Better Than Ezra continues to shine

They haven't been on a major record label since the mid-'90s and their last indy label folded within months of their most recent album's release in August 2001. But Better Than Ezra's tour schedule over the past 2½ years shows no signs of a band that's struggling.

In that time, the New Orleans alternative pop-rockers have played extensively throughout the United States, three times packing New York City's Irving Plaza, where they'll headline March 6. While sharing bills with acts that have included Cypress Hill, Aerosmith, Maroon 5 and Michelle Branch, Better Than Ezra has thrived on playing new music rather than sticking to the formula of promoting their latest albums. Fans who come out for the New York City show will be sure to hear tracks from the band's yet-untitled sixth album, due out in August on a label to be determined soon. In a Feb. 19 interview from a New Orleans studio, Better Than Ezra singer-guitarist Kevin Griffin said the band's forthcoming album will include heavier and darker songs, as well as "silly pop" cuts. "(The song)Ÿ'In A Little While' is kind of this little parable about meeting a girl who works at this coffee shop and the story that happened to me in my freshman year in college and how quickly people change from being kind of Bohemian," said Griffin, whose band also plans to release a live DVD and a greatest hits album later this year. "Something as simple as changing your major throws the whole relationship and all this stuff out of whack. "It's a kind of silly, fun song that the crowd really likes," he said. "It sounds like a song from the '50s. We wanted to do this old-school sounding rock song - like '50s-type rock. It's cool." "Simple Song," meanwhile, is about using a favorite song's melody as a metaphor on how to live your life. And "Special" is about remembering the people who have had the most positive impacts on you. "Even though they may be out of your lives, what have you taken from them that still affects you to this day?" Griffin said. "It's about somebody emotionally involved in your life and how they're close to you even though they're far away." Born Oct. 1, 1968 in Atlanta, Griffin was in second grade when his family moved to Monroe, La. Mother Linda played piano and was a homemaker. Father Jerry, an insurance broker, gave Kevin and his brother, Russ, a stereo and "five of the best albums ever made" - Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy," Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Grand Funk Railroad "We're An American Band," Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" and an album by Sly the Family Stone. Kevin Griffin, who still listens to some of those albums today, began playing guitar when he was 10. Two years later, he joined his first band, Aces Up, which won a contest and got to record the Griffin-penned "Seek, Find, Destroy" - a song about aliens coming to destroy the Earth. The b-side was a cover of Kiss' "Cold Gin." After playing in cover bands Onyx and the Surfing Dachshunds, Griffin enrolled at Louisiana State University, where he would eventually graduate with a double major in English and political science. In 1988, he formed Better Than Ezra with fellow LSU students Tom Drummond on bass, Joel Rundell on guitar and Cary Bonnecaze on drums. The guys released an indy cassette in 1990 called "Surprise." But that August, Rundell committed suicide. It wasn't until the end of the year that the remaining three bandmates regrouped. Releasing their "Deluxe" LP on their own Swell Records in 1993, the guys played at universities. College radio DJs gave Better Than Ezra enough spins to catch the attention of record label executives. The band signed with Elektra, which re-released "Deluxe" in April 1995. The No. 1 Modern Rock hit "Good" - plus the No. 4 hit "In the Blood" and "Rosealia," which made the Top 25 - put Better Than Ezra on the map. Their album went platinum. "There's certain milestones, certain goals you set for your life to achieve," Griffin said. "In all good ways, it was great. It was always my dream to get signed. Now my dream is to get a Grammy or get nominated. I haven't reached that yet. ... Just being able to do what you want to do and make a living at it and be happy and comfortable doing it is a blessing. "No pun intended, 'Good' has been very good to us - and all those other songs," he added. "When people come to see you play, at some point they want to hear the songs they know. There's always someone there who doesn't know your band. And maybe they just know 'Good' or 'King of New Orleans' or 'Desperately Wanting' (Top 10 hits from 1996's 'Friction Baby' LP.) So you don't want to disappoint." The band, which has included drummer Travis McNabb since 1996, released its third album - "How Does Your Garden Grow?" - in '98. It featured a pair of Top 40 hits in "One More Murder" and "At the Stars." Perhaps the catchiest song the band has ever written, "Allison Foley," tells the story of one of Griffin's ex-girlfriends, who was a bad influence. While living in New York City one summer, Griffin found himself drinking at clubs until 5 a.m. whenever he was with her. Working with Beck turntablist DJ Swamp, Better Than Ezra experimented further musically on 2001's "Closer" LP. The song "Extra Ordinary" was the album's lone chart hit, but "Recognize," "Sincerely, Me" and "A Lifetime" also would have been great for radio. Fans definitely get more variety on Better Than Ezra's albums than they do on albums by Matchbox Twenty, Counting Crows or Everclear, for example. "We've always tried to do some different stuff or something that's different sounding," said Griffin, who lives in New Orleans with his wife and son. "It's weird. ... You're right, a lot of other bands don't do that; it's kind of what you see is what you get. Maybe that's a good thing. I'd certainly like to be selling the amount of records that Matchbox Twenty is. But our band's always kind of (had) some accessible songs but some other songs that maybe incorporate some different influences." Entertaining fans with cool medleys, bringing people on stage to play guitar and tossing a Roots song in the middle of one of their own tracks are just a few ways Better Than Ezra keep the fans coming back. "Somehow, we've been able to set ourselves apart from other bands," Griffin said. "The bands that came out with us and bands like us - you know, rock bands (and) pop-rock bands - aren't around anymore. They can't tour by themselves. For whatever reason, we seem to be an exception to that rule."

Doors open at 8 p.m. The venue is at 17 Irving Place. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22 at the door. Call (212) 307-7171.