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IN THIS ISSUE:
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THE HEALING POWER OF I was stood up. And by a friend, no less. I've decided this is far worse than being stood up by a guy, but I could be wrong. However, this made me realize a huge distinction – I am a fan – and this friend just thinks Kevin is hot. A fan listens to the same songs over and over, a fan uses the message board, a fan makes a pilgrimage to see the guys play in NOLA, a fan knows how to break it on down in KONO, and a fan drives to Georgia Tech in the pouring down rain to see the guys. Can a fan still think Kevin is hot? Um, hell yeah...
Now, before you feel too sorry for me, or the extra ticket I had, let me assure you that my night got much better and the ticket was put to good use. I gave the ticket to Ashleigh whom I recognized from her posts on the message board. Red haired, pregnant, and making the trek from Alabama alone, Ashleigh is a fan and now a friend. The night got even better as local favorites, and opening act, Bain Mattox took the stage. The Athens based band played a mixture from their album Technicolor Episode and their self-titled new release. You can find more out about the guys at www.bainmattox.com (an address that Bain made sure we all knew by the end of the night). Then, the almighty rooster crowed, and the guys came on. Opening with "Recognize," they managed to play a wide variety of songs that pleased both Ezralites and crowd members a little less familiar with the songs. The show contained most of what we've come to expect from an Ezra show, but still held a few surprises. Due to the intimate setting of the Ferst Center, the guys were even able to hear (and oblige) a fan's request to hear "Hollow" even though it wasn't on the set-list. Kevin's joked that given the size of the crowd, we all might as well have been hanging out at Tom's house on a Monday night. The guys brought their usual energy to the stage and joked easily with the audience. The crowd really enjoyed "Misunderstood," "Good," "Rolling," and "Live Again." And my personal favorite of the new songs, "Special," was happily thrown in the mix. After playing "Extra Ordinary," talk turned to the upcoming DVD release. Kevin mentioned that special features about each of the guys are being added for the release. He kidded that the DVD could be subtitled "Better than Ezra Gone Wild." |
Kevin added his usual commentary to "King of New Orleans" with a rendition of "Debra" by Beck for good measure. And, James Arthur Payne strutted his stuff during "Rosealia." Travis's face sported an infectious smile throughout the show. Tom roamed the stage doing his various Tom moves and drew in the audience in even more into the show by making eye contact. Once again, Kevin asked for the lights to be brought down low like a Widespread Panic show. The guys almost did a cover of "Mickey" by Toni Basil. Travis started up the mad beats, but Kevin refused to sing. They also gave a brief nod to the new Outkast song.
The guys ended the set with "At the Stars," "Lifetime," "Sincerely, Me" and "Desperately Wanting" in quick succession. They left the crowd wanting more and returned for a great encore of "Daylight," "Blood," and "Get You In." "In the Blood" included a cover of "Don't Fear the
Reaper" and the cowbell was finally added to this BTE-Blue Oyster Cult
tribute. As one of the people who participated in the message board thread
asking for the cowbell, I was thrilled when they let Kenny try it (try
being the operative word). The song ended with Jim doing an impersonation
of Christopher Walken from an SNL skit. "Guess what? I got a fever! And
the only prescription... is more cowbell!" The cowbell alone was enough to
make me forget the earlier frustrations of the evening, but the night
still managed to get better. And in a final act of patience, I managed to snag one of the set-lists after the show. A chance conversation with Bain Mattox on my way out of the Ferst Center, proved fruitful as he gave Ashleigh and me backstage passes as souvenirs. We then ventured around the building to meet the guys at a side entrance. I am always impressed with the charisma the guys exude both on and off the stage. They obliged all fan autograph requests and I finally had my picture taken with them. And just in case you're still feeling a little sorry for me, don't think that I didn't call that friend and gloat over everything she missed... This was Holly's first SERENADE review. And she did a great job, didn't she? Let's hope there's many more to come. |
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