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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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So the band partnered with Rebuilding Together, an arm of the Preservation Resource Center that repairs damaged properties for low-income elderly residents and those with disabilities, as well as first responders. “The rebuilding aspect is what attracted us,” McNabb said, but the idea of focusing on firefighters and police was appealing as well.
“If we can get first responders back to their normal routines, it will help the city in the long run,” Drummond said. James was a natural choice for the first House That Ezra Built, PRC spokeswoman Sue Sperry said. “He lives in an area where other work is going on; he’s a hero; he’s disabled; he needed help; and he has a historic house.” He also has an upbeat attitude and a determination to contribute what he can: He refinished the flood-damaged floors of his 1901 house himself in four days, and can perform simple repairs and chores like hanging curtains. “If I get one window painted in a day, that’s fine,” he said with a smile. Still, “this is not just for others, but for us, too,” McNabb is quick to point out. He and his wife, who runs Magazine Street men’s clothing store Style Lab, live Uptown, as do Drummond and his wife, who are expecting their first child this summer.
And although band founder and frontman Kevin Griffin currently operates out of Los Angeles — “he has a son just starting school, and the recording studio is there, but he’d like to come back,” McNabb said — the band has never strayed far from its New Orleans roots. And not just musical ones.
“We’re diehards,” Drummond said. “We travel all over the country, but there is no city like New Orleans. There’s so much culture and history here that it makes it very easy to come back. And if we’re going to stay here, we’re going to help.” Right side up Help is not an abstract term for these guys. “They’ve come to all the meetings, checked on the house’s progress, authorized expenditures, checked the budget,” Sperry said. “They’ve used their connections to get things done. They are very hands-on.” At the suggestion of pro golfer Kelly Gibson, who’s involved with their tournament, band members solicited expert help from Fireline Restoration. The company donated all the construction work on James’s house and also finished the sun porch, turning it into a cozy retreat at the rear of the two-bedroom house.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of stuff, but this is incredibly rewarding,” Gibson said. “To see so many people come together. And there’s a difference between renovating just anyone’s house and doing it for someone whose whole life has been turned upside down.”
The members of Better Than Ezra agree. They’ve raised enough money to tackle more homes, to oversee more renovations for first responders. They envision the Ezralites — the band’s multitude of fans — pitching in to scrape and paint future houses. As Drummond puts it, “we’ll continue to help people who are helping themselves.” So make that project The HouseS That Ezra Built, and give the band an extra round of applause at Jazzfest.
InsideOut editor Rene Peck can be reached at rpeck@timespicayune.com, or (504) 826-3431.
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