Under the Sun Tour w/ Smashmouth, Sugar Ray, & more – Aug 14th – Allen Event Center – Allen, TX
Full disclosure – I fucking hated the 90’s – sure I might have owned a Nirvana album or two and drank the wrong Kool-Aid at Lollapalooza a few times but at large I have very much the “what were we thinking?” regret than negates any real feelings of nostalgia for that era. Like any time period – their was some good music and then their was some truly awful shit and though I’m sure its arguable, the 1990’s seemed to have the worst shit ever. I turned 18 in 1992 and that same year thanks in large part to the success of Nirvana, gave birth to what was being called “Alternative Music” – which gave suburbia delusions that they were being rebellious and had taste when it was really just bad bar bands given undeserved recording contacts hoping to replicate the successes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc.
By the end of the decade things only got progressively worse – their really seemed to be no rules or an end to the cash that companies would throw at the most offensively mediocre acts that 15 years later local radio continues to play in heavy rotation.
Entertainment however was to be had in the form of Sugar Ray singer and tour founder Mark McGrath, who acted as a spirited and comedic emcee throughout the evening. With his spiked blond hair, sun-glasses and ridiculous Hawaiian shirt, it’s clear that Mark McGrath’s goal for the evening was simply to have fun with his friends.
The liveliest of the evening acts, thanks in part to McGrath’s constant commentary — which at times got in the way of the music but made it clear that the band considered the concert a celebration. The show started to resemble a comedy club, as McGrath took an audience member’s phone and began talking to the man’s girlfriend, and made it clear that yes, we were celebrating nostalgia but that he was also interested in making some new memories too. An extended performance of Violent Femmes’ Blister in the Sun certainly helped make that happen. “There couldn’t be any ‘90’s without the ‘80’s,” said McGrath.
Belive it or not Sugar Ray started out as a full-on Metal band – then they made an almost New Wave record cleverly titled 14:59 – Believe it or not, there are some stuff from these albums that I actually really enjoy, but I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell I was gonna hear any of it at this show.
Setlist:
Summertime’s Coming
Someday
Every Morning
Under the Sun
When it’s Over
Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes cover)
Fly
Finishing out the night was Smash Mouth & with their indelible, organ-powered style, Smash Mouth has long provided the sun-dappled soundtrack to summertime fun. If I hold an ounce of any nostalgia for any of these acts, its for them. Long before the string of covers landing on movie soundtracks and the douchy cookbook they made with even douchier Guy Fieri, they made one of the most fun records of the 90s – their first LP Fush Yu Mang – Known of course for its lead single Walking on the Sun, literally nothing else sounded like that on the rest of the record that was chocked pack with high energy tracks that fueled many of Magic: The Gathering rounds in my old pal John Curtis’ garage. I knew in this abbreviated set there was no chance of hearing any of that stuff and after the first song it was evident that version of the band no longer exists and hasn’t for some time.
Sure Mcgrath would be a tough act to follow in this room for anyone, but Smash Mouth were downright awful – First of all, the sound was so blistering loud and unessseary that it started to distort around the room. Secondly, singer Steve Harwell, just seemed almost resentful, even embarrassed maybe to be there. Why would you “headline” with only an 8 song set and include an extended drum solo where everyone leaves the stage like its 1977 and then return only for the rest of the band to take solos? Of those 8 songs, 3 of them were covers!
Where as Mcgrath was 100% sincerity, even Harwell’s thank yous seemed forced – like “I already got your money and now I have to sing now?” One of the most uninspired sets I’ve seen in awhile, however I’m still sure that it mattered – As again this being just a nostalgic trip it was fun to see girls who are only around 16 already nostalgic for when they were 9 watching Shrek when the band finished with of course All-Star.
Setlist:
Can’t Get Enough of You Baby (? and the Mysterians cover)
Then the Morning Comes
Come on Come On
Diggin’ Your Scene (with drum solo)
Walkin’ on the Sun
You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
I’m a Believer (The Monkees cover)
All Star
How have the bands help you ask? This isn’t the kind of crowd that gets caught up in authenticity nor would they probably even notice if not all the original members were there. That would be a good thing for this tour because most of these bands are mere remnants of their original 90s versions. It seemed that most reformed with the one orginal member who has controlling interest and four three new hired hands.I heard Vertical Horizon only has their leader Matt Scannell left & Sugar Ray suffered a bit of a mass exodus last year with the entire band leaving except obviously Mcgrath and his song-writing partner Rodney Sheppard. Same goes for Smash Mouth who are returning with just their singer and principal songwriter.
It was through Mcgrath however that I finally “got it” – Even after Sugar Ray finished, in between sets the lights were up but the PA stayed at full volume pumping out fun 90’s jams like Pump up the Volume and of course Jump Around – While sure what this scene looked like would be an easy target to make fun of – An entirely white audience mostly in their late 30s with their kids dancing awkwardly to a song you never wanna hear again – BUT that’s the nostalgic value – no one came here to hear operatic solos and guitar pyrotechnics, they paid (a hefty price) to relive something. That’s where Mcgrath shined brightest because he wasn’t trying to be anything other than this – completely at peace with his place in the pop culture continuum proclaiming “Hey, it was the 90s man, we are all in this together”. Suddenly I was at ease, think about it – give ME something that holds that same value and it wouldn’t matter how awful – If their was some 80s party with Wang Chung, When in Rome, Roxette & the Human League hosted by one of the original MTV VJs, I would be there in parachute pants holding a freaking Rubik cube no question. This was their version of that – so who am I to judge?
