Thursday night was one of those times that kind of define what makes Summerfest, despite what the nitpickers and naysayers might argue, is a great, great event.

Being more of a wanderer than a serious music fan, I dragged my roommate down to the Lakefront and decided to take in a little bit of several headliners.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a beautiful summer night in Milwaukee.

Better than Ezra: This New Orleans-based trio was one of my favorite post-high school bands, having kind of bridged the gap from the Seattle grunge that defined the early to mid-90s and the more current incarnations of alternative rock.

Despite the "favorite" status, Better than Ezra never really jumped out at me. They were good. They were on the radio a lot (I listened to a lot of 102.1 and The Point back then) and it was just good, honest music – nothing fancy, nothing overly memorable but nothing off-putting or unbearable.

I thought of that description Thursday night as the group played the Miller Lite Oasis at Summerfest. As Kevin Griffin led the way through the familiar but not overly popular portion of BTE's catalog, I was reminded of the comfort I found in the music.

Of course, things livened up a bit when the band broke out "Extra Ordinary," which came to a stop midway through for the guys to rip into a tribute to Milwaukee's Violent Femmes (the "Blister in the Sun" cover was well done). A couple of hat tips to U2, and BTE was right back on track.

The highlight, of course, was the band's signature hit, "Good," off the 1993 album, "Deluxe." It's a feel-good tune and despite being nearly 20 years old, it still resonates and Griffin's vocals haven't changed much over the years.

Griffin did show his age a bit, remarking that the band's first-ever Summerfest gig came way back when the Miller stage was still known as the "Jazz Oasis" while bassist Tom Drummond celebrated his 42nd birthday during the show.

Near the end, Griffin announced that the band was headed back to the studio to work on its eighth full-length album, due out next year.

Wanda Jackson: As my fondness for country music has grown over the last few years, my interest in old-school honky-tonk and rockabilly has become a guilty pleasure.

At 73 years old, Jackson is still going strong both in terms of energy and voice.

Despite only catching a portion of her set, it wasn't hard to get into it. A small but respectable crowd bounced and danced to every beat, with many couples taking advantage of her slower tunes to sneak in a quick peck.

More impressive was the wide variety of fans in the crowd. You had your typical and traditional rockabilly fans, blending their boots and hats with hipsters, kids, rockers and the "undeclared." Just a great mix of people enjoying some terrific music.

The only downside to Jackson's show was a poor sound mix. For a show so dependent on the vocals, the Potawatomi Pavilion might not have been the best option. Jackson's voice bounced all about the venue and it took from the balance between her singing and the excellent band supporting her.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I thought that this is what it might have sounded like had I been lucky enough to catch Jackson in a Texas dance hall during the '50s.

Sound issues aside, it was a tremendous show. I can mark that one off my list.

A few quick thoughts from other shows I sampled Thursday:

George Clinton: Hey, I'll admit it ... I never really gave Clinton a lot of thought until I saw "PCU." But yes, I'm all about the funk. I walked in midway through his show and enjoyed what I heard. Long, fun, free-flowing jams. Classic Clinton. Not a bad way to spend an hour or so.

Owl City: I'll be totally honest: I have no idea what I was seeing or hearing. I do know that if you were entering your senior year of high school, the Harley-Davidson stage was the place to be.

Panic! at the Disco: There was a lot of screeching, a lot of cussin' (this, coming from a guy who makes his father, a former Marine, blush at times) and a whole lot of people.

Jackyl: Not long after arriving at the Rock Stage, I saw two embarrassed parents ushering their children away ... quickly. Jesse James Dupree has a way with words, give him that much. Still, there's something to be said for a metal band that can still draw a crowd in 2011.