At first I thought to myself, “Perhaps this is my ‘Guilty Pleasure’ article biting me in the ass.” Maybe these flashbacks to high school are just that, simple delusions and deja vu. We could at least fathom Creed taking a swing at reuniting because Scott Stapp finally realized he is not Jesus. But between the Blink 182 green screen fiasco, Limp Bizkit’s European descent, and No Doubt’s reunion tour, things are getting to be a tad bit ridiculous. And that’s even without mention the fact that Sugar Ray is now apparently returning.
Is there a memo these late 90s bands missed about the “Do’s and Do Not’s” of comebacks? First off, reunions are only fun if your band is the only one doing so, not if you wait until all your alumni pop up like Whack-A-Mole figurines. Second, who really thinks Sugar Ray will sell out seats? Their last decent hit was early millennium and that was after they went from alternative and into pop rock like everyone else (Lemonade and Brownies to 14:59). Add insult to injury, Mark McGrath has become increasingly annoying during his tenor on tabloid TV show Extra.
But alas, according to Billboard.com, July 21st will see the release of Sugar Ray’s latest outing titled Music for Cougars, the first single being “Boardwalk” (let me guess, a hit song for the summer). Maybe this is the band trying to simply rekindle the days of “Fly”. Personally, that is about as useful as Eminem trying for more celebrity satire – “We Made You” ring any bells? We suppose the next thing to hit us could be a Lou Bega comeback or another pop star saturated Santana CD, but all those against please cross fingers, toes and any other appendages available.
The band will support its new LP with a North American tour this summer. All confirmed tour dates below.
Sugar Ray 2009 Tour Dates:
07/24 – Hankinson, ND @ Dakota Magic Casino
07/25 – Lac Du Flambea, WI @ Taste of the Torches Resort
07/26 – Chicago, IL @ Taste of Lincoln Avenue
07/28 – Detroit, MI @ Hall
07/29 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
07/30 – Dewey Beach, DE @ Bottle & Cork
07/31 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
08/01 – Binghamton, NY @ Spiedie Fest
08/03 – Albany, NY @ Northern Lights
08/04 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
08/06 – Stamford, CT @ Columbus Park
08/07 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore
08/08 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
08/10 – Norfolk, VA @ NorVa
08/11 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ South End
08/12 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
08/14 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
08/15 – Orlando, FL @ Downtown Orlando
08/16 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
08/18 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
08/19 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
08/21 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
08/22 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
08/23 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
09/11 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
09/12 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom
09/14 – Sacramento, CA @ Empire
09/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom
09/16 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
09/18 – Newport Beach, CA @ Taste of Newport
09/20 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater
09/22 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
09/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Marquee
09/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
09/26 – San Diego, CA @ Hard Rock