Last year Kevin Griffin and Better than Ezra dove head first into the specialized concert/event world with the Inaugural Krewe of Rocckus, an event that celebrates Mardi Gras and New Orleans like nothing else. The debut of the event was a successful endeavor for all involved and they’re up for round two with the 2nd Annual Krewe of Rocckus going on February 16th through the 18th in New Orleans. Once again, the Better than Ezra songsmith was gracious enough to chat with Alternative Addiction about the occasion.
“It’s going to bigger and better than last year,” boasted an enthusiastic Griffin. “We’ve got Tonic with us. We’ve got Ed Roland from Collective Soul. We’ve got Big Sam’s Funky Nation and other people playing different events too. And we’ve added a riverboat cruise on Saturday afternoon to the event.”
“When you do something for the first time you see what works and you see what doesn’t work and you see where you want to improve. You take people’s suggestions in the prior year on how to improve upon what you did. And that’s where we are. We’re primed for a great time.”
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Schedule of Events for 2nd Annual Krewe of Rocckus
Thursday February 16th, 2012 Arrival and Welcome Party
Friday February 17th, 2012 Welcome Brunch - James Beard Award winning Chef John Besh Second Line March to Michaul’s for private parade viewing stands. Better Than Ezra & Tonic at The House of Blues
Saturday February 18th, 2012 Riverboat Cruise on the Creole Queen w/ Ed Roland from Collective Soul performing Endymion Parade rolls downtown. Better Than Ezra at The House of Blues
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The reason why they’re primed for a great time this year is because of the quality feedback they received after last year’s Krewe of Rocckus. The biggest suggestion was put in place right away for the 2012 edition.
“One thing was bands. A lot of people asked for Collective Soul and a lot of people asked for Tonic,” spoke Griffin of attendees’ suggestions. “A lot of the people were fans of us when we were kicking in the ‘90s and they are fans of those bands as well. So we got them.”
The 2nd Annual Krewe of Rocckus has a river boat cruise, Better Than Ezra, Tonic, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Ed Roland, more time to explore the city, great food, and great fun. But it’s important to mention that for Griffin, the spirit and the idea of the event remain the same in year two as they were last year. You get what Krewe of Rocckus is trying to accomplish when Griffin shares what he likes most about Mardi Gras.
“The floats and the beads are great but I think it’s the sense, the spirit, and the revelry in the city.” Griffin said. “There are hundreds of years of tradition and It’s a time when people stop thinking about work and responsibility. Suddenly if you’re in New Orleans you’re in this bubble and in this state of suspended animation. It’s all about the fun and the lunacy of Maris Gras and everybody’s on board.”
“You can get crazy and get as liquored up as you want of course, but it’s also about family, amazing food, the floats, the costumes, and everything. It’s just a magical time. That’s kind of the reason why we did it in the first place. We wanted people to know that Mardi Gras wasn’t just about what you see on the news or whatever… getting drunk and pulling up tops. That’s there, no doubt and you can do that when you come down if you want. But it’s also about the music and the rich tradition. And we’ve got all of that.”
Griffin’s extremely passionate about his hometown and his home state. That comes across whenever he’s talking about this event, New Orleans, his beloved alma-matter LSU, and of course Mardi Gras. That hometown connection also happens to be Griffin’s biggest selling point for The Krewe of Rocckus.
“When you look at everything that the package offers and then if you wanted to do it on your own you couldn’t because you just don’t have the connections, you wouldn’t know who to talk to.” Added Griffin, “This is our hometown so we have those connections. Plus, there’s open bar, open food, it’s a crazy economical trip and it’s an insider’s trip to Mardi Gras with Better than Ezra as you’re host.”
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