Unless you have been living in a radio-free environment for the past six years, you’ve heard of Better Than Ezra.

The ’95 hit “Good” ensured the New Orleans-based trio at least 15 minutes of fame.

Saint Louis University students gathered on Laclede Avenue yesterday for a free Better Than Ezra concert-a Homecoming week event.

Familiarity with this relatively big name in radio-rock certainly helped bring out the crowd, but that’s not what kept them dancing.

The street was almost empty when Colony opened with a lively set.

Those who were just lounging around waiting to wander down to Laclede and check out the show missed a worthy warm-up. Colony’s sound was fresh, and they rocked harder than most top-40 hopefuls; their three-part harmonies packed a surprisingly beautiful punch.

So what formula did Better Than Ezra concoct to successfully conquer the SLU crowd? It began with a charismatic, wise-cracking lead singer, Kevin Griffin. A vocal powerhouse with swaying hips and mad skills on the guitar, Griffin led the band through a high-energy, 90- minute set with confidence.

His partner in jamming, bassist Tom Drummond, also knew how to shine on his own with rumbling solos. Drummer Travis McNabb was solid, but his bandmates coaxed him into most of his glory, as they encouraged him to pick it up or to simmer.

The secret ingredient was James Arthur Payne: keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist. Though Payne is not a “member” of the band, he played on the album and tours with the guys. His velvety vocals vibed with Griffin’s seamlessly.

Radio-familiar hits on the set included “At the Stars,” “King of New Orleans” and of course “Good.” But the most powerful moments in the show took place during lesser-known and newer tracks.

The band gives its fans a chance to request songs for upcoming shows on their official Web site. Drummond told the crowd that “Live Again” was by far the most-requested song in the past few weeks.

Its lyrics took on deeper meaning as Griffin pleaded, “love me hate me/make me live again/I need you around.”

Griffin’s songwriting is catchy without being numbing and as evocative as a candid photo. “A Lifetime,” off the recent release Closer, takes a look at the grief and friendship.

The improvisation and covers mixed into the set won the crowd’s respect. Not just any band can mold songs by Nelly, the Ramones and the Beatles into their own set, delighting and never distracting from their own sound.

As is a custom at Better Than Ezra shows, Griffin picked an audience member from the crowd to get onstage and play guitar during “This Time of Year.” Brent Fernandez, a lucky SLU junior, rocked along with the band with ease. Griffin looked on with approval and proclaimed, “You’re a rock god on this small Midwestern campus. Your life will never be the same.”

The crowd was receptive and eager to interact with the band. Sometimes a little to eager. A group of zealous boys requested “Conjunction Junction”-yes, the song of “Schoolhouse Rock” fame.

The band played the song on a compilation album but rarely plays it live.

The students making the request were vocal enough, however, to persuade the band to play it.

Griffin told the audience they hadn’t played it in years. The extra effort paid off; students were left satisfied and impressed.

Chris Grabau, program coordinator for student life, deemed the event a success. “It was a nice afternoon event.” He also that approximated that about 1,500 people attended, but he said, “I wish there would have been more people.”

In an interview after the show, Better Than Ezra talked about the perks of playing at universities.

“When you play shows at universities, you don’t know who’ll show up. But this was really fun,” Griffin said. “The crowd even knew the new songs.”

He said playing here is better than playing at clubs, which can be “dirty and nasty.

And the people there are sick of dealing with bands. At universities, the people are enthusiastic, and we’re treated well.”

Drummond chimed in, “Yeah that’s true, and this is how we started.”

The guys will be playing at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans at the end of October and back in St. Louis at the Pageant a few weeks after that.

Drummond was excited about Voodoo Fest and noted that the event is “one of the premiere music festivals in the country.”

“Yeah,” said Griffin, “It’ll be a big ol’ sweaty rock fest.” The projected attendance is about 100,000. “And we have a really good slot.”

Better Than Ezra will play on the main stage before Bush and Tool. Kind of a dangerous spot to play?

“Yeah, the Tool fans will be camped out. But the kids in New Orleans know us,” he said. Now, so do the SLU kids, and we’ll look for them when they return this fall with more tracks from Closer at the Pageant.