Alt rock bands Toad the Wet Sprocket, Marcy Playground to play Buffalo Thunder

By Adrian Gomez / Journal Arts and Entertainment Editor Published: Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 at 4:02PMUpdated: Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 at 4:16PM

Over the course of his career, Dean Dinning recalls only one "slap his face" moment.

It came in the mid-1990s as his band Toad the Wet Sprocket was seeing success in music.

The band was approached to be part of the soundtrack for the cult classic, "Reality Bites."

"We did say no to the opportunity and the album sold six million records," he says. "The president of our record label at the time didn't like the movie and urged us not to do the soundtrack."

The band has a new greatest hits album, "Best of Me (2023)," which was released on May 26. The band is on tour with Marcy Playground and will make a stop at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino on Saturday, June 3.

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"I can't believe it's been so long since we started," he says. "The music has really lasted and stood the test of time. I guess we did something right the first time around. Today, we try to apply the same standards to our music."

Toad the Wet Sprocket – which is made up of Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols and Dinning – first gained attention in the late 1980s with its debut album, "Bread and Circus," originally self-released on cassette in 1988.

The sophomore release, "Pale," was recorded independently in 1989. Both records were released by Columbia Records, in 1989 and 1990, respectively.

The band's third studio album, "Fear," followed in 1991 and included its multi-format iconic hit singles "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean" was certified platinum and further solidified the band's popularity and mainstream success.

In 1994, the band released "Dulcinea," which included songs "Something's Always Wrong," and "Fall Down," both staples at alternative and mainstream radio and made the band into a household name.

By the late 1990s, the band went on to pursue solo careers. By 2006, the band reunited and has released music steadily, as well as hitting the road on tour.

On stage performing is where Dinning finds his happiness.

The band has been on tours with the likes of the Gin Blossoms and Hootie & The Blowfish in recent years.

The current tour is with Marcy Playground, who had a super hit with "Sex & Candy."

"What's great about what we get to do is head out on the road with old friends," he says. "We’ve known all of these guys for years. We are all still doing our thing decades later and it's really great. Music is the one thing that brings people together. I look back and feel grateful that, as a band, we were allowed to create art that has touched different generations now."

Toad the Wet Sprocket and Marcy Playground WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 3

WHERE: Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino, 30 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe

HOW MUCH: $49-$69, plus fees, at holdmyticket.com