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Mardi Gras Madness
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KG at the Movies
PAGE 3
BTE Lexicon
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The Band Take Fan Questions
(Coming Soon)
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Fan Profile: Jamie C.
Global BTE: Germany!!
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6
In Step with STELLA
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Legon Journal
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9
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10
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11
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Northeast Show Reviews & Pics
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13
Oh Fayetteville!
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The Spring Break Quest
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15
News, Dates & Soundclips
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Letters to the Editor
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17
Laid-Back in Memphis
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UPCOMING BTE TOUR DATES
Upcoming tour dates are taken from the TOUR
section of the BTE website. Other dates appearing on other
websites will be noted as to their source.
Thursday 05-29-2003 Baltimore, MD
Power Plant Live
Friday 05-30-2003 Norfolk, VA
Town Point Park Friday 06-06-2003 Tupelo, MS
Elvis Presley Festival Saturday 06-07-2003 Jackson, MS
Hal and Mal's Thursday 06-12-2003 Houston, TX
Numbers Friday 06-13-2003 Austin, TX
Stubbs BBQ Saturday 06-14-2003 Dallas, TX
Gypsy Tea Room Friday 06-20-2003 Racine, WI
Harbor Fest
Tuesday 07-01-2003 Newport, RI
Newport Sunset Music Festival, Newport Yachting Center
Thursday 07-10-2003 Nashville, TN
CC's Dancin' in the District Friday 07-11-2003 Atlanta,
GA
Vanilla Coke's On the Bricks BETTER THAN EZRA IN THE NEWS
The following links to articles/interviews,
concert reviews, photos/video, and the ubiquitous "other"
category have been collected over the last several years. Later
editions of the SERENADE will feature more current links
as the debut of the new CD approaches:
Articles/Interviews
Kevin Griffin tells the tale of the fate of Beyond Records in this
October 2002 interview. He also reveals that they might just put some of the
"Closer" material on the forthcoming CD.
Tom Drummond told the Modesto Bee all about BTE's music on TV,
the loyal intergenerational fans, and their favorite treats in this
September 2002 interview.
Tom Drummond reminisces about BTE's history and some of the songs from
"Closer" in this interview.
Lost at Sea writer Eric J. Herboth wrote a thoughtful article on
BTE's career and reviews "Closer."
This Pollstar article talks about the second teaming-up of BTE and
Cowboy Mouth. Yeah, it rocked. So are we going to a 3rd co-headlining
tour????
In this June 2002 article, Tom Drummond explains what it's like being in
a band who could be the "Grandfathers of Alternative Rock."
In this April 19, 2002 article Tom tells how BTE can party with the best
of them (and a lot more).
The Baton Rouge Advocate explores the history and success of BTE in this
April 12, 2002 article.
Mr. McNabb finally steps up to the mic. In this January 30, 2002
interview with University of Georgia’s "Red and Black," Trabby even
mentions the infamous "Billy Corgan" controversy.
In November 2001 James Madison University's The Breese reviews "Closer."
And of course, they liked it.
In October 2001, BTE played the O-rock "Mystery Show" in Orlando. They
did a very funny interview where Travis revealed he played Jawa in the
Stars Wars movies (yeah right, everyone knows they had no facial hair).
There’s also a short show review and some photos. And, if we're not
mistaken, Shari (one of this edition's concert reviewers) got to play
TTOY at that show!
Tom Drummond talks about the band’s longevity in this March 2000
interview with the SE Missourian.
Here’s an old interview from Ace Weekly Magazine from April 14, 1999
during the HDYGG tour era.
Concert Reviews
Sounds like BTE put on a "funkastic" show April 11, 2003 at the
University of Evansville. Now there's some students who know how
to partay! The review even has a very rare Kenny Corbett quote...
High school student and "youth correspondent" Jesse Scott also loved the
9:30 show and wrote about it for Fredericksburg.com.
This writer for the Johns Hopkins newsletter has very nice things to say
about the recent show at Washington, DC's 9:30 Club.
BTE's following is described as: "solid,
strong and enormously enthusiastic." That's us!
Here's a review of the private BTE & Tonic show at Assumption College,
Worcester, MA. on March 15, 2003. The review is from the college's
newspaper, Le Provocateur.
