Multi-platinum recording artists will kick-off pre-race ceremonies for Darlington Raceway’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 on September 1
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (MAY 7, 2019) – Highlighting its award-winning Throwback Weekend, celebrating the 1990-94 era of the sport, Darlington Raceway and the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce have announced that multi-platinum rock/alternative group Better Than Ezra will headline the Visit Myrtle Beach Pre-Race Concert for its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 race on September 1.
“It’s exciting that we will be performing the pre-race concert at a historic NASCAR track like Darlington Raceway,” Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin said. “It will be a fun show we know race fans will enjoy. The 90’s were a special time for Better Than Ezra so it’s a great fit for us to play during the track’s celebration of the early 90’s for their throwback weekend.”
Stage-front tickets to see Better Than Ezra perform the Visit Myrtle Beach Pre-Race Concert are on sale now by visiting DarlingtonRaceway.com or calling 866-459-7223. A grandstand ticket must be purchased with pre-race concert access.
“Better Than Ezra continues to put on great performances for their fans and our Visit Myrtle Beach Pre-Race Concert will be no different,” said Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp. “They had many of their most notable hits in the 90’s and are a perfect fit to get the fans excited for what will be an amazing Bojangles’ Southern 500 event.”
After being founded while students at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1988, frontman Kevin Griffin and bassist Tom Drummond comprised the core of the band at its onset as they hit the road and won over one fan at a time beginning in 1989.
This fan base would go on to be known as “Ezralites” by the time the first pressing of Deluxe landed independently in 1993. As the audience dramatically grew, Elektra signed the boys in 1995 and officially released Deluxe. A fixture on radio and MTV, “Good” captured #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks Chart and went multi-platinum. 1996’s Friction, Baby yielded definitive anthems such as “Desperately Wanting” and “King Of New Orleans.” A string of fan favorite albums followed, including How Does Your Garden Grow? [1998] and Closer [2001].
2005’s Before The Robots represented another creative high. Its lead single “A Lifetime” peaked in the Top 15 of the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart as “Juicy” went on to famously soundtrack a Desperate Housewives campaign. Paper Empire followed in 2009 and then the band released their latest album in 2014, All Together Now. Produced by Tony Hoffer [M83, Beck,] it spawned the hit “Crazy Lucky,” which notched 10 million-plus streams.
At the same time, their touring presence burgeoned year after year as Better Than Ezra continue to sell out amphitheaters and arenas worldwide. A force of nature on stage, the group consistently deliver on tour as countless fans sing along to every word nightly. Their gigs further uphold a growing legend.
Outside of Better Than Ezra, Griffin established himself as a sought-after hitmaking songwriter, having songs recorded by the likes of Taylor Swift and Train. He also penned #1 hits for Howie Day and Sugarland in addition to writing with The Struts and Moon Taxi. In 2015, Griffin co-founded the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, which counts Justin Timberlake among others as partners.
Along the way, they launched the Better Than Ezra Foundation (www.BTEFoundation.org) in order to support their hometown. Chaired by Drummond, its charity endeavors span coastal restoration projects, after school programs for underprivileged kids, and more. Since 2008, it has raised over $1.7 million for causes throughout greater New Orleans.
Celebrating 25 years of Deluxe in 2018, the guys reissued the record on double vinyl.In the end, you’ll never forget the songs on Deluxe or any other release from their discography — and that’s better than anything.
The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring Darlington’s pre-race concert for the second consecutive year after partnering with the track for country star Clay Walker’s show in 2018.
Darlington Raceway has had a long-standing relationship with Visit Myrtle Beach, as many race fans visit the track each year for its Labor Day weekend NASCAR events, followed by a vacation to Myrtle Beach. With Darlington only located 75 miles from Myrtle Beach, its proximity makes it a prime destination for family and friends.
ABOUT MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.
Stretching from Little River to Pawleys Island and comprising 14 distinct communities, the Myrtle Beach area is home to 60 miles of sandy beaches, an assortment of entertainment and family attractions and world-class golf. Popularly known as the Grand Strand, the Myrtle Beach area presents the quintessential vacation experience peppered with plenty of Southern hospitality. For additional information on the Myrtle Beach area, visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com or call (888) Myrtle-1.
ABOUT DARLINGTON RACEWAY
Darlington Raceway’s award-winning throwback campaign is The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500® on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019 at 6 p.m. on NBCSN. The NASCAR XFINITY Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 will race on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019 at 4 p.m. on NBC. Tickets are on sale now by calling 866-459-7223 or visiting DarlingtonRaceway.com. You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway atDarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame. Fans are encouraged to post their Bojangles’ Southern 500 stories and memories at, #BojanglesSo500 and #SportClips200.
