Back to the Future: The Pageant hosts four straight days of '90s rock icons

For four days, the Pageant will party like it's 1996. So to help simplify this way-back bonanza, we've drafted a helpful comparison among four Generation X stalwarts.

Better Than Ezra
Biggest hit: "Good"
The band's name is: Arrogant, at least to anybody named Ezra.
This band is cool because: It healed from the bite of the one-hit-wonder bug with excellent sophomore singles "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans."
This band is lame because: The high-pitched voice that shrieks, "Yeah, that's right!" at the end of "Good" is a candidate for most annoying sample ever used in a song.
Could this band succeed if it debuted in this decade? Probably not. The sentimental vibe of "Desperately Wanting" would strike a chord with some emo kids, but the band is too parent-friendly for that scene — and lead singer Kevin Griffin looks more like a Jonas Brother than a Get Up Kid.
8 p.m. Saturday, July 25. $25.

The Wallflowers
Biggest hit: "One Headlight"
The band's name is: Unintentionally ironic. "Wallflower" is a term for one who draws little attention to themselves, an all-too-fitting descriptor for the band's adult-contemporary leanings.
This band is cool because: The fact that frontman Jakob Dylan is Bob Dylan's son implies a genetic advantage in the songwriting department.
This band is lame because: The fact that frontman Jakob Dylan is Bob Dylan's son also implies an easier passage to success than any other rock band in the history of rock bands. Genealogy has become a bigger hook for the Wallflowers than the chorus of "6th Avenue Heartache."
Could this band succeed if it debuted in this decade? Yes. All Dylanthropologic studies aside, "One Headlight" is an effective moody verse/triumphant chorus pop song that is both brilliant and timeless.
With Bottle Rockets, 8 p.m. Sunday, July 26. $25 advance, $28 day of show.

Rusted Root
Biggest hit: "Send Me On My Way"
The band's name is: Confusing. Rust occurs when iron is oxidized, but organic materials — like the root of a plant — cannot rust. Perhaps there is a deeper meaning referring to some combination of natural and manmade elements in the band's music. Or, more likely, it's some sort of obscure weed reference.
This band is cool because: Its experiments blending pop music with African rhythms predicted a hipster trend thirteen years in advance.
This band is lame because: The members look like dirty, dirty hippies.
Could this band succeed if it debuted in this decade? Yes. The neo-hippie movement had yet to bloom in the mid-'90s. If Rusted Root sprouted today, it could easily score a side-stage spot on Bonnaroo, a Nissan commercial and a gig as Jack Johnson's backing band.
With Devon Allman's Honeytribe, 8 p.m. Monday, July 27. $22.50 in advance, $25 day of show.

Toad the Wet Sprocket
Biggest hit: "All I Want"
The band's name is: From a Monty Python monologue in which the lead electric-triangle player from the ridiculously named rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket must have his elbow removed following a motorcycle accident.
This band is cool because: Its jangly guitars, indirect hooks and verbed-out snare drum backbeats read like a page ripped from the R.E.M. playbook.
This band is lame because: "Good Intentions," the band's contribution to the Friends soundtrack, sounds an awful lot like the theme song to Nickelodeon's Western sitcom Hey Dude.
Could this band succeed if it debuted in this decade? No. Even though "All I Want" has a hook as good as any hit rock song this side of Y2K, the production and melodies are definitely dated. There's no room these days for quasi-abstract college rock between the Fergies and Nickelbacks on the FM radio dial — or at least no major labels that're willing to try.
8 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. $25.