This review is from the October 2002 BTE and cowboy Mouth show at
Curly's, Tulsa, OK. Another "Better Than Ever" kudo! Tulsa is now
confirmed as a hotspot of BTE activity.
BTE also turned in an "ever so sensitive performance with jangly
alt-pop" at the Milwaukee Summerfest concert in June 2002. Damn
these guys are busy!.
BTE wows the crowd with an "awesome performance" at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Coors Carb Day concert in June 2002. |
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SOUND CLIP SELECTION
This edition of the SERENADE includes some
more classic BTE sound clips. If the guys that illustrate the humorous stage
banter and other antics of the band's live performances. Here's
this edition's diverse selection:
"Dance
Contest Prize" - Kevin Griffin of BTE enthralls concertgoers by
announcing the most fabulous dance contest prize ever (from Baton
Rouge Varsity Theatre 1999).
"Talking Cajun" - Here
Professor Griffin opines on the linguistic peculiarities of Louisiana's
Cajun dialect (from the Baton Rouge Centroplex February 2001).
"Behind the Music" - Did you miss the TV special on Better
Than Ezra? Someone was kind enough to record it for posterity (from
Arkansas State University, November 2001).
"The Map of Ezra" - Another classic BTE shout out. Here,
Kevin Griffin sings the praises of the boys' hometown, and surrounding
metropolitan areas (from
Mardi Gras 2000).
BETTER THAN EZRA IN THE NEWS (CONTD)
That's right. BTE are not a one-hit wonder! That's the realization of
this writer for the Florida Alligator from May 30, 2002.
BTE and Cowboy mouth put on a heck of a show at Wake forest University
on April 3, 2002 according to the Old Gold and Black.
Heather Hale of the University of Tulsa Collegian gives a rave --
and intelligent -- review of the March 1, 2002 show at Curly's. If
you've heard this show, you know how well she sums of the event.
This February 2002 article from the Berry College Campus Carrier
reviews an Atlanta show and hypothesizes about James Arthur Payne...
An oldie, but a goodie from a New Zealand based webzine. In this
September 2001 review of a Los Angeles gig at The Roxy, Mark
Melnick explains how had a thoroughly good time at his first BTE show.
He is a very insightful guy! Read on.
Photos/Video
A BTE Rockumentary? Yes there is one in the works. One was
shot in 2001 and is there's a chance we might get to see it one day.
Meantime, check out this "Extra Ordinary" piece of preview footage.
Here’s some cool pics from the March 18, 2003 "Jolly Green Jam" at the
Norva Theatre in Norfolk , VA. (review)
There’s a couple of sweet concert pics on the Southeast Louisiana
University website from the January 30, 2003 Columbia Theatre show.
This short concert review by a BTE fan at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln has a setlist and some incredible live action photos.
Now that's a person who knows how to cover a BTE event!
Here's some mighty fine pics from Notre Dame's Flipside Event in August
2002 where BTE played with legends George Clinton and P-Funk.
KFOG in San Francisco were kind enough to host a "private concert" with
BTE back in 2001. Check it out!
DJ Adam Ritz from WRZX in Indianapolis has some BTE video on his
webpage from July 2002
and photos from May 2001
.
Here's some very cool pics of the guys rocking out at Purdue's spring
concert in 2002 from the student government website. An outstanding show
by all accounts.
Cool pics of the guys from the Surf 107 Radio (Wilmington, NC) from the
show at Hammerjax on December 5, 2001.
Here’s a couple of really cool photos by photographer Molly M. Stevens
from Atlanta’s Music Midtown 1997.
Other
Are you as sick of these pithy "better than" puns as we are? Here’s
another one taken from the Preview Section of the Albany Times Union of
March 13, 2003.
Are you aware Kevin Griffin wrote a song for the new Meatloaf CD "Couldn't
Have Said It Better." Well, it's now been released in Germany. We
are told the song is "Testify". Here's some sound clips of the album. It's classic
meatloaf as you can tell!
How cool is that? The Denver chapter of Tulane University Alumni
Society had a get together at the October 2002 BTE/Cowboy mouth show in
the Mile High City!
Check out this cool poster advertising the BTE/Cowboy Mouth show held at
the University of South Florida on September 23, 2002.
Here’s a photo people have previously posted on the message board
of Kevin Griffin looking very professorial in a small boat off the Irish
coast (circa 1997). |
