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THE HOUSE THAT EZRA BUILT
An injured firefighter’s historic Treme home is restored with a little help from his new friends
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NEW ORLEANS (April 28, 2007) When Better Than Ezra takes the stage Friday at Jazzfest, fans will applaud “Good,” “Desperately Wanting,” “Rosealia,” “Extra Ordinary” and other hits from the New Orleans-based modern rock trio’s 15-year career. What they also might want to applaud is band members’ up-close and personal contributions to the local rebuilding effort.
“We talk about New Orleans at every show,” bassist Tom Drummond said. “People around the country still don’t get it. We live in New Orleans, and whatever we can do to get the city back to the way it was, we’ll do.” That includes the aforementioned public service announcements in cities across the country (“Go to New Orleans and have a good time,” drummer Travis McNabb tells the crowds). It includes the $65,000 or so the band raises at its annual charity golf tournament.
And it includes a hands-on, one-home-at-a-time renovation approach: The group’s The House That Ezra Built project already has helped one first responder rebuild and return home, and more are targeted. “They brought me back,” firefighter Terry James said as he stood with Drummond and McNabb recently in front of his trim, newly painted single shotgun in Treme. “I couldn’t do it on my own. I didn’t have the physical or financial means.” James, 45, had bought the 100-year-old house as a blighted property and bank repossession for $16,000 a decade ago. He spent weekends fixing it up, doing much of the work himself.
He restored the original wideplank red pine floors, repainted the walls and installed crown molding along the 12-foot ceilings. He had started enclosing the back side porch when Hurricane Katrina approached. When the storm hit, James reported to duty with the New Orleans Fire Department. When he finally was able to check on his home — by boat — he discovered bad news.
“There was mold all up to the ceilings,” he said. “I got wind damage, too.” Another setback James set to work repairing the house whenever he had a free moment. Then, in December 2005, the fire truck he was riding in was involved in an accident, and his neck was broken. Today, although he can walk, he still has some paralysis on his right side. For four months after the accident he had to sleep upright in a chair.
He needed a helping hand, but didn’t expect it from prominent members of the New Orleans rock community. “What made him a great candidate was that he was obviously helping himself,” McNabb said. The band, he explained, had been sponsoring its golf event for several years, with proceeds going to national charities. After the storm, “it seemed like some kind of help locally made sense.” “We tried to narrow the focus to something seeable and concrete,” McNabb continued. “Habitat (for Humanity) is great, but they build new. Part of our love of New Orleans is its historic architecture. We liked the idea of keeping a house intact.” (continued on page 2)
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