| IN THIS ISSUE:
DVD Review
Page 1
Page 2
Page
3
Jeremy Arth:
"Close, But Not Touching"
Page
4
Page 5
The Bootlog
Page 6
Fan Profile / What Lurks Below
Page
7
True Experience:
New Orleans
Page
8
The Reviews
Page
9
Page
10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Friends of Ezra
Page
18
News & Links
Page
19
Map of Ezra
Page 20
TTOY Hall of Fame
Page 21
BTE Impressions
Page 22
THE ARCHIVES
Volume 1
Mar.
2003
May 2003
July
2003
Sept.
2003
Nov.
2003
Jan.
2004
Volume 2
Mar.
2004
May 2004
July
2004
Sep.
2004
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Kevin & Tom Rock the Natchez Trail
(Photo Contest Winner: Ree, click to enlarge)
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
DVD EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
OK, so no one was surprised to hear that I was
expecting the DVD to be good. OK, very good. But, I was really taken
aback by the final product. I’m sure many of our readers feel the
same way. The Live CD rocks too. How about "Cold Year" and
"Stall?" I'm digging those too and hope I'll get to see them
performed live on day (don't forget to get in those concert requests
folks!).
This edition of the Serenade also has an exclusive
interview with the Director of the documentary segment of the
DVD, Jeremy Arth. I'm really proud to bring you this interview and would like to say a big “thank you” to Jeremy for the
spectacular work he and his crew did on the "Close, But Not
Touching." It really provides some of
the most candid and revealing glimpses of the band
“behind the silver curtain.” A PERSON, PLACE OR TIME?
Shifting gears... I wonder, does watching BTE remind
you of a certain “person, place or time?” I was
pondering this as I watched “Beautiful Mistake” on the
DVD. Such a simple, but emotionally complex song.
Every time I hear/see it, I flash back to a moment
almost 30 years ago. I was staying with some friends
when their father re-appeared after a number of
years absence. I’ll always associate the song with that
moment. The intense emotions. The tension in the
air. Until I heard the song and read what it's about, I scarcely
remembered this event. What a rare talent this is. BTE just
seems to be able to translate human emotions into
song. And
it’s not all about lyrics. As in “Beautiful Mistake,”
the music and the nuances of how it played really makes the song speak.
Anyway, that’s what’s on my mind.
Cheers, EnglishDave
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BETTER THAN EZRA:
LIVE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES, NEW ORLEANS (DVD REVIEW)
by EnglishDave
I thought I'd bore everyone with some of my observations on the
concert and related material on the new DVD (I shall leave comments on
the documentary to Director, Jeremy Arth).
There really is a whole lot to say about the DVD, far more than can be
said in one article, but I've tried to touch upon some high points:
The Introduction
As you all know, the DVD starts off with some fan cam footage from
before the concert. The short interviews/shots feature a nice
cross-section of people who attend BTE shows in New Orleans. Some are
younger, some are older.
Some are newer fans (or first-time concertgoers) or veterans (in
terms of shows, not necessarily age). And still
other fans manage to skate by their interviews without revealing
they have been to over 100 shows!
Anyone who’s been to a show at the HoB will recognize the alleyway
that leads up to the entrance to the venue and the view down Decatur
Street before the alleyway. And you can tell the shows were filmed in
August as everyone looks very hot. But kudos to the kind soul on the House
of Blues
who set up that fan!
The Show Begins
As we all know, the fabled "Rooster" crow intro signals the start of
a BTE show. Thankfully, this feature was left in the DVD and Live CD. It
sends a shiver of excitement through the crowd that the viewer can also
sense. And the band filters onto the stage under cover of the
temporarily extinguished houselights. As the lights come up, the guys
are in their places and ready to rock.
Recognize
Several years ago when the band first debuted "Recognize" as an
opening tune, I remember Tom Drummond saying: "Kevin thinks it works as
an opener, but I don’t think it does as it’s too slow." I agreed with
Tom’s assessment, but that was then and this is now. I bet he’s changed
his mind too (More on
page 2). |
