After eight major studio albums and nearly 30 years of performing together, New Orleans-based band Better Than Ezra anticipates another 30 years of music.
Founder, bass player and Better Than Ezra’s ringmaster Tom Drummond said as long as people keep coming to shows and listening to the band’s music, it will continue to play. The shows continue with the band’s appearance at L’Auberge Casino and Hotel at 7 p.m. Friday.
Drummond said the band’s secret to keeping performances fresh for so long is liking each other, playing new material and having fun onstage.
“Our shows are very high energy, and you never know what you are going to get, whether it be bringing people on stage or some bizarre cover,” Drummond said.
Its newest album, “All Together Now,” is the eighth full-length album the band has released and holds one of the most popular Better Than Ezra songs to date, “Crazy Lucky.” The single boasts more than 5.3 million plays on Spotify and surpassed the band’s former single “Good” as the most popular song on the streaming service.
Drummond said the band set out long-term goals for itself when it was formed and has achieved those milestones through consistency in songwriting and listening to contemporary music to update the band’s sound.
“We were never gimmicky or about onstage characters,” Drummond said. “We were always about writing great songs. As long as we continue to do that, good music will always be a part of what Better Than Ezra is doing.”
The new album also came with a new method of recording and producing that Drummond said he personally enjoyed more than previous methods. In “All Together Now,” the band recorded all of the songs together live in studio, rather than recording each instrument separately and compiling them all after.
Drummond said the new method of recording also helps the band prepare for songs on the road because the studio time allows the band to practice the new material together, which has been a practicing aspect the band has not been able to do much of since Hurricane Katrina.
Since the storm, the band members lived in different cities, which changes the way Better Than Ezra writes and makes music. Drummond said the band now relies more on sending different parts of music to each other.
“We can’t just pack up our guitars and go rehearse on a Thursday night anymore,” Drummond said.
While the band members moved to different cities since Katrina, Better Than Ezra still makes a difference in the New Orleans area through after-school programs for less fortunate families through the Better Than Ezra Foundation.
On Oct. 4, Better Than Ezra held its yearly tailgate party before the Saints and game against the Dallas Cowboys game, and proceeds from the event went toward funding the foundation.
During the band’s summer tour, cities that never hosted Better Than Ezra were included, with some bigger venues the band had not played before.
“As long as we continue to have a good time and people keep wanting to come see us, we will keep playing shows,” Drummond said.