Monday June 14, 2021 “Good” Better Than Ezra
Rock bands have a penchant for creating unusual names for themselves and you know I have a fascination about their origins, so let's spend a week analyzing just how these rock geniuses came up with some of their more unusual band names.
Let’s start with Better Than Ezra. Odd name choice to be sure and legend has it that in their local New Orleans market the top band at the clubs was called Ezra so, not to be outdone, founders Kevin Griffin (vocals, guitar), Joel Rundell (guitar), Tom Drummond (bass), and Cary Bonnecaze (drums) decided to name their outfit 'Better Than' Ezra.
The band released their first nationally distributed album Deluxe in 1993 on its own indie label, Swell Records, which caught the attention of major record labels and radio. Better Than Ezra signed with Elektra Records in 1995. Elektra Records re-released Deluxe in 1995 and the single, "Good", reached the No. 1 position on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart which helped push the album to platinum record status by the end of 1995.
And like most bands that seem to suddenly burst on the scene with a big hit, Better Than Ezra had been playing together for over five years before “Good” hit the charts. This would be their biggest selling single but they would have two additional minor hits.
Stay safe and well...and apparently this band name worked because, hands up, who of us have even heard of a band named Ezra? That’s what I thought.