Last December, NIU hosted the best concert I’ve ever missed.

The same night Ben Folds played the Duke Ellington Ballroom, I had floor tickets for ISU’s rock ‘n’ roll triple whammy featuring Weezer, Tenacious D and Jimmy Eat World.

I still hated missing Ben Folds, though.

Luckily for this reviewer, Folds brings his live energy, wit, charm and boyish vocals to his sophomore-solo effort, “Ben Folds Live.”

All 17 tracks, taken from a variety of shows from Folds’ last summer tour, highlight a colorful career. Bright spots include the hilarious “One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces” and a rousing take of “Army,” in which an audience powered chorus sings along with Folds.

-While listening to Folds sing “Rock This Bitch,” I noticed his peculiar album cover. Folds, at a live concert, is slapping his forehead in shame. Backing a distraught Folds are the middle fingers of his entire audience. Once again, in typical Folds fashion, smart-aleck humor shines without soiling the content.

The somber classic “Brick” opens with a bit of live Ben Folds commentary, revealing in tasteful fashion that “Brick” was written about the abortion his high-school girlfriend had.

Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” makes an appearance on the album, as does “Emaline” and the Misirlou-sampled “Philosophy.” Folds hits each note song after song, stretching his voice’s limitations.

Lacking from “Ben Folds Live” is the Five. More importantly, the Five’s chemistry and talented percussion section. Folds is indeed a master of his instrument, efficiently mimicking his absent instrumentals with his piano, microphone and the aid of some crowd sing-a-long.

Other than the absence of the Five, “Ben Folds Live,” is a dead-on album. Perhaps too dead on, seeing as there is almost no difference between the studio and live version of “Fred Jones Part 2.”

Also packaged to sweeten the deal is a 35 minute DVD, featuring live footage from the “Ben Folds and a Piano Tour 2002.”

Should I have seen Ben Folds that cold 2001 December night? Should I have missed ISU’s triple rock block?

No. But after listening to “Ben Folds Live,” I can almost feel like I was there.