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At the Pacific Amphitheatre
August 5th, 2026 Review by Kaitlin Pinell
When the heat of the summer is in full swing, some people have no choice but to make the trek out to the OC fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. They can ride attractions with names like Devil’s Boneshaker or Panky’s Revenge, gobble down some over-the-top deep-fried food, and enjoy the people watching. But the OC Fair also has amazing concerts throughout the summer, making for excellent entertainment any night of the week. On this day, it was Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, and Tonic providing the soundtrack to the summer night.
Tonic was a band I had never even heard of, but as their set progressed, songs like “You Wanted More” and “If You Could Only See” captured me.
To start things off, Tonic frontman Emerson Hart said, “Let’s go back to 1996.” Tonic is celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Lemon Parade,” the album that gave us “If You Could Only See” and “Open Up Your Eyes,” two of their biggest hits.
With the strum of their opening riff to “Open Up Your Eyes,” the crowd quickly started to fill in. People with facepaint and jumbo-sized kettle corn migrated from the fairgrounds and found their seats, while others who were just at the Amphitheatre for the show purchased their last beers and tacos to settle in for the night.
The band’s strong but melodic sound grabbed everyone’s attention and warmed up the crowd as the sun started to set. “It’s a beautiful night for rock and roll,” Hart said.
Tonic paid homage to Queen and Fleetwood Mac by covering “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Go Your Own Way.” These surprise covers became a theme as the night progressed.
“It’s like a family reunion backstage,” Hart mentioned. This wasn’t the first time these bands have played together; Tonic played with Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra in 2024 while Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray have been sharing the stage for decades, including 2013-2014’s Under the Sun tour that celebrated ‘90s alternative pop-rock.
Of course, anywhere that Smash Mouth is, the Shrek fans will materialize. People with Shrek ear headbands and shirts with “Do you know the muffin man?” printed on them were plentiful, walking around the stadium and showing their dedication.
Smash Mouth’s set was funky, fun and brought the energy with “Pacific Coast Party,” “The Crawl,” “I’m a Believer,” and a firework finish with “All Star.” Even from the very beginning of the set, lead singer Zach Goode was a whirlwind onstage. (Goode took over after original frontman Steve Harwell retired in 2021, before Harwell passed away in September 2023.)
Keyboardist Michael Klooster was going crazy throughout the set. I feel like it’s difficult to have much movement behind a stationary instrument, but he was absolutely killing it, dancing and playing the keys in a big way. Although Goode was running around from each side of the stage, Klooster often drew my attention away from the lead vocalist, which is a hard thing to do.
Smash Mouth played fan favorites like “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,” “Walkin’ on the Sun,” and “Ride On.” The crowd went crazy for “Why Can’t We Be Friends” by War, and seemed to really enjoy the various Shrek clips, which had everyone up and dancing on their feet. Their set ended with drummer Randy Cooke throwing his sticks out into the crowd and leaving everyone buzzing and ready for Sugar Ray.
Once Sugar Ray appeared on stage, the crowd went nuts. “It’s good to be home,” frontman Mark McGrath said with a proud smile. He was met with loud cheers and people on their feet immediately, ready for the band’s feel-good vibes.
They played a long list of hits including “Words to Me,” “Every Morning,” and “Answer the Phone.”
McGrath referred to the atmosphere as a “’90’s nest of trust,” playing short bits of “No Scrubs” by TLC, “How Bizarre” by OMC, and “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys to celebrate the night’s overarching theme of covers and summer nostalgia.
My favorite part of the show was when they played my two favorite songs back-to-back: “Someday” and “Into Yesterday.” Sugar Ray wrote “Into Yesterday” for the 2007 animated penguin surfing movie, “Surf’s Up.” That movie was a big part of my childhood and is one of the main reasons I started listening to Sugar Ray.
They sounded incredible and McGrath still sounds just as he did 30 years ago. The acoustic guitar intro for “Someday” pulled at my heartstrings, and the crowd sang along the entire time.
During “When It’s Over,” McGrath walked out and did a lap around the amphitheater, giving high fives, hugs, and taking selfies with fans. After his return to the stage, he mentioned how cool it was to see people wearing shirts from other Orange County bands – T.S.O.L., Social Distortion, and No Doubt – showcasing how many different types of music lovers bond over Sugar Ray’s summer feel good jams.
It was a cool summer night in Costa Mesa with some of the 2000s most popular bands, and a hell of a time to celebrate 30 years of Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, and Tonic.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Shane Pase Photography
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SID 260808 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
