Better Than Ezra Announce ‘Closer’ 25th Anniversary Tour

Better Than Ezra Celebrate 25 Years of Closer

The New Orleans rockers Better Than Ezra are celebrating Closer, their successful 2001 album that broadened their sound with more modern production and contemporary pop and R&B rhythms layered onto their trademark grungy pop/rock. Their fifth album reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200, and with its August 7, 2001 release date approaching its 25th anniversary, the band is taking a well‑earned victory lap with the Legends of the Fall: Closer to the Edge tour. Announced just ahead of the milestone, the run begins in November and spans seven Midwest dates.

Financial turmoil at Beyond Records stalled promotion for Closer, an album that deserved a far better fate. It matches the highs of their earlier work with sharp songwriting and instantly catchy hooks—like “Extra Ordinary,” featuring DJ Swamp; the post‑grunge opener “Misunderstood,” which had clear single potential; and another standout post‑grunge track, “Sincerely, Me,” whose shining melody and rushing energy recall the spirit of “Desperately Wanting.” Much of the album is effortlessly hook‑driven.

Overall, the record adds light hip‑hop rhythms and a tasteful polish—never a glossy sheen. The drums remain mostly dry, the vocals largely unaffected. It’s solid pop/rock that occasionally reaches for post‑grunge greatness. There’s a hint of influence from the lighter side of post‑grunge, the bands that only occasionally leaned into rock heaviness, like Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind.

Closer deserves renewed attention 25 years later. It was one of 2001’s most dependable rock albums for listeners who weren’t drawn to nu‑metal, alt‑metal, or pop‑punk. It’s meat‑and‑potatoes rock, delivered with the humble sincerity Better Than Ezra have always carried—and still carry—into their music today.