"Better than Nothing"
By Josh Justice
Georgetown Independent
August 25, 2003

Somewhere between "Good and Desperately Wanting", Better than Ezra’s concert Monday night in McDonough Gym was less than "Extra Ordinary". The band is clearly getting on in years and it is hard not to say that it peaked in the mid-90s. While its well known songs from 1996 and 1997 were definitely enjoyable to sing along to, the bands newer tracks never lived up to earlier promise. Yet it would be wrong to say that Better than Ezra did not make NSO a better place for those freshmen that didn’t deem themselves too cool for a free concert. The alternative, a badly DJed dance with 1,500 people you do not know, is something I wish on no incoming Georgetown student.

The night of the show was fairly chilly, in direct contrast to the sweltering heat that graced last years NSO. Heading towards McDonough at 8:45 pm, thinking the band would start at 9:15, patrons were faced with a stalwart wall of twenty NSO advisors finally informing concert-goers that there would be no crowd surfing this evening. What type of idiot would crowd surf at a Better than Ezra concert? It took the band an extra half an hour to reach the stage. Apparently they thought Georgetown would spring for an opening act.

Immediately it was apparent that the size of the crowd was a lot smaller than free admission for 1500 people would indicate. By the time of the concert, most freshmen probably would dread anything having to deal with NSO and rather beg for cheap beer from a warm keg. Among the crowd of freshmen jammed into the front of the gym floated a few groups of upperclassmen there for a good time and to get the crowd size to a decent level. Yet even a few hundred people jammed together and poor lighting could not make McDonough seem like a true concert venue. Absent the sweet smells of spilt beer and cheap pot, the presence of annoying static from the speakers, and the lovely antics of moshers, the gym was definitely a poor substitute for a real concert venue.

The band itself was not horrible, but neither did it make anyone want to run out and grab their recent albums. Between songs lead singer Kevin Griffin alternated between funny, instructing freshmen on Better than Ezra concert etiquette, and the sappy, as he tried to add depth to some fairly shallow songs. The band was clearly at their best when playing their well known, if five year old, tunes like "Desperately Wanting" or "Roselia". Their newer selections were mostly the standard filler from a good CD’s B-side and some did not even seem warrant play on college radio. A couple of the songs were ripped from the Everclear playbook, a definite sign that the band isn’t doing so hot. Perhaps the worst part of the concert is what had promised to be the best. Several times, mostly without warning, the band would begin a cover of a great song from years past like the Blue Oyster Cult’s "Don’t Fear the Reaper" (their cover could have used more cowbell). Yet a verse into it they would cut into their own songs, songs that never quite lived up to the cover.

To give the band some credit, they did come to the University and rocked out. Last years selection of concerts was rather poor and to have a sub par Better than Ezra concert is most certainly more enjoyable than even a good O.A.R. showing. Better than Ezra has been doing its thing for nearly 15 years and still to be sticking it out and coming to give a little cheer to some young fresh-persons is definitely admirable. The lead singer was also willing to play to the crowd and that is a clear sign of a band that has toured for years and knows what it’s doing. Coming out for the encore wearing an "I Bleed Hoya Blue" shirt was a smart move on his part and hopefully gave the freshmen some sense of the school pride. New Student Orientation is not exactly the most exciting part of the freshman experience but at least it seems like those in charge are trying to improve its atmosphere. Though most incoming freshmen have probably never heard of Better than Ezra, any band would beat the grim torture that was the NSO dance of years past. So even if it wasn’t the greatest live show ever to come to the District, Better than Ezra were truly better than nothing.