Ask any of the fans who pack the Varsity or the House of Blues whenever they play a Louisiana gig: Better Than Ezra’s live shows are a blast. Or ask my wife, who has been friends with the band since her college days, when four LSU boys— Kevin Griffin, Tom Drummond, Cary Bonnecaze and Joel Rundell—started pulling a crowd to Murphy’s and other Baton Rouge venues with irrepressible, Louisiana-proud southern rock songs like “State Street State of Mind” and “This Time of Year.” My future wife was often in that crowd, and for her, the early songs that eventually made their way onto Deluxe, BTE’s 1993 debut, form the soundtrack that lit the dawn of her adulthood. Hers and hundreds of thousands of others, because by 1995, Deluxe had sold half a million copies (1.8 million to date) and the band had a major label record deal. That friendship has meant lots of chances to see Ezra play over the years, and it never ceases to astonish us to see these three guys win over a crowd of thousands, armed only with guitars, cool songs … and the occasional afro wig or ninja warrior outfit.

“I don’t think it’s any coincidence that bands from the Southeast are good live bands,” reflected lead singer Kevin Griffin. “Because when you start off you’re just a college band, which means you’re competing against so many other great college bands—Dash Rip Rock, the B52s, REM. If you wanted to survive on the southeast circuit, you had to be good and you had to entertain. Our vibe is silly and fun, and we just try to break down the wall and be really casual about the whole thing. I guess we just figured out what worked.”

I guess they did. At a recent show at Chicago’s House of Blues, Better Than Ezra played to a packed house, where a super-appreciative crowd sang along to old songs and new, and howled their approval when trombonist Big Sam, of New Orleans’ Big Sam & the Funky Nation, joined the band and lent his trombone to Ezra hits “Juicy” and “Desperately Wanting.” It was December, and the band were playing dates on their “Road to Mardi Gras” tour, which will culminate in New Orleans with shows at the House of Blues on March 4 and 5. Because after seven albums and twenty-some years on the road, New Orleans and Louisiana still serve as the grounding rod, musically and personally, that tethers Better Than Ezra to the earth. Observed Griffin, “If you look at the earlier songs and some of our biggest ones, they were straight southern rock—they’re all about the place and the people and growing up here. Later, when we moved to New Orleans, a different sound started to find its way in. Songs like ‘Juicy,’ and ‘King of New Orleans’—Listen to the pocket. They’ve got a second-line groove.”

Even as career, influences, opportunities and lineup changes have kept Better Than Ezra evolving, Louisiana keeps drawing them back, and in some ways, the band identifies with this place more than ever now. Since 2000, the Better Than Ezra Foundation has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the structural and cultural heritage of New Orleans and South Louisiana. They still play ten to twenty shows a year in Louisiana, including a couple at the original stomping ground—The Varsity. Asked what’s the best thing about playing the home turf, Griffin’s quick: “Everybody knows the songs! They know the lyrics. I don’t even have to sing. And you get to see so many people … you see their kids! When you do stuff you don’t really have perspective, then suddenly it’s twenty-two years later …”

What’s new for Better Than Ezra in 2011? There’s a major label deal and new songs in the works, so an eighth album won’t be far away. “New sounds are always creeping in,” hinted Griffin. “I would guess the new stuff will be more stripped-down pop rock,” he suggested, citing music by Broken Bells, Gorillaz and Milke Snow as recent influences. In addition to the House of Blues shows this March, the band will host a Krewe of Rocckus (get it?) destination event based in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras. Participants get cocktail parties, brunches, parade viewing real estate, accommodation at the Hilton, shows with Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Pat Green and Better Than Ezra; and lots of face time with the band. On May 6 they’ll be back to play Jazz Fest from the lofty vantage point of the Acura Stage, right before indie darlings Arcade Fire. That’ll be a huge crowd, and another opportunity for Better Than Ezra to remind their Louisiana fans why, after twenty-two years, they’re not just surviving on the southeast circuit, but thriving. By way of explanation Griffin quotes Elton John: “You’ve got to be exceptional. You’ve got to make people want to come back.”

betterthanezra.com
kreweofrocckus.com for the
details of that event.

Add Comment