PERSONAL REACTION: Charlotteans Sleep Through Toad the Wet Sprocket's Hurricane of Musical Emotion

Just down the road from the bustling basketball game, an exciting reunion of high-quality musicians and a theater-full of fans gathered for an emotional experience. As a 15-year follower of alternative rock band of 90's fame Toad the Wet Sprocket, I had high expectations for the band, which they delivered, but what bothered me was the stone-still audience--seemingly disengaged from what was a fantastic show.

When I arrived, I was surprised to be in the youngest tenth of the concertgoers, which is a rare occasion for me since most concerts I attend are hard rock or metal. The couple in the seats to my right looked very Corporate 30-Something, and the lady to my left had to be in her late 60s. I have to admire a band that can draw such a diverse age group like that. I was a little nervous being there by myself, younger than everyone, and more excited than most. Most people sat down for the opening band Carbon Leaf, but I expected people to stand for the main event... or at least some to... As Glen & Todd rang out the chords for their opener "Something's Always Wrong," I stood up and cheered.... and felt stupid for being the only one standing... I'm not a sheep, and I wasn't going to sit for a concert featuring one of my favorite bands of all time, so I remained standing until, about three songs in, the people behind me "couldn't see" and asked me to sit down... So I went back to the back where I wasn't blocking anyone's view and continued to stand and sing along.

For a band that has been on a 10-year hiatus, they have certainly retained the magic of their musical collaborations and sounded as if they'd been practicing all along without missing a beat. Many of the songs they played were from my favorite two discs of theirs, "Fear" (1991) and "Dulcinea" (1994) and I was quite pleased to hear much more than just their radio hits. "Inside" featuring Todd Nichols on lead vocals was a surprise in particular. I was impressed with how well they were able to duplicate their album sounds at a live show, especially the three-part vocal harmonies, which are a big part of what impressed me about Toad in the first place. They were spot-on their pitches, blended very well, and brought the magic of the CD up a notch with shared time and space in this live setting. Only a select few in the crowd seemed to be sharing in the energy emanating from the stage--most everyone stayed in their seats the entire time and occasionally engaged in what Glen Phillips teasingly called "seat dancing."

Glen was very warm and personable when addressing the crowd, and he and his bandmates gave the impression that they love performing and sharing their creations with eager listeners. They've been touring for about two years, he said, and hadn't released an album since the split in 1998, but they shared two new songs they've written since the reunion and Glen conjectured that they would probably have a new album next year. Each of the two new songs had its own personality, but were both reminiscent of the style of "Dulcinea." One was blues-based, and the other featured soaring guitar harmonies. I can't wait for the next album.

Though it took most of the set for the crowd to wake up to the emotional powerhouse on stage, people stood up for the high-energy hit "Fall Down," which is probably their most rock-oriented song. Looking out upon the crowd of standing, cheering fans, I felt as if this was how the theater ought to have looked all along. I guess it took awhile for the beers to kick in. Maybe all of the excited, youthful folk were down the street watching people dribble (basketballs, that is), but the crowd finally did rouse itself for the finale of "Walk on the Ocean." Spot-on, Toad the Wet Sprocket; spot-on! I still can't wait for the new album.