I saw Toad the Wet Sprocket Saturday night July 5th at Wolf Trap in Northern Virginia on a rare cool summer night. They were great, as usual! I have seen Toad the Wet Sprocket many times before, lots in the 1990s and twice over the past few years. They have always reminded me of U2 with their passion and the Edge-like guitar, although Bono doesn’t play barefoot like Glen.

I arrived at Wolf Trap around 6pm, an hour before the concert was to begin. Even though I had a seat, I knew I had to get there early to get a parking spot. And luckily there was no traffic on 495 or the Dulles toll road since it was a Saturday. I was in my seat at 6:30 when they finally let us in, even though I had to throw away my newly purchased $6. Gold Peak Sweet Tea. Luckily, I had already finished half of it – I didn’t need those other 16 ounces anyway. Promptly at 7pm, Counting Crow’s Adam Duritz announced the opening band from Nashville, TN Daniel and the Lion. (Counting Crows were headlining) I usually don’t like opening bands because I’m too impatient, but I really enjoyed these guys. They reminded me a bit of Cold Play, but I liked them better. Great piano and great lead singer. They played for just 20 minutes.

At 7:40pm, Toad the Wet Sprocket took the stage. It was like 1992 all over again! I really love these guys. Glen never ages, still in shorts and bare feet. And his voice is as beautiful as ever. Unfortunately, they only played 12 songs and in just under an hour. They were off the stage by 8:32pm. And even more disappointing, Toad did not play anything before Fear. So I did not get to hear my favorite “Come Back Down.” But it was a great show, great to be outside (well I was in a covered pavilion) listening to live music. The set list, to the best of the my knowledge, was as follows: didn’t know the opener, “Good Intentions,” “Something’s Always Wrong,” a song off the new album, “It’s Not Over” (not sung by Glen), “Understand,” “California Wasted” (song off new album). “Nightingale Song,” “All I Want,” “Fall Down,” and “Walk on the Ocean.”

I did not stay for Counting Crows who were going to take the stage a half hour after Toad finished. I am not a huge fan of Counting Crows and saw them back in the 1990s. I was there for Toad the Wet Sprocket, so I left. Just like last year when I went to the concert for Ryan Bingham and left after his performance and didn’t stay for Bob Dylan, who I had just seen a few months prior.