Copyright 2002 Independent Florida Alligator via U

"Better than Ezra turns out better than 'Good'"
By Marc Weinroth

Somebody forgot to tell Kevin Griffin his band is a one-hit wonder.

Better Than Ezra's charismatic frontman isn't the only individual seemingly out of the loop. Somebody also neglected to inform approximately 250 people at a capacity-filled Culture Room that the New Orleans trio's career ended shortly after its 1995 smash single "Good" reigned on rock radio.

Seven years and three studio albums later, there's good reason to challenge the press-concocted label that has followed the band through its subsequent releases. While they haven't been able to replicate the commercial success of its debut "Deluxe," BTE has continued to concoct an intoxicating mixture of melodic hooks and genre-bending experimentalism, a feat that should garner them more respect than their '90s bubblegum alt-rock brethren (Semisonic, Matchbox 20, Tonic).

It was fitting that "Good" came early in the band's set, only the night's second song. What followed in BTE's 100-minute, 16-song performance served as a glowing reminder that the trio has in fact stuck around, progressing much since its airwave adolescence.

Griffin, bassist Tom Drummond, drummer Travis McNabb and an accompanying tour keyboardist played only the catchiest tunes in the band's repertoire, from the riveting crescendos of "Desperately Wanting" and "Live Again" to the lush acoustic-based ballads "At The Stars" and "This Time of Year."

The latter song was also marked by a failure in crowd participation. Griffin's attempt to indulge in what he described as a "big living room vibe" entailed pulling an audience member on stage to play lead guitar. The audience might have served its duty well on backing vocals, but it took nearly five minutes of searching (and the rejection of a piss-drunk fan who assured he could play the riff) before an adequate guitar stand-in emerged.

BTE's touring experience and musical evolution was most evident on the six cuts played from its most recent album, "Closer," released last year independently on Beyond Music. "Extra Ordinary" and "Rolling" are far removed from the band's earlier straightforward guitar work, melding hip-hop undertones and off-beat coastal rhythms.

In "Extra Ordinary" Griffin boasts "I've got more hooks than Madonna's got looks" amid other mainstream cultural similes. On this occasion, however, the band broke into the material girl's "Don't Tell Me" as a concept-linking manifesto of sorts. The brief interjection of cover material was a commonality -- BTE often morphed its LP versions into live party anthems, borrowing everything from the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" to Outkast's "Ms. Jackson."

However, the night's most captivating cover came from the concert's opening act, Gainesville's Big Sky -- a roof-raising rendition of TLC's "Waterfalls." In the aftermath of Lisa Lopes' tragic death, Big Sky handled the song as a rousing jam rather than coming across as a misplaced grandiose tribute.

In its hour-long, 12-song set, the seven-piece rock outfit made a strong case for inclusion among mainstream radio acts, a status that has evaded the band to the point of immutability. Frontman Mark Gainard's soulful roots delivery was undeniable, but his stage presence was often distracting, his overly energetic gestures testing the boundaries of genuine emotion (a cause not helped by hiding his eyes behind sunglasses on a few tracks).

While Gainard spent too much time basking in the spotlight, multi-instrumentalist Dave Kurzman elevated the band's music subtly but surely. His deft work on the flute, saxophone and EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) provided a spacey, sonic framework for the band's front-end guitars without the ostentatious handshaking and chestpounding.

Big Sky is currently touring in support of its fifth album, "By Design," a compilation of old material and a few new songs. The title track, also the last song played, highlighted the band's potential for commercial accessibility, and in its pursuit of same, they will head back to the studio in a week to record some new tracks. After years spent touring and building a southern fan base, the band appears ready for the "big break" hopeful local critics have forecasted.

The real question is whether the rest of the nation will care.