By: David Rachac
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Better than Ezra's Kevin Griffin - Photo by David Rachac (click for larger version)
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“Some bands wouldn’t play in a parking lot,” said Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin as they began their show following the 13th Annual James Page Blubber Run. But Better Than Ezra isn’t like most bands. Since tasting Top 40 success with the alt-pop hit “Good ” off of their debut album Deluxe, they released four more quality but commercially underappreciated albums and spent 10 years touring the country making appearances that included the Basilica Block Party earlier this year.
Things seem to be turning a corner for Griffin, bassist Tom Drummond and drummer Travis Aaron McNabb. Their current single “A Lifetime” hit the charts, and “Juicy” (another song off their new CD Before The Robots) was selected as the advertising theme for the new season of Desperate Housewives. Even Hurricane Katrina was kind to them – all of the band members live in New Orleans, but none of their houses suffered significant damage. On a positive roll, and with a hot, sunny day as a backdrop, Better Than Ezra energetically powered through 16 songs in front of a diverse mixture of hard-core fans and people just hanging out to hear good music.
After starting out with “Daylight” off of the new CD, they played “Good,” possibly to keep the causal listeners engaged by playing the one song they were almost sure to know. After playing “Extra Ordinary,” they talked a little bit about playing the CBS Early Show the Saturday before the hurricane and immediately flying home to help their families evacuate, and then dedicated “King of New Orleans” to their hometown.
Throughout the middle part of the set, Griffin was lobbying James Page (well, more accurately, it was the James Page Beer booth) for the obvious partnership with Jimmy Page, and contemplated beer names that could be made with Led Zeppelin’s song titles (“Kas-Beer” was pretty good, but I thought “Misty Mountain Hops” was better). He also talked about their surprise when ABC called to use “Juicy” as the promo for Desperate Housewives, and liked seeing all of the actresses mouthing the title to their song in the commercial.
Most of the second half of the set was comprised of songs off the new CD, including “Our Last Night,” which is being considered for the new single. They dedicated “Breathless” to two very enthusiastic ladies in the front row, to whom Griffin cracked “That’s the reason why I am working”. Finishing their set with one of their old songs, “Desperately Wanting,” the band waved to the crowd and said goodbye.
But the end of a Better Than Ezra show does not mean the end of the night. They almost always meet their fans after the show, so for more than a half hour, the backstage area was filled with fans getting autographs, asking questions and telling stories about the level of their devotion to the band. It is this close link between the band and their fans that has allowed them to make a solid career touring, even when radio wasn’t giving them much exposure.
Set List
Daylight (Before The Robots)
Good (Deluxe)
Misunderstood (Closer)
At The Stars (How Does Your Garden Grow?)
Burned (Before The Robots)
Extra Ordinary (Closer)
King of New Orleans (Friction, Baby)
A Southern Thing (Before The Robots)
Summerhouse (Deluxe)
Juicy (Before The Robots)
A Lifetime (Before The Robots)
Our Last Night (Before The Robots)
Get You In (Closer)
Breathless (Before The Robots)
In The Blood (Deluxe)
Desperately Wanting (Friction, Baby)
Location Info:
James Page Blubber Run
Artist Info: Better Than Ezra
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