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Vol. 1 No. 3 (July 1, 2003) |
An unofficial newsletter for fans of the rock group BETTER THAN EZRA |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5 More Pics & Reviews
Page 13
Page
14
Page 15
Page
16 HAVE YOU SEEN THE MAP OF EZRA? MISSED THE DEBUT EDITION OF THE SERENADE? CLICK HERE MISSED THE MAY EDITION? |
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Welcome to the third edition of the STREET SERENADE. This edition contains even more outstanding reader contributions. Many thanks again to everyone who took the time to submit articles, reviews, setlists, and artwork. Contributions are encouraged from any and all fans. Please let us know if you would like to contribute to the upcoming September 1st edition. "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"
Over the several years I’ve been following the band, I’ve realized that there are BTE fans almost anywhere you go. OK, maybe not die-hard fans, but there’s no end of people out there who really like the band and their music. Has this ever happened to you? I recently gave a CD of live BTE to a coworker. "Who?" he said as he took it, "I’ve never heard of these guys." Well, don’t you know it, he said he actually knew at least half of the songs after he’d listened to the disc. He ended up going to a show too. And at that show I met another fan who lives not 5 minutes from my house. Then there was the time I sheepishly called up a local radio station to request BTE. And what was the first thing the DJ said? "I just loved their last album, How Does Your Garden Grow." Now you know that put a smile on my face. I later sent the DJ a postcard from New Orleans and she gleefully mentioned it on the air. Another time, I was at a show and DJ introducing BTE appeared on stage sporting a homemade BTE shirt. I think this also qualifies her as a fan, don’t you? I’m sure I’m not alone in having experiences such as these. So what’s my point? Yes, I do actually have one... So often I hear people say that they fear they are the only BTE fan in their town. They never hear the band on the radio. They’re an ezralite all alone in a sea of the unenlightened. It may seem like it, but it’s simply not true. Go find these people and share your enthusiasm about BTE with them. Heck, I bet if you look hard enough you will find no shortage of once and future BTE fans. They might even be mere blocks away from where you live! And as for radio? Pick up the phone and make a song request. The DJ you speak to might just be a fan of HDYGG and or might even be wearing a homemade BTE t-shirt... Cheers, EnglishDave |
FEATURE STORY: BTE PLAYS NORFOLK’S TOWN POINT PARK AND A (ROCK) STAR IS BORN By AmEmpbdy and Bolony7. It began so innocently on May 30th 2003. It was the first sunny Friday in a month and Ezralites from various locales gathered in Norfolk's Town Point Park to feed their BTE addiction. A mere two months had passed since the band played the Norva Theater, but a few fans were already suffering from withdrawal symptoms and this date had arrived just in the nick of time preventing them from falling completely over the edge. Anxious excitement mutated into a delicious torture as they waited for the show to begin. The excitement caused more than a few to question whether a doppelganger in the crowd was the real Kevin Griffin. A local bar had been able to find a person who bore a striking resemblance to everyone's favorite lead singer. The imposter was strategically placed among the crowd to entice the ladies to visit the bar after the show. Even though they knew this was not the real Kevin, many could not resist the urge to stare and compare.
After listening to the early Black Crowes-esque sound of Gavin DeGraw and the melodious rock of The Badlees, the familiar rooster's crow signaled the start of what the audience had been waiting for. Better Than Ezra took the stage a little after 9 pm. Fans worried that the show may be cut short because it was only scheduled to go until 10. A 60 minute set would not satisfy this capacity crowd. The guys began to play and welcomed home sailors from two aircraft carriers that returned from war earlier that week. The first song of the show, "Recognize," was dedicated to them. "Misunderstood," "Good," "Rolling" and "Live Again" followed quickly, enticing the crowd to sing along with the lyrics, and making fans part of the show. During the introduction to the new and already extremely popular song "Special," the audience got an update on the status of the new album. Kevin said that the songs were coming along great but they were taking their time recording it. He also made the comment that the new album would be out in the fall or in February but either way it has to be perfect because, "our fans are so demanding." The show progressed without a hitch until Kevin had some problems with his acoustic guitar during "Extra Ordinary." The technical difficulties prevented the covers of "Don't Tell Me/Ms. Jackson" from being played, but to make up for it, KG surprised the fans by singing a little of Missy Elliot's "Work It" at the end of the song. (story continues on page 2). |
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