If there is one word to sum up Ben Folds’ performance at the Pageant, Sunday, Jan. 30, it would have to be energizing.

Any concert that starts with the band running out, tackling each other, standing on their instruments, and throwing chairs against the piano keys is going to be an energizing concert.

But Ben Folds went the extra step and shared all of that energy with the audience. After improvising a few songs and joking around with the crowd, the audience was pretty involved in the show.

But about halfway through the show, Ben took a break and let the audience sing his song, “Working Day” instead of singing it himself.

“I want to get all the girls doing a few parts, and then all the guys doing some,” Folds said. Folds said he was recording the audience so he could put up the whole thing on YouTube.

A few people heckled Ben for his attempt at involving the audience, and Ben resisted the offer to strike out at them when he jokingly said, “Violence is not the answer…But neither is being a jackass.”

The video is going up on YouTube along with those of other cities he’s toured so far. Eventually, Ben Folds said he’d like to edit all of the videos together to make one big song.

But awesome stage presence aside, Ben Folds played a little something for everyone. From humorous new tracks like “Levi Johnson’s Blues,” to more heavy-hearted old tracks such as “Evaporated,” and even a cover of Ke$ha’s “Sleazy,” Ben Folds played it all.

Folds was backed by an equally energetic band of four for most of the show, but took the stage by himself for a bit to take requests from the audience.

What makes Ben Folds an even better act is that his love for his fans doesn’t end after the show. He stopped out back to meet with the more than 30 fans who waited in the freezing cold just to meet him.

After signing autographs, taking pictures and sharing a couple of laughs, Folds drove away in a van, videotaping the fans who stayed behind as part of his tour video.

The opening act, Street Corner Symphony, deserves a mention here too, because it’s a capella stylings went well with Folds’ sound. Street Corner Symphony competed on NBC’s “The Sing Off,” a show that Ben Fold’s judged for.

The band did mostly covers, putting their own twists on songs by artists such as The Beatles, Radiohead and even Ben Folds himself. They performed one original song, “Shooting Star.”

All in all, Ben Folds killed it. He engages the audience and at a venue as intimate as The Pageant, it felt like he was best friends with everyone there.

This guy played a sold out show for a reason: He performs. Whether it’s a silly cover song, or a heavy piece written by his co-writer on this album, “Lonely Avenue,” Ben gets very involved, and so does the audience.