Toadies Staind STP’s Scott Weiland

Rise Against had a solid showing. The crowd in front came alive when they played any of their handful of hits including “Ready to Fall.”

Hometown heroes the Toadies delivered yet another terrific set of southern-fried grunge rock. They leaned heavily on 1994’s Rubberneck, and the audience showed their appreciation by throwing little plastic footballs. (I don’t know who passed them out, but they should have known better.) When a fan flashed Todd Lewis, he acknowledged her in mid-verse of “I Burn” by declaring, “I like titties!”

Aside from having third billing, Staind played what should have been a headlining set. Say what you will, but these guys are best experienced live. They churned out hit after hit in what was the best-sounding set of the day. In the ambient lighting, Lewis soulfully crooned anthems “Outside” and “It’s Been A While,” while screaming something fierce on older favorites “Spleen” and “Suffocate.” On “Right Here” among others, bassist Johnny April provided superb backing vocals. Current single “Believe” was a highlight as well as new songs “Pardon Me” and “All I Want” (for which they were scheduled to shoot a video in Dallas the next day).

The Offspring had a so-so performance of their danceable radio-friendly punk. Radio staples “Come Out and Play” and “Gone Away” stood out, but — during the highpoint of their set ”Bad Habit” — only half of the less-than-capacity crowd knew the expletive-ridden tagline when Dexter Holland prompted them to sing along.

Stone Temple Pilots finished off the night without meeting expectations. Anyone who’s seen STP will attest to their live prowess, but on this night they were a little below average. Scott Weiland was dressed pimp-tight in a designer suit but struggled to make a true connection with the fans. Nevertheless, it was still exhilarating to hear hits “Big Empty” and “Big Bang Baby” plus deeper cuts “Lounge Fly” and “Sin.”

At least Edgefest 18 had better headliners than the last. Seriously, Three Doors Down? Two festivals in one year may be a bit much, but where else are you going to see twelve year olds smoking cigarettes, bare breasts and a guy in a banana suit?