Photo by Josh Daubin
(TRENTON, NJ) -- Toad the Wet Sprocket continue to uplift audiences with their melodic alt rock guitars, introspective lyrics, and signature vocal harmonies that catapulted them to mainstream success 30+ years ago on the 2025 Good Intentions U.S. headlining tour. The tour will come to CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ on Saturday, October 11, 2025, with KT Tunstall & Vertical Horizon.
Throughout their career, Toad the Wet Sprocket have been staunchly independent in their artistic integrity. “We were young and it was us against the record company,” recalls guitarist Todd Nichols of their early days. “We had a bit of punk-rock ethos.”
This commitment to stay true to themselves, and DIY mentality also spilled over into the enduring relationship with their fans. Amassing a mailing list of 70,000 at the start of their career, the band forged deep connections with a devout and loyal core of fans, who they’ve continued to grow with. “It’s like a reunion of sorts,” reflects bassist Dean Dinning. “It’s almost like having family in the audience every night.”
Following the success of their second platinum selling album, Dulcinea, Toad the Wet Sprocket released a collection of b-sides and rarities, In Light Syrup, in 1995. The album single, “Good Intentions” - the namesake of this upcoming tour - found success at radio peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and is featured amongst the likes of R.E.M., The Rembrandts, and Barenaked Ladies on the platinum-selling Friends soundtrack. It has since been in rotation on set lists including their most recent tours.
“I think the enduring appeal of our band is the songs,” says Dean. “Even though we were young when we made those early records, they don’t only speak to youth. As people have grown older, the songs have taken on new meaning in their lives.”
“As an artist, it feels good to know we can still make music that’s resonating,” adds singer Glen Phillips. “When we play ‘The Moment’ or ‘Transient Whales’ at our shows now, there’s a huge percentage of the audience who know every word of those songs, too.”
As in years past, Toad the Wet Sprocket will partner with a non-profit organization with shared values to inspire fans and give back. This year, Toad The Wet Sprocket will spotlight the National Parks Foundation to support and protect our natural treasures.
In addition to the 2025 Good Intentions headlining tour, Toad the Wet Sprocket are putting the finishing touches on an acoustic greatest hits album, set for release later this year.
KT Tunstall has never been one for creative stasis. The Grammy® nominated Scottish Musician burst onto the music scene with her 2004 multi-platinum debut, Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the global hits “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See.” These songs, paired with her pioneering looping skills, established Tunstall as a captivating and dynamic mustsee performer, as well as a Songwriter with a singular knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock.
“I feel there are two immediate, recognizable pillars of my style,” she says. “I have this troubadour, acoustic guitar-driven, emotional side. Then there’s definitely a rocker side of me with much sharper teeth.”
Vertical Horizon stands for a commitment to superior music. It’s a concept that has always meant a steadfast striving for the artistically-creative high road. Consistently at the wheel, founder, writer, lead singer and guitarist, Matt Scannell drives and unites the group, always exploring new territories of inspiration. Perhaps the most significant key to Vertical Horizon’s success today is the freedom they have from the constraints of a major recording label.
Scannell says, “Our music is coming from the purest place – there are no other considerations beyond ‘Do we like this? Does it mean something us?'” Vertical Horizon works at a tempo that fuels the creative process. It’s no wonder why so many performers cite them as influences.
Tickets are available for purchase online. CURE Insurance Arena is located at 81 Hamilton Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey. Doors are at 6:00pm, showtime is 7:00pm.
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents.
The CURE Insurance Arena is Mercer County’s 10,000-seat multipurpose arena located in Mercer County, NJ that holds over 100 events annually. Oak View Group provides Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Corporate Partnerships at the CURE Insurance Arena.
