Barenaked Ladies and Sugar Ray Bring Summer Nostalgia to Pine Knob—with a Scooby-Doo Twist
A warm summer night at Pine Knob set the perfect backdrop for a double shot of late 90s and early 2000s feel-good vibes as Barenaked Ladies and Sugar Ray brought their co-headlining tour to Michigan. It was a night full of sing alongs, throwback energy, and just the right amount of weirdness exactly what you'd expect when two of the most self aware and fun loving bands of that era share a stage. But no one in the crowd could’ve guessed that things would get downright mystery gang level silly midway through the show.
Sugar Ray hit the stage with frontman Mark McGrath in full charm mode, ripping through crowd favorites like “Every Morning,” “Someday,” and of course, “Fly.” His voice might’ve mellowed a bit over the years, but the attitude and good time vibes were untouched. But the biggest surprise came when Barenaked Ladies crashed Sugar Ray’s set dressed head to toe as characters from Scooby-Doo. Frontman Ed Robertson showed up as Fred, complete with an ascot, while the rest of the band covered the full Mystery Inc. lineup. The crowd erupted as McGrath, who played himself in the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo movie, laughed through the moment and leaned right into it. It was a meta, goofy, and perfect reminder of how unserious and fun this tour was always meant to be.
When it came time for Barenaked Ladies to headline, the band delivered everything their fans came for—clever lyrics, tight musicianship, and plenty of banter. Songs like “Pinch Me,” “One Week,” and “If I Had $1,000,000” had the whole amphitheater on their feet, with fans yelling every word like they never left the early 2000s. Robertson’s stage presence was as sharp as ever, and they kept the night lighthearted and full of laughs.
Between the unexpected Scooby-Doo crossover and a catalog of timeless summer anthems, the night felt like an inside joke shared by a few thousand people who were just happy to relive a little bit of their youth. Pine Knob has seen a lot of shows but this one might’ve been the only time the Mystery Machine rolled through.