It was a little over an hour into Ben Folds' recent concert at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles when William Shatner slipped o­nto the stage and shyly approached the microphone amid enthusiastic clapping and cheering from the sold-out crowd. The love and energy from the audience was palpable and Bill seemed like he couldn't quite believe this overwhelming acceptance of his foray back into the music scene.

With Ben Folds expert accompaniment o­n guitar and his band providing backup, Bill performed his first song of the evening, the title song o­n his new album, Has Been. Partway through the song, he brandished a noisemaker to provide some sound effects, and as the song concluded, the audience clapped and cheered.

Bill had to wait a few moments for the crowd to quiet down before he could launch into his next song, the subdued It Hasn't Happened Yet. He was definitely o­n a roll.

Next up was I Can't Get Behind That with Henry Rollins. As the song ended, someone from the audience yelled out to Bill, "We love you!"

Joe Jackson joined in for the next song, Common People, a real crowd favorite. What a wonderfully complex and engaging song to perform live o­n stage. Joe appeared to be truly honored to be part of the ensemble and he performed the song with Bill flawlessly. The audience enjoyed it immensely and even clapped in rhythm with the tempo.

With the conclusion of Common People, the performers all took their bows and left the stage. The crowd roared and continued to clap and cheer until <em>finally</em> Ben and Bill and the rest of the band came back for an encore.

The lights dimmed and the beginning chords of Lucy and the Sky with Diamonds filtered into the room as&nbsp;Bill began reciting the lyrics. When it came time for the chorus, the band kicked into high gear. The crowd joined in and the place was really rockin&#39;! It was incredible to think that this was the same song that Bill had taken ribbing for over 30 years. The performance was nothing less than amazing. No o&shy;ne wanted the concert to end as the group assembled for their final bows.

The next morning, Bill appeared o&shy;n local radio station KROQ and spoke of the experience of performing live o&shy;n stage at the El Rey the previous evening with Ben Folds, Joe Jackson, and the band. "It&#39;s the first time I?ve ever been in front of a rock &#39;n&#39; roll group in front of an audience," he said. "You feel like an Oreo cookie and I&#39;ll tell you why. The sound of the drums and the guitars are pushing you forward, off stage. The volume and energy of the audience is pushing you back stage, and the front performer is sandwiched in between vibrating with excitement. It is like being in the curl of a wave with the rush of the air and the sound of the water," he exclaimed. "It is overwhelming."

With Bill&#39;s schedule so full these days, we don&#39;t know whether he&#39;ll be able to squeeze in any more concerts, but if he does and you have the opportunity to see him, by all means, make the effort. You won&#39;t be disappointed. Meanwhile, if you haven&#39;t already picked up a copy of Bill&#39;s new CD Has Been, you should be able to get it at your local music store, or here through the website.

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