Recent News

April 24, 2013 - "Under The Sun 2013" Already Heating Up The Summer!

“Under The Sun 2013,” the marathon summer tour featuring Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms and other chart topping stars from the Nineties, is rapidly shaping up as a certifiable summertime sensation. The North American trek – which will also see performances from Vertical Horizon and Fastball – has just unveiled an additional series of dates, including highly anticipated shows at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Beach (on July 6th), Los Angeles’ legendary Greek Theatre (set for July 13th), Toronto’s Echo Beach at Molson Amphitheatre (on July 28th), and The Electric Factory Outdoor Stage in beautiful downtown Philadelphia (on August 3rd). “Under The Sun 2013” gets underway with a free 4th of July extravaganza at Socorro, Texas’ Socorro Entertainment Center and then continues through the summer (Click Here for Tour Dates). Full details, including complete ticket information, can be found at www.underthesuntour.com.

Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, and Gin Blossoms teamed up to celebrate “Under The Sun 2013” with a week’s worth of showcase performances featured on VH1’s Big Morning Buzz with Carrie Keagan. The popular series spent last week broadcasting from Los Angeles and who better to summon the spirit of surf and summertime than the Under The Sun headliners, all of whom performed live from the famed Sunset Plaza House high in the Hollywood Hills.

A number of the live performances and interviews can be viewed now exclusively via VH1: members of Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, and Smash Mouth join forces to chat about “Under The Sun 2013” (Click Here); Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath discusses the upcoming tour and much more (Click Here); Smash Mouth performs “Walkin’ On The Sun” (Click Here); Gin Blossoms performing “Follow You Down” (Click Here); Sugar Ray’s performance of “Fly" (Click Here).

As if that weren’t enough, McGrath heralded “Under The Sun 2013” with a visit earlier this week to Los Angeles’ highly rated KTLA Morning News. An additional slate of high profile TV appearances will be unveiled soon.

Presale and enhanced VIP ticket packages for “Under The Sun 2013” are available for a limited time at tixx1.artistarena.com/underthesun2013. The enhanced offer includes a reserved seat ticket, a limited edition “Under The Sun 2013” beach towel, a commemorative VIP laminate, and a tour poster signed by members of all five bands on the bill. Best of all, the VIP package includes access to a special Meet & Greet where fans can rub elbows with the headline artists. For complete ticket information – as well as updated tour dates and other news – please visit www.underthesuntour.com.

Boasting cumulative sales of 25 million in the US alone, the five bands featured on “Under The Sun 2013” stand tall among the biggest and brightest stars of the golden age of alternative pop rock ‘n’ roll. “Under The Sun 2013” follows 2012’s “Summerland Tour,” a 31-date trek that packed sheds and arenas nationwide with a line-up co-hosted by McGrath and comprised of Sugar Ray, Everclear, Gin Blossoms, Marcy Playground, and Lit.

April 23, 2013 - Watch Sugar Ray Perform on Big Morning Buzz!

April 18, 2013 - Big Morning Buzz Live With Carrie Keagan

Get More: Big Morning Buzz Live With Carrie Keagan

April 1, 2013 - Celebrate the Golden Age of Nineties Pop Rock 'N' Roll with "Under The Sun 2013" Summer Tour

Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, and Gin Blossoms have united to present “Under The Sun 2013,” a marathon summer tour featuring a remarkable array of chart topping stars from the Nineties. The first leg of the 36+ city trek – which will also see performances from Vertical Horizon and Fastball – gets underway with a free 4th of July extravaganza at Socorro, Texas’ Socorro Entertainment Center and then continues through the summer. Additional dates will be announced shortly.

March 20, 2013 - Under the Sun Tour Dates Announced

Tour dates for the upcoming 2013 Under the Sun Tour, featuring Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Smashmouth, Vertical Horizon and Fastball, have been posted. Click Here to see where the tour will be near you!

About Sugar Ray

The Southern California-based band's last album “MUSIC FOR COUGARS,” an exuberant reiteration of the band’s signature sound, with particular focus on songcraft and sonic invention. As ever, musical styles –from dancehall to disco, punk to pure pop – are mixed and matched, resulting in a celebratory, swaggering collection that is distinctively and delightfully Sugar Ray. Songs like the buoyant first single, “Boardwalk,” or the Rivers Cuomo-penned “Love Is the Answer” are fit to burst with the wit and energy that once saw the band rule over the Top 10. “MUSIC FOR COUGARS” sees this band of brothers operating at the very peak of its powers, with the skills, strengths, and smarts that only two decades together can provide.

“I’m not going to say we made the best record of our career,” beams singer Mark McGrath. “That’s just so clichéd. But we did!”

Since their 1995 “LEMONADE AND BROWNIES” debut, Sugar Ray became stuck in a biennial cycle of touring and recording, touring and recording. 1997’s RIAA double platinum-certified sophomore effort, “FLOORED,” and its smash follow-up, 1999’s triple platinum “14:59” were trailed by 2001’s self-titled collection and 2003’s “IN THE PURSUIT OF LEISURE.” By the time of 2005’s “THE BEST OF SUGAR RAY,” the band had well and truly earned a break.

Since their 1986 inception as The Shrinky Dinks, McGrath took the time to explore new creative terrain – staying in the spotlight as co-host of the nationally syndicated entertainment news program, Extra as well as hosting Don't Forget the Lyrics, while guitarist Rodney Sheppard teaches music to neighborhood kids. Perhaps more importantly, Sheppard, started a family, in their hometown of Newport Beach.

“It was just the natural course to sort of lay back for a while,” Sheppard says, “We had a good run up to that time and we’d gotten to the point where we welcomed a break. It just ended up being a bit longer than we thought.”

Sugar Ray was in fact quite active during their hiatus, busting out the hits at private corporate events, county fairs, and countless summer festivals. By 2008, the band was itching to get back into the studio. In July, McGrath left Extra in order to devote more of his time to Sugar Ray. At the same time, the band’s longtime friend, producer Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park), invited them to cut a new album for his just-launched label, Pulse Recordings.