How Did Better Than Ezra Get Their Name?

Better Than Ezra, an alternative rock band from the United States, derived their name from a chapter in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “A Moveable Feast.“ The chapter in question is titled “Ezra Pound and His Bel Esprit,“ where Hemingway describes a conversation he had with the poet Ezra Pound. In the chapter, Hemingway recalls Pound’s critical assessment of various writers and artists. At one point, Pound mentions a painter whom he describes as “better than Ezra.“ This phrase caught the attention of the band’s lead singer and guitarist, Kevin Griffin, who found it intriguing and thought it would make a unique band name. Griffin and his bandmates, Tom Drummond and Joel Rundell, agreed on the name “Better Than Ezra“ as it reflected their admiration for literary works and resonated with their artistic sensibilities. The name captured their aspiration to create music that surpassed the norm and stood out from the crowd. The band formed in 1988 in