doesn’t quite look like Ben. But, this is damn funny and still he’s talented.
fidel_funk

Yesss Mark, and juggle some of those beautiful bananas simotaniously!
krnnna

OK, this is not Ben Folds. Other than playing the piano and wearing glasses, they look and sound nothing alike. It doesn’t take away from the amazing-ness of this video.

“It looks like we got a thumbs up situation going on over there” Amazing
DrieStone

Yeah, not Ben Folds… talented and cool, but not him.
Narfig_Agar

Nice!
arbitraryaardvark

In 4 days, he’s gotten ~ a million hits and 40,000 subscribers. Somebody should sign this dude (if he’s not ben.)
Anonymous

Motherf*^$in THREE!!!! LOL. So good.
Anonymous

Yes Please!
Grey Devil

Hah, fantastic idea for a musician to do improv involving a social media site like Chatroulette. Though personally i’d be a bit weirded out by most of the random people on there, especially with the high number of trolls and perverts on that particular site.
Anonymous

i really don’t wanna be first.
Tanukintama

First time I’ve seen an entertaining Chatroulette video that doesn’t involve perverted or gross stuff.
splatocaster

This guy just won today’s internet. “Drinkin’ deep from the BOT-TLE!”
ninjasuperspy

I just attended a Ben Folds concert in Charlotte NC (at the Fillmore) and he did improve via Chatroulette for about 20-30 minutes of the show. Shockingly, there were only three dudes with their wangs out.
- ninjasuperspy
  
  That is to say, that video is a guy doing a Ben Folds impression. Ben Folds did do the Chatroulette improv thing, complete with hoodie and glasses though so points for trying.
Anonymous

This is totally Ben Folds: Here is your proof: http://tweetphoto.com/15036800
Anonymous

Ben Folds?
Quiet Noises

If it quacks like a Ben Folds…
Anonymous

i karaoke while cr. i’m terrible, of course, but people seem to like it.
Moe

He wins chatroulette!
Yurko

and it looks like a ben folds….

http://i.imgur.com/JQZLw.jpg
Anonymous

Not Ben Folds. Looks kinda like him, but the voice isn’t Ben’s by a long shot.

Also, while this guy’s quite funny, Ben is absolutely hysterical when he improvises. See: “Rock This Bitch” with the West Australia Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSecr22waoE
Anonymous

I swear to god this is Ben Folds. Looks like him, sounds like him… crazy!
Anonymous

tisk tisk tisk. i believe it his him in his discreet manor. thumb melodies, slim face n hoodie covered. curses are a must my friend. see what his majority hand is and check videos and do the comparison!
P1rat3

Can we please get Piano Chat Improv guy and Mr. Trololo together for a Chatroulette duet?

Please?
Gutierrez

Merton denies he is Ben Folds, therefore he must be Ben Folds.
Anonymous

This guy is even better – The guitar playing, improv singing Jesus of Chatroullete

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX7UPRdSqcA
Daniel

I bet this guy knows every last Ben Folds song, but he is not.
After all a pro is someone who makes money for what they do and he does not, but Ben Folds gets paid for playing piano and kissing ass.
SamSam

Is this some new thing among teen girls that they all make heart-signs with their hands in front of the camera? The girls in the guitar-playing link posted above did the same thing. Or has this always happened?
mtellers

As it’s been established, Merton is not Ben Folds, but Ben folds did follow in Merton’s footsteps to produce this gem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfamTmY5REw&feature=player_embedded
jackie31337

Regardless of who this guy is, he’s fantastic. It almost makes me want to try Chat Roulette.
PeaceLove

Puhleeze. Ben Folds is 43 years old. This guy is waaay to young to be Ben Folds.
- Anonymous
  
  Its quite obvious it’s ben folds if you knew anything about ben folds, he is very young looking and acting for his older age. He sounds like him, looks like him, plays the piano like him, laughs like him, is as good at improv as him, calls himself merton and covers most of his head with a hoodie and claims not to be ben folds… NEED I Say more???
Robert

I like how the partners suddenly appear, kinda frowny, kinda sad, very bored, and slowly the smile creeps over their faces.
Quiet Noises

These are bonafide Ben Folds piano parts & vocal melodies. He is very well known to pull pranks, improvise as well as ask for requests from the audience.

And “3, 3, 3, 3, motherfuckin’ 3!” couldn’t come from anyone else’s mouth.