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IN THIS ISSUE:
Xmas Shows NOLA Sights Trivia Etc. A Gift for Our Readers Fan Profile Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Archives
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ALL HALLOW'S EVE – A NIGHT OF EZRA EDUCATION It was all Hallow's Eve and the night air was a little different. Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins were running loose in Auburn, Alabama. And I had a little magic up my sleeve as well. I managed to turn two unsuspecting friends into full-fledged Ezralites.
The evening started with a mad dash to Milledgeville to pick up two of my younger sorority sisters. I have pledged myself to the education of these young women. After teaching them how to behave like princesses and make great margaritas, the only thing left was to teach them what really good music sounds like. And I'll stop myself before embarrassing them by revealing the sort of music normally found in their CD players (read – Celine Dion). The ride to Auburn was educational. We spent it listening to songs I felt certain would make the set-list. I also drilled them on BTE trivia – teaching them each of the guy's names and personality quirks that would shine through on stage. Oh, and of course, I didn't forget to mention how good looking each guy is. We three princesses arrived at Auburn dressed appropriately in feather boas and tiaras. We set our tiaras straight, primped one last time, and set out in search of BTE. Following the lights and sounds, we eagerly forked over the three-dollar ticket price. Ignoring all other activities, we made our way to the front of the stage to stake out a prime spot (read – Jim's side).
Listening to the opening band, I took some time to survey the crowd. The variety of Halloween costume creativity was astounding. I saw Abe Lincoln, a PE teacher, a shower curtain, and Blue Man Group to name a few. As I continued to scan the crowd, much to the delight of my wandering eyes, I spied James Arthur Payne also enjoying the opening act.
As the opening band left, the crowd multiplied. Halloween props were added to the stage, and the normal concert sounds started what was to be a not-so-normal Ezra show. The band opened with a long intro to "Recognize" as Kevin was unhappy with the placement of his rug and asked guitar tech Uncle Mike to move it. The guys continued with "Misunderstood" and "Good." Then, the lights went out in Auburn, Alabama –or rather, just on the Better than Ezra stage.
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One of the things that I've always enjoyed about the guys is their sense of humor. I loved it even more that it managed to shine through, even when the real lights didn’t. Yes, complaints were made, but they were done in typical KG fashion. For example, when a guy finally climbed up to adjust the lights, KG said, "Look, it's what should've happened three hours ago." The guys continued to play with "Rolling" and "Live Again." The crowd was surprised with a little treat as the guys launched into "Special." During these songs, Uncle Mike was sent out into the crowd to scout out talented back-up dancers (read – scantily clad girls in Halloween costumes who could only partly sing along once they picked up the chorus – minus five guys in fun costumes and Sara). While I've seen some crazy things at Ezra shows – this is the only one that included a gorilla, Winnie the Pooh, and Foghorn Leghorn. And did I mention that Tom was slightly accosted by that gorilla? The chosen Halloween dancers were invited to stay on stage and do their thing (read – most of the girls went and sat by Travis). "Extraordinary" and "King of New Orleans" made the set-list as well. While snippets of Outkast came along with "Extraordinary," there wasn't any Beck added to the "KONO" break down. I didn't realize this until much later when one of the newfound Ezralites that I was with pointed out that KG didn't say that he wanted to "get with anyone." I was confused as to what she meant, but then I remembered quizzing them about "Debra" on our Ezra-educational ride to Auburn. Following "KONO," James Arthur Payne showed off some of his talents during "Rosealia." The guys continued with "At the Stars." This song always seems more enjoyable at an outdoor venue.
A surprise was added to the original set-list when KG started with "This Time of Year." Auburn student Kenya, "like the country," was the guest start guitarist. While Kenya did a great job, I do believe that he had been enjoying some "tea" earlier in the evening and was a little slow to pick up on some of KG's instructions.
The guys ended the show with "Sincerely, Me" and "Desperately Wanting." The lights were still proving to be troublesome, so KG launched into an explanation of how the lights would normally be for "Desperately Wanting." The explanation was followed by the wry observation "But tonight, we don't need lights – because – well, we don't have them." Other than Tom getting a little "gorilla love," the evening was also notable for Kevin's request for some "tea." Kevin originally told Tom that he needed more beer; however, after a significant glance at the campus security Kevin said, "I mean tea." Kevin also promised that Jim would take us all on an "intergalactic audio trip" (a voyage that Jim Payne is welcome to take me on any time). And Travis pretty much stayed behind his backup dancers for the show. While there was a planned encore of "Daylight" and "In the Blood," the guys sadly ran out of time. Due to the amount of time the light debacle took and their early set at VooDoo fest the following day, the guys needed to get out of town. Travis did come around for a few hellos and Kevin joined the crowd minutes later. After taking a couple of pictures with waiting fans, they guys were ushered away to a waiting van. However, just before KG was about to leave – I heard a familiar voice ring out "Hey Kevin Griffin, it's my birthday." I turned to see one of my sorority sisters, holding her camera out, and using KG's last few seconds to get her picture taken with him. If I hadn’t of been so pleased with her transformation into an Ezralite, I would’ve told Kevin that her birthday is in January. But obviously, this princess accomplished her goal for the evening. I most definitely left the venue of with two brand new Ezralites. Thanks for another great review, Laura Leigh. |
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