Better Than Ezra Options

[J.Sax]

This was just posted yesterday on BTE's MySpace:

EVERY NEW BEGINNING IS ANOTHER BEGINNING'S END

Fans and friends, we want to let you know that after 12 great years with Better Than Ezra, Travis McNabb is moving on to pursue other opportunities in music. You probably are aware that Travis has been touring with Sugarland for the past year and a half. We will miss Travis dearly and wish him nothing but success and happiness in the years to come. He will remain a close friend of the band and will continue to serve on the board of the band’s charity – The Better Than Ezra Foundation. Travis’ last show with the band will be this Sunday in Metairie.

That said, it is with great excitement that we welcome Michael Jerome to the band. We've been friends with Michael for awhile and have been a fan of his drumming. Michael has toured with the likes of Richard Thompson, John Cale, and New Orleans' own, Pleasure Club. He brings with him a great musical sensibility and an explosive live show.
In May Better Than Ezra will release our seventh studio album, Paper Empire. We are thrilled with how it sounds and can't wait for you to hear it. Looking forward to touring with new music, new gags and of course, new dance moves! Thanks so much for all your support over the years…many more to come!

See you on the road in '09!
Kevin and Tom

So, finally, a new album in May! But Travis left the band and they got a new drummer (again). Shitty.

[J.Sax]

I like it! "A Lifetime" was just perfect (though I do prefer the version on Closer). But this is good...no pun intended. Oh, I'm funny.

[CRH]

I like it! "A Lifetime" was just perfect (though I do prefer the version on Closer). But this is good...no pun intended. Oh, I'm funny.

Well played, sir.

I doubt the Live/BTE tour is a real possibility. Just got tickets for BTE at the Trocadero in Philly in June. Unless it is later on, but I'm pretty sure their tour dates go pretty deep into the summer.

Absolutely Still is catchy, but not huge to me. When Before the Robots leaked, I allowed myself to listen to one song, and chose "Burned" because it was the album opener. The intro to that song let me know that the album was going to be great. With Absolutely Still, I'm not getting a definitive feeling on the album, however the guys have never done a single thing to prove that the album would be anything other than great.

Travis leaving was hard to take. In a band of 3 guys, its really hard to see someone go. The man had a feel on drums that fit that band perfectly. I know he wasn't their original drummer, but he was a guy who defined the character of a lot of their songs (breakdown of Southern Thing?) and their live performance (the bridge of "Lifetime?"). But let's rock with MJM.

[SJN1279]

Well played, sir.

I doubt the Live/BTE tour is a real possibility. Just got tickets for BTE at the Trocadero in Philly in June. Unless it is later on, but I'm pretty sure their tour dates go pretty deep into the summer.

Absolutely Still is catchy, but not huge to me. When Before the Robots leaked, I allowed myself to listen to one song, and chose "Burned" because it was the album opener. The intro to that song let me know that the album was going to be great. With Absolutely Still, I'm not getting a definitive feeling on the album, however the guys have never done a single thing to prove that the album would be anything other than great.

Travis leaving was hard to take. In a band of 3 guys, its really hard to see someone go. The man had a feel on drums that fit that band perfectly. I know he wasn't their original drummer, but he was a guy who defined the character of a lot of their songs (breakdown of Southern Thing?) and their live performance (the bridge of "Lifetime?"). But let's rock with MJM.

Actually Better Than Ezra only has two dates in July. I could see them touring with Live this summer.

Real possibilities:

Live/Collective Soul/Better Than Ezra
Live/Collective Soul/Tonic

Unless Counting Crows want a summer tour now that they're indie. Blues Traveler looks a bit booked for 2009.