Sugar Ray: Easy to Take 
By Patrick Foster
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, August 25, 1999; Page C03 

It might be Britney, boy bands and bad boys ruling the charts these days, 
but modern rock is still capable of drawing a crowd, as a 
triple-header of genre heavyweights Goo Goo Dolls, Sugar 
Ray and Fastball proved at Merriweather Post Pavilion last 
night. The crowd was dominated by people likely to be more 
concerned with locker combinations and orthodontic decisions 
than grad school as fall rolls around, but it demonstrated 
that modern-rock programmers still hold considerable sway. 

Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath made it a point to thank WHFS 
(and dis 98 Degrees) during his band's energetic but uneven 
eight-song set. Many female attendees clearly showed up to 
gawk at the photogenic McGrath, and his frosted locks and 
surfer's build drew far more squeals than the California 
quintet's mix of punk, hip-hop and a touch of trendy Latin. 

The highlights were radio-friendly selections (Sugar Ray is 
definitely a singles band) like "Falls Apart," "Every Morning," 
"Someday" and the tired but still irresistible "Fly," which 
the band wisely attacked early in the set. 

The band got popular fast, but McGrath looked like a 
seasoned crowd handler. He was undoubtedly the focal point, 
though DJ Homicide's samples and beats drove the music. After 
witnessing his performance, genuinely humbling demeanor and 
limited singing skills, the question is not what direction 
will Sugar Ray's album go in, but when will McGrath head into acting. 

There was certainly no Hollywood in the Goo Goo Dolls' 
headlining performance. After stripping the stage of 
Sugar Ray's props (including a bar and bartender) the 
Buffalo trio ripped into a scruffy set that lasted late 
into the evening. Built on a model that combines classic 
rock riffs with the messy pop punk of trailblazers like 
the Replacements, the Dolls and guitarist-frontman Johnny 
Rzeznik have achieved something approaching mass appeal 
over their 13-year career. The generous set and piles of 
catchy guitar riffs they offered suggested they are taking 
a more professional attitude than ever, but still haven't 
completely abandoned their snotty roots. 

Clearly unconcerned about staging a "proper" outdoor show, 
Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac turned instead to loud electric
 instruments to get the message across. Though they employed 
a backup guitarist and keyboard player and mostly stuck to 
their own songs (sins the Replacements never committed), songs 
like "Broadway" had edges that poked through. 

Rzeznik's husky voice is one reason for the band's radio
 success, and his disheveled appearance and stumbling 
guitar runs drew a few squeals of their own. Takac contributed 
a few vocals in his impossibly gravelly way, making smooth material 
like "Name" and a rousing sing-along of "Iris" seem a little more 
mainstream then they really are. A brief untitled acoustic weeper 
promised that Rzeznik has no plans to alter the formula that has 
made their latest recording, "Dizzy Up the Girl," a chart mainstay. 
"Rock is comin' back" he vowed at one point, and nothing the 
Dolls did indicated they ever thought it left. 

The amiable Texas quartet Fastball began the evening, displaying 
stuff that isn't likely to fool many hitters. The band pitched a 
straightforward guitar pop (late-period R.E.M. meets K-Tel's '70s 
compilations) that didn't seem to stir the crowd. 

Fortunately, they understand brevity, so dull moments passed quickly. 
Songs like "The Way" are somewhat dull, too, but pleasantly so, 
and their themes of harmless slackerdom proved more engaging than 
their recorded counterparts. 

Ultimately, it was an evening a lot like the radio format to which 
the bands owe a thankless debt: predictable, but enjoyable every now 
and then. And best of all, the concert didn't have commercials. 


© Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company