John Craggie • Glen Phillips • February 21, 2025 • Capitol Theatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
It was a great night at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City, with two extremely talented songwriters co-headlining the historic venue. Singer-songwriter John Craigie and frontman for Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips, made their Utah stop on their brief seven-city tour. At first, I was surprised to see these two on the same bill. I know Craggie as a solo artist, and I am mainly only familiar with Phillips’ work with Toad. But the show was a great blend of great songs and humor.
Glen Phillips
First up was Glenn Philips. As I mentioned, he’s the frontman of the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. I’ve always had a connection with that band. Toad got its start in Santa Barbara, California. I grew up about 45 miles south of there. I remember when Toad the Wet Sprocket’s breakthrough album, Fear, was released. Not only did we love the music, but we were excited that a band so close to us (Not a lot of bands came out of our area at the time. Since then, there have been many) had made it.
Glen did a great job mixing songs from his solo work with some Toad the Wet Sprocket classics like, “Walk on the Ocean” and “Crazy Life”. I thought it was really cool to hear these songs acoustic. This show was about as stripped down as things get. There were two microphones, a table to hold capos, setlists, and water bottles, and that’s about it. I thought Phillips shined in this setting. He was engaging and interactive with the crowd.
My favorite moment in Glen Phillip’s set was when he gave the crowd the option between two songs. I apologize, I can’t remember what the other song was, but it was an overwhelming vote for Glen to perform “Good Intentions” off of Toad the Wet Sprocket’s In Light Syrup. This is my favorite Toad song. The initial thought was that I might not hear it at all because this was a Glen Phillips solo gig. Then, the next thought was that people might choose the other song. So I was really happy when people joined me in choosing “Good Intentions”.
Again, another great song to hear acoustic. People sang along. Some at their full voice. This was a very toned-down concert, so hearing someone sing along at full volume stood out quite a bit. But I think everyone around the guy understood. It’s a great song. And sometimes you just can’t hold back.
I look forward to the times that Toad the Wet Sprocket stops through Utah on their tours. But I have to say I really enjoyed Glen Phillip’s solo acoustic set in this show. He’s a talented songwriter, guitar player, and vocalist.
John Craigie
My experience with John Craigie is somewhat limited. I began listening to him on a recommendation from a friend. I became a fan right away, and based on his frequent touring, I figured I’d see John in concert often. But strangely, this was my first time getting to see him live. I take that back. I had the opportunity to cover John at The State Room some years ago. Unfortunately, I was only there to take photos for the first three songs and then had to leave. So, I guess I’ve seen John Craigie perform three songs live. This would be my first time seeing a full set. I was pretty excited. It should come as no surprise that he did not disappoint.
I must admit, I was not prepared for this type of performance. I love John Craigie’s songs. And of course those were great. But I’m still not sure if I was watching an acoustic concert or a stand-up comedy show. John was so funny! Like, legitimately could tour as a comedian. His stories from the road drew me and the entire Capitol Theatre in and had the audience roaring with laughter. He told stories from playing an EDM festival. I’m not sure how he was booked on that, but it made for a great tale. I won’t spoil any of his stories. I could never tell any of them as good as he does. I’ll just say, if you like good music and amazingly hilarious storytelling, I would make a point of checking out this show.
The storytelling and comedy were great. A huge part of what makes a John Craigie concert an entertaining experience. But I think the reason we know John is his music. Like Glen Phillips, Craigie was on stage with just his guitar. There is a real vulnerability that comes with being on stage without a full backing band. These guys are on the high wire without a net. These songs were performed to perfection. John Craigie has a Dylan-esque tone to his voice and musical style. Songs like “Helena” and “I Wrote Mr. Tambourine Man” were huge highlights. My favorite song of John’s set was his set closer, “Dissect the Bird”. It’s such a great song.
Craigie & Phillips
As I had hoped, John Craigie and Glen Philips returned to the stage to perform their encore together. These guys seemed to be having a great time touring together. It was fun to see them banter. The audience was really excited to hear the big Toad the Wet Sprocket hit, “All I Want”. I was not sure we’d get to hear that song. Again, you just never know what songs will be performed when an artist is performing a solo set away from their band. This song was very much a welcome addition to the setlist.
The duo followed “All I Want” with one of Craigie’s songs, “I am California”. A song that features another Utah Concert Review favorite, Gregory Alan Isakov. I enjoyed hearing Phillips and Craigie perform this together. This was clearly a song people were anticipating. The payoff was sweet. The audience softly sang along in a moment of live music community.
To close out the show, John and Glen performed the great Bill Withers hit, “Lovely Day”. I can’t say I saw this song being performed at this concert. But I’m very happy that it was. The guys put together a great arrangement that fit their styles. It was the perfect song to end an excellent night of music. These two are only on this tour for seven shows. But with their chemistry when they play together and the quality of their individual work, I can see them touring together again soon. I hope they do.
For more info on John Craigie, go to johncraigie.com
For more info on Glen Phillips, go to glenphillips.com