How come Ben Folds dressed as a pirate when he performed "Learn to Live With What You Are" on Late Night with?

Question

Conan O'Brien on October 19 2006?

Answer 1

Perhaps it was his way to celebrate Halloween early.

A couple years ago at one of his concerts in Washington DC, he was looking for song requests from the crowd. He thought someone yelled, "tell a joke," so he did. He told a pirate joke and then he made a song out of it. May be he was going to do that skit on Conan but changed his mind last minute.

Answer 2

So that it would make his performance memorable, which it seems to have done.

Answer 3

Cocaine.