Written by James Gatsche and Photos by Bang Ho
Sugar Ray brought a little late-’90s nostalgia to Longhorn City Limits on September 19th at the LBJ Lawn on the University of Texas campus under the sweltering Austin sun. Mark McGrath did what he does best: working the crowd and keeping things fun. With seemingly unlimited energy Mark bounded across the stage and had the crowd in stitches with his witty, self deprecating banter. The band’s mix of pop hooks and alternative rock was a fitting soundtrack for a day on the Forty Acres, where a sea of burnt orange fans sang and danced along turning the lawn into a dust bowl. The biggest moment came when they brought a superfan onstage for a song, turning the set into something a little more personal than a run through the hits. Sugar Ray delivered the kind of easygoing show that fits a pregame crowd without taking itself too seriously. The Longhorns made sure the afternoon ended on a high note, following the performance with a win over UTSA. If Sugar Ray rolls in anywhere near your city, drop what you’re doing and get down to the front rail.
