Better Than Ezra
From ArticleWorld
Better Than Ezra is an alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band was formed in 1987 by Kevin Griffin while he and the other original members were still attending college.
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Demo and Surprise
By 1988, Better Than Ezra had released a demo cassette tape labeled Chime Street Studio Demo Tape. Then in 1989, they released a cassette-only album, Surprise.
Deluxe
Better Than Ezra released their first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 on Swell Records and in 1995 on Elektra Records.
That same year, "Good" became a major pop hit, reaching the number one position on the Billboard chart.
Other albums and B sides
Other album releases include Friction, Baby on Elektra Records in 1996, How Does Your Garden Grow? on Elektra Records in 1998, and Closer on Beyond Records in 2001.
The band also released the B-Sides and rarities collection on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000.
DVD
In late 2004, the band simultaneously released an official live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both were entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans.
After the peak
Like many bands in the then-burgeoning alt-rock movement of the mid-'90s, Better Than Ezra enjoyed their period of greatest chart success immediately following their debut major-label release. Deluxe spawned their highest-charting hits. At least commercially and in terms of mainstream radio play. The band has experienced slightly diminishing returns with each successive release.
Difference
Unlike the majority of other bands, Better Than Ezra's extremely loyal fan base has kept the group from dropping off of the musical world. Ezra's followers, who refer to themselves as "Ezralites", have never cared whether radio stations would play the band or not.
In fact, many fans follow the band religiously, attending scores of their performances. It is Ezra's loyal fan base and a relentless touring schedule which has allowed them to continue to produce new music and remain extremely viable in the music world. This is how they can out-live their projected shelf life.
Additionally, Better Than Ezra's independence and survival skills in a business that has chewed up and spat out countless bands who they used to fight for chart position seems to indicate that Better Than Ezra will be around to satisfy their fans' rapacious appetite for their music for many years to come.