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IN THIS ISSUE:
Mardi Gras! Who's That Girl? Fan Profile News & Links Map of Ezra TTPY Hall of Fame Archives
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A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE: Buckeyethon, dubbed a "Party with a Purpose" is an all day dance marathon held to benefit the Columbus Children’s Hospital. Most of the day, there is a DJ spinning, but they also throw in a couple of bands to break up the 50 Cent and Bon Jovi. The crowd was largely OSU students in t-shirts and bandanas noting their marathon "teams," but as Better Than Ezra’s set time loomed, more and more non-dancers started to come out of the woodwork. Even though the Serenade didn't get any photos of this event, but some absolutely outstanding photos can be seen on the Ohio Union website. Be sure to check out those Jim Payne Sky Cam shots! I was honestly pretty unimpressed with openers, Proximity Gray. Let’s just say that if the world ever needed an Our Lady Peace tribute band, PG would be set for life. The lead singer, when talking about Better Than Ezra playing next noted that he used to like them "back when [he] was in the 7th grade." BTE took the stage around 10:15, opening with "Recognize," with a few really nicely done lines from Depeche Mode’s "Personal Jesus" thrown in for good measure. This beginning set the tone, as 6 of the night’s 14 songs were from "Closer." The second song was "Misunderstood." Next up was the "brand new" song "Good." It’s silly, but for some reason, I always dig when they act like we’re getting a never heard before treat. Kevin then welcomed us all to the party, and said he was glad that more people showed up, because earlier it was just the marathon dancers. He also told us it was too bad that we didn’t have any of the special "really strong" iced tea that Tom brewed. After a nice version of "Rolling," the guys launched into a great rendition of the classic "Live Again." The song is a billed as a song for when someone who’s been dumped and is finally at the point where they can get back their self-respect and venture outside the house. The song was made complete by Kevin "flipping off" the proverbial ex. Next up was "Extra Ordinary," with the first of 3 Outkast covers during the evening. This time, it was "Ms. Jackson." It was so nice to hear the band do this cover again. Remember when "EO" was brand new? (and still called "Early in the Morning"). KG just started playing the song and he didn’t even have all the words to "Ms. Jackson" down yet? "EO" gave way to "King of New Orleans," one of the most – if not THE most – energetic of all live BTE songs. I don’t know why, but there’s just something about a really rocking song with a social message that gets to me. And the trademark BTE "break down" and cover of Beck’s "Deborah" always seem to set the crowd off. The band also played some parts of rock classics to close the song, including some Led Zeppelin, Rush and Lynyrd Skynyrd. All of this led into "Rosealia." Jim tore it up as usual, but skipped the jump off the drum platform, instead opting for a low jump behind his keyboard. The Russian judge gave it a 5.3. |
After "Rosealia," Uncle Mike came up on stage to get Kevin a new guitar.
It was at this point that Kevin introduced him as Neil Young. Kevin was
saying how Neil didn’t have to do this sort of thing, but that he was so
dedicated to ROCK that he did anyway, and Jim started playing Young’s "Old
Man Take a Look at Yourself." Then the band launched into "At the Stars,"
which effortlessly ended with Jim playing the Grateful Dead’s "Friend of
the Devil." At this point, Kevin made a plug for the upcoming Mardi Gras shows and the Orpheus Parade in New Orleans. He told all of us that heading down to the Crescent City for Mardi Gras sounded like the perfect road trip to him. He also said that BTE would have their own float in the parade, so it was even more of a reason, because they got "crazy" during the festivities. Then he said that you could order "Better Than Ezra Gone Wild" while supplies last. Travis then stood up behind his kit and started to take off his shirt. I recovered from my swoon to the sounds of "A Lifetime." Next, Kevin introduced a newer song he had written for another band. A "heartfelt and tender ballad" called "Hey Ya." He sang just a few lines, but they were sung with an inflection that actually made the song seem heartfelt and tender. Quite a feat, considering some of the lyrics! Tom then asked us what was "Cooler than Cool" to which we unanimously replied "Ice Cold!" Kevin said we were wrong though, because Tom Drummond was cooler than cool. We stood corrected... The next song on the docket turned out to be "In a Little While," the only actual new song played all night. It’s nice to see that the song has undergone few changes in the year or so that they’ve been playing it. "In a Little While" gave way to "This Time of Year." I, as usual, missed the football. Why, for the love of Pete (yeah, you thought I was going to say Ivy, didn’t you?) do they always throw it to the mid-middle of the crowd? They did the Nelly cover, and asked for the audience volunteer. Oddly enough, it turned out to be Alejandro, the same guy who did TTOY last time they were in the capital city, at the Promo West Pavilion. Alejandro seemed much more subdued this time, which was a good thing, since last time he casually (some might say rudely) handed Kevin his coat during the song, and wouldn’t stop playing at the end, prompting Travis to lean up over the drum kit to mute him. Kevin did offer Alejandro water, but Alejandro asked for the iced tea instead. Kevin didn’t oblige. Despite his colorful (and by colorful I mean slightly arrogant) personality, Alejandro played well, and actually followed directions this time. After a wicked "Sincerely, Me" the band thanked us all for coming out and supporting such a great cause. The guys closed the show with "Desperately Wanting," always a crowd favorite (who doesn’t love the "running through the wet grass" song after all?). They also threw in a bit of wisdom from Randy Lama (presumably Dali’s brother), noting how "the whole world loves it when you make that sound." I don’t know, I think Big Boi and Andre 3000 must have known Randy, because it sounded suspiciously like an Outkast song. Unfortunately there was to be no encore, as the band had already taken up more than their allotted set time. When everything was said and done though, the Buckeyethon raised $36,000 for the Children’s Hospital. And that, and BTE, are very, very good things. Juliana is another first time Serenade reviewer. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us J, we appreciate it! |
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