With stops this month at St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids and The Acorn in Three Oaks, the frontman for the ’90s band opens up for Local Spins. Get details about both Michigan shows.
Glen Phillips: A lifelong love of music as a solo artist and band frontman. (Photo/Chris Orwig)
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Glen Phillips has been making music since the 1980s, when he and his friends started Toad the Wet Sprocket while attending San Marcos High School just outside Santa Barbara, Calif.
At just age 15 when the band was formed, Phillips recalls being underage at their first club shows and getting escorted directly to and from stage for their sets. By the time he graduated high school, the band was signed to a record label.
In 1991, at the age of 20, he penned what would be the band’s breakthrough hit, the popular alternative radio hit “All I Want,” off the album “Fear.”
Much has changed in the world and the music industry since then: streaming, smartphones, social media, all have had massive effects on the production of music. But Phillips is thankful for the simplicity of those early years and the fans who continue to come out to shows.
“At least in terms of how music reaches people and how easy it is to make a record, the technology’s changed absolutely everything. You know, even just a cell phone that you can carry around. I remember my Walkman. Then there was the Discman. Oh, do I remember the skipping,” says Phillips, reflecting back.
“The idea that you can essentially access any song from anywhere now is just a huge change. Things come and go. But I’m very grateful that I’ve had a career where I’ve been around long enough that whether I get streams or not, there’s people who want to show up and hear me play. And I’m really, really grateful for that because I wouldn’t know what to do if I were a starting musician right now.”
On the Road: Phillips plays St. Cecilia Music Center on Saturday and The Acorn on Sunday. (Photo/Chris Orwig)
Phillips headlines the second “Guiding Live Live” taking place at 4 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 21) at Grand Rapids’ St. Cecilia Music Center — a benefit concert for Guiding Light, a nonprofit rehabilitation center for those struggling with addiction. The show will begin with a special “round-robin acoustic set” featuring Michael Crittenden of Troll for Trout and singer-songwriters Ralston Bowles of Grand Rapids and Louise Coombe of Massachusetts. Tickets, $60, available online here.
Then at 7 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 22), he’ll perform at The Acorn in Three Oaks, with Ypsilanti singer-songwriter Kylee Phillips opening the show. Tickets, $40.50-$70.50, available at acornlive.com.
Toad the Wet Sprocket recorded five studio albums over the years, while gracing MTV and VH1 with their music videos. They toured the country until 1998, when the group disbanded due to creative differences and internal tensions.
The band would continue to collaborate occasionally through the 2000s, and in 2006 reunited to embark on a 34-date U.S. tour. Through it all, Phillips has remained busy, regardless of whether Toad the Wet Sprocket has been active.
He’s released seven studio albums under his own name, collaborated with Nickel Creek and landed music placements on popular shows like “Breaking Bad.”
These days, when Phillips isn’t touring solo, he can be found at home in Santa Barbara, staying active, cooking and spending time with his wife and three children.
“I spend time with my family, I see my friends, I like to cook things like roasted vegetables and Indian dishes. I like to run. We’re in Santa Barbara, so a lot of hiking and spending time outside,” he noted.
“Then there’s writing, organizing and preparing. It’s just all the work you gotta do to go on tour. I’m a poor travel agent, but I am a travel agent for myself. So taking care of business. I always have a lot to catch up on when I get back,” says Phillips.
In 2008, Phillips sustained an arm injury after falling onto a glass coffee table at a friend’s house. He required surgery on a damaged ulnar nerve and muscle in his left arm. Despite the injury and recovery period, Phillips continued to tour regularly.
As for what keeps him making music and on the road these days, the answer is simple: He still loves his job.
“I mean, I love playing music. That’s kind of first and foremost. And I love doing solo shows. I mean, touring with Toad has been really nice in the last few years. We’ve kind of found our peace with each other and we’ve been having a great time,” Phillips says.
“But, you know, when I’m solo, I get to play some different songs. I get to play the Toad hits. I play a lot of my own stuff, and it’s a little more spur of the moment. There’s not a light show to synchronize, no smoke machines. So it’s much more getting to just see what happens and kind of following the evening. Let it define itself. And I really enjoy that process.”
In addition to performances, Saturday’s Guiding Light Live event will feature a silent auction for everything from a week’s stay at an Italian condo to a private, five-course chef’s dinner. Learn more here.
VIDEO: Glen Phillips, “Rings (Live)”
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