Music | Reliving Memories With Better Than Ezra and Sugar Ray

Let us take you back in time... To a time where Beanie Babies and Furbies reigned supreme and knowing every single word to a Better Than Ezra and Sugar Ray song was the norm. This is the late 90s and early 2000's and we're rocking choker necklaces and being moody with our Walkmans... The 90s bring a sense of nostalgia to your Ultra5280 team so we jumped at the opportunity to see a couple of our favorite 90s artists. There's nothing better than whipping out a picnic blanket, cracking open a beer and letting the sweet sounds of the 90s cascade all over you. If you weren't at the Denver Botanic Gardens last Monday then you were missing out. 

Anyone raised in the 90s could attest to the sheer amount of influence these 4 musicians held during that decade. They set the standard for what it meant to have a hit song in the early 2000's. All of the radio favorites had one thing in common and that was that they were catchy and upbeat, nostalgic of good times... Because they were all catchy, we knew every single word to them, even if we hate to admit it. We bet that anyone reading this could finish this lyric, "Shut the door baby..." and that's because you don't forget poetic genius.. or a song about one night stands when you're in your teens. We'll go with poetic genius though. 

Uncle Kracker played his hit songs but also peppered in some cult classics and had the crowd happy and singing wonderfully off cue. There's something to be said about a musician that can read the crowd and feed off of their energy. He made everyone smile :) 

Better Than Ezra had everyone swooning. He's got swagger... there's no denying that. Everyone ranging from ages 17-65 were staring at him mouth agape ready to pounce if given the chance. Not only is he sexy as hell, but he's also hilarious. That coupled with his rockin dance moves had us wondering why we ever grew up and left the 90s. We'll be back to catch this tour again.. if only to see BTE. *sigh *swoon 

Sugar Ray is down right hilarious. He's got that grown up child-star mentality but still seems like he has his head on right. He had everyone singing along, remembering high schools parties and nostalgic memories from the past. It was as if nothing had changed, besides everyone being roughly 20 years older and instead of worrying about what happened on Saved By The Bell we were worrying about work the next morning.

The 90s were this magical bubble of time where we were all still young enough to not know our Furbies were plotting against us but old enough to say F*&^ it we're gonna listen to Sugar Ray and spike our hair with Ice anyways. Anything went during the 90s and that was the same during this tour. They played nothing but the hits and it was nothing short of a good time. 

Music | Under The Sun Tour at the Denver Botanic Gardens Tonight

Denver, it's time to relive your childhood. Tonight at the Denver Botanic Gardens Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Uncle Kracker and Eve 6 are bringing your high school mix-tapes to life. What better way to spend your Tuesday evening than surrounded by exotic plants and tunes from your past? Sell your Beanie Baby collection, do what you have to do to be here tonight... because it's going to be an unforgettable blast from the past. 

Get your tickets right HERE 

Looking to know a little bit more about the artists? Read their bios below: 

Under The Sun, the hugely popular summer tour celebrating the golden age of alternative pop rock ‘n’ roll, returns with a star-studded festival line-up featuring Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Uncle Kracker, and Eve 6. 

“It’s that time of year, my friends,” says Sugar Ray frontman and Under The Sun co-founder Mark McGrath. “The time when the Under The Sun 2015 Tour comes into your town to bring you some of the biggest bands and biggest hits of a decade we all know and love: The 90’s! So grab a cold one, call some friends – or come make some new ones! – and enjoy some of the music that’s become the soundtrack of our lives. It’s gonna be a rad summer!”

Now in its third year, the Under The Sun Tour has proven one of summer’s favorite events, met with packed houses and euphoric media attention at each stop along the way. Entertainment Weekly kicked things off by declaring 2013’s inaugural Under The Sun to be “the coolest tour of the summer!” In addition to major features in such publications as Billboard and the Los Angeles Times, LATFUSA.com hailed the UTS show at Los Angeles’ legendary Greek Theatre as “a nostalgic night with unbelievable energy radiating from both the stage and the audience.” “It was amazing,” noted Examiner.com, “a great show, very energetic and a real crowd pleaser…if you missed this one, your loss.” “What a remarkable time,” raved OmahaNightlife.com, “what a happy night, what a show.”

