’90s music shaped today’s old-timer

Oh, the ’90s. Specifically the early-to-mid-’90s. Flannel. Long, stringy hair. Big, stupid hats. Snapple. “Beavis and Butthead.” Oh, yes. I grew up in the heyday of ’90s alternative – I’m showing my age when I say that in eighth grade I was all about Bush, Silverchair and the Spin Doctors.

In hindsight and as a self-proclaimed indie rock nerd, I can now say that I was terribly wrong about most of my choices back then. We’ve all sold back our copies of the Deep Blue Something album. Hair metal band Cinderella is to 1986 as grunge copycats Candlebox are to 1996. What kind of name is “Dishwalla”?

But I cannot tell a lie: I hear an old Counting Crows song on the radio, and I sing along to every word. Like anyone who grew up in pop music saturation, what you listened to defined a good chunk of your life, and hearing it again today packs a heady wallop of nostalgia.

So get ready to get sentimental for the ’90s when Better Than Ezra plays at the Maine Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, with opener Baumer. Fortunately, Better Than Ezra is better than most of the alt-rock pack from which it originated. It doesn’t hurt that it has a bit of a cult-like fan-following, and has continued to release albums since its last big hit, 1996’s “Friction, Baby,” unlike many bands whose profiles have lowered since first hitting it big.

The band’s latest album, “Before the Robots,” was released last May, and this tour was aptly timed – the band is based in New Orleans, and the members have taken the opportunity to ask for donations to the Red Cross at all their performances. Tickets are $16 for the general public, or $8 for UMaine students, and can be bought at the MCA box office. For information, visit www.betterthanezra.com.

Also on the horizon is an extremely quirky show at Orono venue Ushuaia. On Saturday, Oct. 1, check out mc chris and SNMNMNM on the Revenge of the Nerds tour. mc chris is best known as the voice of many random characters on various shows on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup, including Hesh on “Sealab 2021”. But he’s also a rapper – albeit a very silly rapper – and he’s released three albums, including his most recent, “Eating’s Not Cheating.” He bills himself as “nerdcore rap,” which I take it to mean he’s like 50 Cent meets Steve Urkel.

SNMNMNM (pronounced ess-en-em-en-em-en-em) is a power-pop group that, instead of a bass player, has a tuba player. The band’s blissful, offbeat pop is somewhere in between They Might Be Giants and the Squirrel Nut Zippers. The Ergs is scheduled to open. Doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are $12 and can be purchased at all Bull Moose Music locations.

Further south, the State Theatre in Portland has a couple of high-profile shows lined up. New York hipsters Interpol will take the stage tonight, with its dark, stylish rock. Consistently compared to Joy Division, the only similarity I can see between those two bands is that singer Paul Banks has the same foreboding baritone that Ian Curtis had. To me, they share more in common with the Doors, Bauhaus, Television and Echo and the Bunnymen. Either way, it’s sexy, decadent and fashionable indie rock. Doors open at 7 p.m., with opener Boom Bip. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets.

Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.