NEW ORLEANS — On Saturday night, musicians Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Better than Ezra teamed up for the Better than Ezra Foundation “Funraiser Benefit Concert.” Pin Stripe Brass Band, Josh Martin, and Where Y’Acht also played the 16th annual Better Than Ezra Funraiser.
“We could not be more excited about all the special guests joining us for our annual charity event,” Tom Drummond, bass player and founding member of Better Than Ezra said.
The event, which was held at Tipitina’s, included an auction was held to benefit the Better Than Ezra Foundation, which helps give school supplies to kids at Bethune Elementary School and they have even built an educational playground for the children. The Foundation also created, and funded music, arts, and after-school programs for the children. The Better Than Ezra Foundation helps with much more in our community than just that. They are committed to raising funds to support the renewal of the structural and cultural heritage as well as education in New Orleans and Southern Louisiana. Since its inception, the Better Than Ezra Foundation has raised over $1,700,000 for various causes in and around New Orleans.
They have also worked with the Preservation Resource Center to renovate and rebuild first responder’s flooded home from Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts to aid their Summer programs, and Brad Pitt’s Mkae it Right Foundation to help rebuild homes in the Lower 9th Ward. Plus, they’ve worked with the Audubon Nature Institute to build the Cool Zoo Splash Park at Audubon Zoo, while also offering support to the Louisiana SPCA, CrimeStoppers, and ALS/Team Gleason Initiative.
“Our Foundation has been around since 2007, and we are extremely excited about this year’s Funraiser, Kevin Griffin, lead singer and founding member of Better Than Ezra said. In a press release he also said, “Through the years since we started the foundation, we’ve supported many great causes, but the work that we do to locally support after school music program really reaches the core of what we hope to accomplish giving back in our community. Our annual Funraiser is the biggest source of funding for these crucial educational programs and we hope to continue the momentum of this event’s enormous success.”
McGrath performed some of Sugar Ray’s greatest hits like “Fly,” “Someday,” and “When it’s Over.”
Platinum rock stars, Better than Ezra performed some of their biggest hits like “Good,” and “Extraordinary.”
Before the show, News with a Twist Reporter Kenny Lopez caught up with both Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath and Kevin Griffin and Tom Drummond from Better than Ezra.
Kenny thought it would be fun to play a little 1990s trivia game with the guys.
Who knows each other’s bands better? The grand prize was Capri Sun. Totally radical! He also got the scoop on who the guys had celebrity crushes on in the late 1990’s.
For more information about the Better Than Ezra Foundation, click HERE.