- SUGAR RAY -
Mark McGrath is a true original. Best known as lead singer/songwriter for Sugar Ray, the Southern California-native can lay claim to a stunning string of top 10 hits, including “Someday,” “When It’s Over,” and the twin #1 classics, “Fly” and “Every Morning.” McGrath and Sugar Ray proved worldwide fan favorites, with multiple multi-platinum albums (including the RIAA 3x platinum certified 14:59), countless sold out tours, innumerable TV appearances, and starring roles on the covers of such national publications as Spin and Rolling Stone. More than two decades since their foundation later, Sugar Ray remain devoted to the cause that united them, the pursuit of good times, sunshine, and great rock ‘n’ roll.

McGrath has also enjoyed a high profile career as a multi-faceted TV personality, including his recent roles as host of AXS TV’s interactive GRAMMY® Prediction Special and truTV’s extreme singing competition series, Killer Karaoke. Among his many other credits are stints as co-host of the entertainment news program, Extra, and as host of the nationally syndicated Don’t Forget The Lyrics! A three-time champion on VH1’s Rock & Roll Jeopardy, McGrath has also appeared on such series as Fox’s American Idol, NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice (Season 4), ABC’s Wife Swap and The Neighbors, and of course, Syfy’s landmark Sharknado 2: The Second One. 

- BETTER THAN EZRA - 
When Better Than Ezra hit #1 with 1995’s “Good” it was an overnight success story more than five years in the making. The New Orleans-based band came together in 1988 at Louisiana State University, first unveiling their debut album, Deluxe, independently in 1993 and then again via Elektra Records in 1995. Fueled by singles like “In The Blood” and the blockbuster “Good” – which reached the Top 40 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” – Deluxe achieved RIAA 2x platinum certification and undeniable status as a classic of the alternative era.

Two decades later, Better Than Ezra are as impactful as ever before, with fans including Taylor Swift, who attested to the trio’s timeless appeal by covering their 2005 single, “Breathless,” at the historic Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief charity telethon. In addition, frontman Kevin Griffin’s irrefutable pop prowess has seen him become an in-demand songwriter and producer, with such hits under his belt as Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” and Howie Day’s “Collide.”

Meanwhile, Better Than Ezra’s eight studio recording, 2014’s All Together Now, earned critical acclaim as well as yet another radio favorite in the electro-pop inspired “Crazy Lucky,” which hit Billboard’s “Adult Top 40” airplay chart upon its September release. More importantly, the hard-touring band’s Better Than Ezra Foundation (www.BTEFoundation.org) allows them to give back to their native New Orleans with charity ventures benefitting everything from coastal restoration to after school programs for underprivileged kids. 

- UNCLE KRACKER - 
Uncle Kracker vaulted to stardom as a charismatic presence and chief collaborator in Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band before kicking off a stunning solo career of his own with 2000’s RIAA double platinum debut, Double Wide. From there, the Michigan-based singer/songwriter/performer – known to his parents as Matthew Shafer – unfurled a string of top 10 multi-format hits including 2001’s #1 smash, “Follow Me,” “In A Little While,” “Smile,” and of course, 2003’s record-setting cover of Dobie Gray’s classic “Drift Away.” The latter track made history by topping Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart for a staggering 28 weeks – the most weeks at #1 for any song on the AC chart, ever. As if that weren’t enough, the following year saw Uncle Kracker topping Billboard’s “Hot Country Songs” chart for five consecutive weeks with “When The Sun Goes Down,” his RIAA gold certified collaboration with country superstar Kenny Chesney.

In addition to nearly non-stop touring, Uncle Kracker has made numerous high-profile TV performances, including NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, CBS’ The Early Show Saturday Edition, ABC’s Live! With Regis and Kelly, and Fox’s American Country Awards. In 2014, Uncle Kracker joined Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, and Blues Traveler for the second annual Under The Sun Tour and had such a good time he’s back in 2015 with an even bigger and better live show. “It's meant to be a party,” he says, “and I want everybody involved. Each time we go on stage, I want people to leave smiling.”

- EVE 6 - 
Eve 6 formed in Southern California in 1995, inking a deal with RCA Records before they’d even finished high school. The band’s eponymous debut arrived in 1998, attaining platinum success on the back of hits like the Modern Rock chart-topper, “Inside Out.” 2000’s Horrorscope affirmed Eve 6 as alternative stars via a run of radio gems like “Promise,” “On The Roof Again” and the crossover Top 40 anthem “Here’s To The Night.”

It seemed Eve 6 were everywhere, with appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night With Conan O’Brien, CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and seemingly constant MTV rotation. The band announced a brief hiatus in 2004 but returned in 2012 with their acclaimed fourth album, Speak In Code. Re-energized and reunited, Eve 6 has since been an active and dynamic live act, with extensive headline tours as well as regular festival appearances.