Instead of a bland reproduction of their hit songs, the four acts treated the 6,500 fans to a four-hour jam session complete with congo drums and flying underwear.
Since they last appeared at Sandstone in the summer of 1993 with Screaming Trees and Soul Asylum, the Spin Doctors have made a mark in the music world.
The Spin Doctors, who spend most of their time out on the road, rocked Sandstone with songs from their debut album, "Pocket Full of Kryptonite," which sold more than 5.5 million copies.
The lead singer, Chris Barron, was very unpredictable, but he carried with him a positive attitude and a message for the audience. He never burst with anger and negativity, like many alternative music stars.
In between the smash hits, "What time is it," "Lil' Miss Can't Be Wrong," or "How could You Want Him?," he did cartwheels, twirled the microphone stand like a baton, jumped off the stage into the audience, ran up the aisle, walked on the seats and crawled all over the speakers and stage scenery.
Barron's signature dance steps and boundless energy earned a standing ovation and screams of encore from the crowd.
Spin Doctors ended the alternative music extravaganza with the captivating song, "Two Princes."
Vinx, a Kansas City native, kicked off the concert with his entertaining one-man show, followed by the band Cracker, who was promoting its compact disc, "Kerosene Hat."
A few loyal fans bopped their heads up and down while Cracker was on stage, others sat down on their blankets and grimaced at the feedback from the guitars.
Cracker did an impressive job of performing hit songs from their debut CD "Kerosene Hat," but when they attempted to showcase some of their new work, the crowd fell silent and lost interest.
After struggling through a song haunted by screeching vocals, the band faded into a more mellow, folksy tune called "Eurotrash Girl." The offensive lyrics and stale melody made the song drag on and on.
Cracker left the stage after an energetic production of the song "Low," but made another appearance later on with the Gin Blossoms.
Gin Blossoms had a surprise waiting around every corner for the fans packed on the lawn.
While they were singing, they poured their hearts into every song, but when they weren't, they were wildly unpredictable.
No one, not even the rest of the band, had any idea what Robin Wilson, the lead singer, would think of next.
From plugging Heyward's barbecue to criticizing the drummer by asking if his drum was in tune, Wilson kept the crowd on their toes.
After receiving an enthusiastic response from the crowd during the smash hit, "Mrs. Rita," the lead singer commanded the lighting technicians at Sandstone to turn on all the lights so the truck driver on the tour could get a picture of the crowd for his kids.
He threatened not to sing another song until his demand was met, but after a few minutes, he gave up and continued with a song from Paw titled, "Until I Fall Away."
After the lead singer from Cracker sang one of the Gin Blossoms songs, Williams pulled a bra over his tie dyed T-shirt and danced around the stage.
By the end of "Hold Me Down," he had another bra wrapped around his forehead and yelled out into the audience, "Thanks for the lacy underwear. We decorate our practice room with bras and panties."
Gin Blossoms capped their unusual and entertaining time on stage with "Hey Jealousy."
The fans showed approval of the two guitar solos in the song by starting a mini mosh pit and stage diving off the fence.
The next performer to hit the stage was Vinx, who lifted the spirits of the audience with his unique instruments and dignified stage presence.
He worked magic with his fingers when he manipulated the congo drum, took a beautiful free-formed approach to "Moondance," by Van Morrison, and got the audience up on their feet again with "Day-O."
The audience seemed to love him until he said he attended K-State. Thousands of boos and about 10 cheers filled the amphitheater.
