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IN THIS ISSUE: DVD Review Jeremy Arth: The Bootlog True Experience: Friends of Ezra TTOY Hall of Fame BTE Impressions
Volume 2
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JEREMY ARTH (CONT'D): The following is Jeremy's initial reaction to seeing the DVD for the first time. He had this posted on the BTE Message Board a week or so before the DVD release to give Ezralites everywhere a heads up on what they were about to witness. The Serenade is glad to be able to share it here as well: My
DVD Preview Review I have seen the DVD, and it is Good. (Get it?) A word of warning: Take your socks off before they're knocked off. The Better Than Ezra Live at the House of Blues DVD channels every subtle nuance and extracts every ounce of passion that makes each concert distinct and memorable, and distills it into an hour and a half long audio/visual Ezralite orgasm.
Travis Aaron McNabb launches a one-man assault on the drum kit, with opposing rhythm lines so complex it would resemble a sonic train wreck if left in the hands of a lesser artist. The chest-crushing, full-on Tom Drummond low-end is delivered with a fervor and intensity enough to create sympathy for the instrument at his mercy. Kevin Griffin puts the K and G into "rocking" with his patented grit-teeth velvet tenor and lunging guitar attacks. And what would a live BTE experience be without the infallible guitar licks and piano fills of James Arthur Payne? I know my Ezra and the performances captured here in the straightforward, no-frills video do such sweet justice to the songs that helped pull the genre of three-chord power-pop up from the grudge-laden depths of the mid '90s. "Good" and "Rosealia" still pack as much of a punch as when they hit the air originally, but are reinvigorated here by Drummond's relentless and dynamic bass solos. "Beautiful Mistake" and "Live Again" were performed in the way that God intended. Passionate, subtle and angry with a slow, strong build- if concerts could have sex scenes, this is it. "In the Blood" gets better every time I hear it, and this might be the topper. |
McNabb's Zen-like restraint on the drums gives Griffin the perfect amount of time to send out his lyrics and hit those guitar riffs that helped launch the band almost ten years ago. In a word, "synergy." In two words, "rock" and "on." Pulling from all of their albums, the set list guarantees that nary a fan will be disappointed, as no gem goes unpolished. And this says nothing of the documentary that I directed over three years ago, that features a behind the scenes look at everyone's own personal rock band. As I told the rest of my crew, it took 3 years, two Olympics, the Cubs in the World Series, a handful of J.Lo weddings, a wardrobe malfunction and an Olsen twin in rehab, but the documentary has finally been brought down and made available to Ezralites everywhere. Prometheus has left the building. Better Than Ezra has worked tirelessly over the past few years to be able to deliver this DVD onto its legions of patiently awaiting fans. Now, having seen it, I can assure you, the waiting is over, the prize is near. And, oh, is it glorious. This is not my first barbecue, so to faithfully recreate the BTE live experience, heed my advice: Stand in the middle of your apartment/living space, about 5 feet from the TV. Grab a plastic cup brimming with PBR or Red Stripe, or some other cheap hipster brew (age permitting). (I fashioned an over-21 bracelet out of construction paper, some red yarn and elbow macaroni, but then I also waited for two hours outside of my own apartment, just to simulate the full experience of a real BTE concert.) Crank the volume to the point marked "Impending Eviction" (it can be found just past 11 on most dials), and press play. Of course, this DVD won't be available until September 28th, so that gives you a couple of weeks to take your socks off. Otherwise, they'll be knocked off. (See what I did there?) -Jeremy
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