Jude and Better Than Ezra
Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY)
-review and photosbyj.bloomrosen
Jude hit New York most recently as a solo act with acoustic guitar in hand and folk songs up his sleeve, which was a strange decision since his new album, No One is Really Beautiful, is nowhere near a folkie venture. This appearance featured him with full band and in fine form. Though a brief thirty minutes, his set showed him to be the pleasant entertainer that a single listen to his CD will prove him to be. A variety of different styled tunes, from "You Mama You," a cute little ditty, to his single "Rick James," a funked up ode to "...the original Superfreak," Jude delivered an impressive set that the crowd clearly enjoyed.
"Got to Get Out of L.A.," one of a few tunes carried over to his new Maverick disc from his Indie release, 403 N. Harper Ave., was a standout track: hard-hitting lyrically and driving musically. With its sardonic overtones, it clearly points out Jude's unique take on things. In the past I've seen him pull an old 40's tune ("Cheek to Cheek") out of his hat and sing it accapella... always an impressive instant. This show lacked that intimate moment, but made up for it with it's spirit and energy and a more-than-capable band backing Jude up.
Better Than Ezra (pictured right) headlined this extremely packed event, playing a set that rocked out and kicked ass, most assuredly. Though most people know them only for their hit "Good" ("It was good living with you, oh oh...), the rest of their performance had them delivering catchy tune after catchy tune. "The King of New Orleans," another standout, this one from their second release, was one of those ditties that you may have heard a thousand times on the radio and never knew who sang it. Well, it's Better Than Ezra, and don't forget it folks.
With a tight delivery and a fun stage presence, Ezra played tracks from all of their three discs, including a bunch of new tunes from their newest release. Though not familiar to many in the audience, the songs all had Ezra's distinctive vocal sound and that sweet, driving guitar. While no apparent hit song jumps out at you, and their lack of radio-play from this disc seems to stand by that statement, their music is a pleasant diversion for an evening.