The Summerland Tour @ Marquee Theatre

What do you do when your once-formidable alternative bands fade into obscurity? Start an annual summer tour together! The Summerland Tour is the brainchild of Everclear frontman (and lone remaining founder) Art Alexakis and Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath, and it's back in 2013 for its second go-round. This year, Everclear...

By Brian Palmer

July 4, 2013

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What do you do when your once-formidable alternative bands fade into obscurity? Start an annual summer tour together! The Summerland Tour is the brainchild of Everclear frontman (and lone remaining founder) Art Alexakis and Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath, and it's back in 2013 for its second go-round. This year, Everclear is joined by Live, Filter, and Sponge. Everclear somehow has plowed ahead all these years, despite several lineup overhauls, while Live has experienced some turmoil as well. Former frontman Ed Kowalczyk left the band in 2009, and a contentious legal battle followed, but in 2012, the band chose former Unified Theory vocalist Chris Shinn as its new lead singer. Filter has barely been a blip on rock's radar since 1999's Title of Record, but it hasn't been for a lack of trying — the band has released four albums since then, including June's The Sun Comes Out Tonight. Sponge has released seven records since its 1994 debut, Rotting Piñata, including May's Stop the Bleeding, but outside of "Plowed," the band really hasn't made any waves in 20 years. Package tours are quickly becoming this decade's version of the state fair circuit, but fans of these bands probably won't mind.

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