Better Than Ezra Cover Tom Petty, Rolling Stones at Jazz Fest

There was a lot going on Saturday afternoon on the grounds of the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Hometown favorites Better Than Ezra were playing to a packed crowd on the Gentilly Stage; New Orleans R&B native Ledisi was playing the title track from her Grammy-nominated album 'Turn Me Loose' on the My Louisiana Stage; Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars shook the Fais Do-Do Stage with their big band boogie music; and Small Soldiers' second line paraded and played across the winding paved walkway than runs through the festival.

This was only on the northeast side of the festival fairgrounds; the festival included another nine stages showcasing local New Orleans acts. Despite a forecast that called for severe thunderstorms, the sun ended up shining for most of the afternoon, some good festival karma considering the prior day's washout.

Flanked in New Orleans gear, including the black and gold of their Super Bowl champion football team the Saints, Better Than Ezra ripped through a set of jams that included 'A Lifetime' and 'Desperately Wanting.' The trio and their backing band channeled New Orleans Mardi Gras into their pop tunes with added horns. "We're fans too!" frontman Kevin Griffin told the massive crowd in front of him, giving a nod to Papa Grows Funk, who played the same stage an hour prior, as well as to the critically acclaimed HBO series 'Treme.'

Despite having delivered all their favorites to the audience, the crowd arguably went craziest during Better Than Ezra's classic rock covers of Tom Petty's 'Mary Jane's Last Dance' and the Rolling Stones' 'Miss You,' for which the crowd donated their pipes during the trademark "oooh-oooh-oooh-oooh''s of the chorus.

Better Than Ezra on AOL Music