re: What are YOU listening to?

quote:

---

The South was still pretty dead for this type of music, the circuit was UNC, UVA and UGA. A lot, from what I understand, also did go to Baton Rouge, is this true?

---

In 1982 REM played a legendary show at the equally legendary Bayou Bar (on Chimes St across from the LSU campus)

When I was at LSU in 1988 I went to the Chimes to see a band called The Fleshtones (their "hit" was a great remake of "Ride Your Pony").

The opening act was some band I'd never heard of called... Better Than Ezra. I thought they were great! REM-style power pop with a strong beat. I specifically recall liking a song called "Ezra Pound". After the show I kept telling people about them and wondering why they didn't have a record deal. A friend told me, "There are a bunch of REM imitators out there. Throw a stick in Athens and you hit a hundred of them."

Soon after I left La. and forgot about them. Cut to 1995. I'm watching Letterman when I hear, "And musical guest: Better than Ezra!". I nearly fell out of my chair. They'd changed their sound a bit -- classic REM had gone out of fashion - but at least they'd gotten that deal.