Toad the Wet Sprocket • The Jayhawks • Sixpence None the Richer • July 28, 2025 • Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
Toad the Wet Sprocket brought their Good Intentions 2025 Tour to the beautiful Red Butte Garden Amphitheater on Monday, July 28. The Jayhawks and 90s contemporaries, Sixpence None the Richer, joined them. Red Butte Garden Amphitheater was sold out and filled with concertgoers on blankets before the show. People were eating, drinking, and conversing as the excitement grew for the concert. Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman, Glen Phillips, last appeared in Utah at the Capitol Theater on a co-headlining acoustic tour with John Craggie. That was a great night of storytelling and music. He told us then that he would be back this summer with the band. I heard a number of people talking about that show and how much they enjoyed it. They also included how much they were looking forward to seeing the full band on this tour.
Sixpence None the Richer
The show began with Sixpence None the Richer. The sun was still shining brightly on the stage, and it was still pretty hot inside the amphitheater. Lead singer Leigh Nash was already nursing a sunburn. She joked that she hoped to even it out while on stage. Despite the heat and the sunburn, she didn’t seem to let that keep her from having a great time and sounding great. Just like when I saw her under chillier conditions at the State Room back in December, I was impressed with her voice and stage presence.
It was fun to watch the crowd as Sixpence None the Richer played familiar favorites like their cover of “Crowded House’s” “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” Nash told some great stories. One in particular was about meeting up with her father towards the end of her life. The band performed “Don’t Let Me Die in Dallas” and drew a great reaction from the audience.
The Red Butte Garden audience loved hearing Sixpence None the Richer’s biggest hits at the close of their set. I remember what a big hit their cover of The La’s, “There She Goes,” was. It’s a great cover and feels like it’s a Sixpence None the Richer original. Fans were up dancing and celebrating the hit cover. The set closed with “Kiss Me.” The song seemed to take so many people back to some of their favorite days when this song was released. The band sounds excellent, and they fit perfectly on this bill.
The Jayhawks
I’m embarrassed to admit that I was not familiar with the Jayhawks. When I shared this info with some patrons, they were shocked. “How can you not know them?” I wasn’t sure how they slipped by me. I was happy to have the opportunity to see them.
I thought the band sounded great. Red Butte Garden was the perfect location for The Jayhawks. The chill vibes of the garden matched those of The Jayhawks. Songs like “Two Angels” and “Save It for a Rainy Day” were some of my favorites. Frontman Gary Louris shared that the song they were about to perform, “Everybody Knows” by The Chicks, was a song he cowrote with the band. I liked The Jayhawks’ take on the song.
I thought The Jayhawks were a very welcome addition to the show’s lineup. Their Country Rock style was different from the other bands, but I would not be surprised if they were an influence on Toad the Wet Sprocket early on. Their songs and instrumentation were so good, and I’m glad I got to first learn about them and second see them live.
Toad the Wet Sprocket
If I remember correctly, the last time Toad the Wet Sprocket played in Utah was back in 2022 as support for Barenaked Ladies on their “Last Summer on Earth Tour.” They were the first band on that bill. I was at that show and as much as I enjoyed BNL and especially the Gin Blossoms, I thought Toad the Wet Sprocket not only sounded great, but made a real impact on the crowd. I thought it was so cool to see them as not only the headliner at the same venue, but to sell out Red Butte Gardens as well. After seeing Glen Phillips earlier this year, I knew he would sound good. I was looking forward to hearing these songs with the full band.
Toad the Wet Sprocket walked onto a darkened stage. The audience, who had been pretty relaxed for the majority of the evening, rose to their feet. The stage for the most part stayed pretty dark for the first song, “Windmills.” Lights would occasionally shine on band members, and when they would appear, the audience would react.
I grew up in Southern California, about 45 miles south of Santa Barbara, where Toad the Wet Sprocket was formed. When TWS’s album “fear” was released, I was a sophomore in high school. I should mention that I lived about 45 miles north of Los Angeles. Most of the music was happening in L.A. or Hollywood. It was rare to hear of a band coming from the central coast. So when we heard these guys were from Santa Barbara, we were so excited.
I remember hearing stories of classmates telling me that they saw the band at the Granada or Arlington Theatres. I don’t even know if that’s true. But there was a definite buzz with a band that wasn’t that close to us, but felt local. When “All I Want” was performed, I was taken back to that time and how much my high school loved this song and album.
Glen Philips told the audience that the band has just finished an acoustic album that is set to be released at either the end of the year or the beginning of next year. He shared that the song they were about to play was more or less a current single. He dedicated the song to “anyone who’s ever had a really good time doing something they deeply regret.” The band went on to play an acoustic version of “Good Intentions”. People immediately started clapping along. There was a great energy in the audience during this song. It’s my favorite Toad the Wet Sprocket song.
It’s a tricky thing to perform a different version of a favorite song. Judging by the reaction of the audience, the masses seemed to be good with the alternate version of “Good Intentions.” After the show, I did hear some people sharing that they wished they could have heard the original version. My feeling is that I’m sure in the future the band will be playing that version more often than they’ll be playing this version. So it was fun to hear this take.
At one point in the show, bassist Dean Dinning encouraged people in the audience to get up on their feet for the next song. The great part is 90% or more of the audience were already up. I would imagine that had to be a good feeling. He then encouraged the band to clap along as the band began playing “Nightingale Song.” The crowd loved this one.
Before the band ended the night, Phillips told the audience that “These are divisive days. Every time we play a show, it’s amazing to see a thousand or two thousand people who didn’t know each other before get together and harmonize and forget to fear each other. And remember how alike we are. How easy it is to reach out instead of getting scared. Thank you for making peace. And thank you for proving it one more time. Take care of each other. They then closed the show with “Walk on the Ocean.” The crowd cheered loudly before they started singing along. It was a great closer to a great night.
Toad the Wet Sprocket was a great fit at Red Butte Garden. I hope that seeing that they are able to sell out a premiere venue here in Utah will bring them back here more often. Their fans clearly want to see them more often.