Toadies are back
…and I couldn’t be happier.
Toadies are some hard-rockin’ Texans, and could technically be classified as a 90’s alt-rock one-hit-wonder. They’re only legit hit (”Possum Kingdom”) is a staple amongst mix tapes depicting that era, and is now enjoyed by nerd-fans on the earlier levels of Guitar Hero II. The song is the fourth track on their album Rubberneck, which was released in August of 1994, right when I started my Senior year of high school. I think it’s safe to say that album is tied for first (along with Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream and Pearl Jam’s .vs) in the number of minutes spent in my CD player around that crucial period in my adult development.
I’ve seen Toadies twice in concert. The first time was when they opened for (Dave Navarro-era) Red Hot Chili Peppers at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. I drove from Susanville to Sacto with my friend Nathan, his GF (now-wife) Shawna, and Nathan’s mom Sue. We got a decent motel room and proceeded to get literally smashed in the roughest pit I’ve ever experienced. Toadies’ pit…not RHCP’s! If rock n’ roll could cause destruction, the cleanup bill would be sent to Toadies. They don’t sound too harsh on their albums, but their live guitars just shred beyond belief.
The second time was at the Crystal Ballroom in 2000 or 2001. I got tickets from their record label (college radio hook-up) and took two fellow KSLC‘ers who didn’t follow the band like I did, but I’m sure they appreciated the free trip from McMinnville to Portland and back on someone else’s dime. Again, Toadies rocked so hard they knocked out one of my contact lenses. (OK, so maybe that was caused by some douche-tron in the pit, but I like my version better.) Toadies were now 2-for-2. Sadly, they broke up right after this tour.
Present day: an era of rock reunions hell-bent on proving that most of today’s music is awful and fans are willing to pay good money to see the bands they loved way back when. Toadies released their new album No Deliverance this week on a small indie label and are touring this fall. They’re coming to Portland on September 20th @ the Hawthorne Theater. Will this band go 3-for-3? I’ll be sure to blog about it here if they do.
For those readers who need a refresher on this band (most likely Tracy’s co-workers, who are probably too young to have even heard of this band), watch this:
PS–I’m not trying to earn rock points or show my age here. If it makes anyone feel better, I also bought the Katy Perry album today. Any points earned are now lost.
August 22nd, 2008 at 14:07
Tracy’s co-workers love shout outs!
And no, I had never heard of Toadies or seen their lame-o Seattle grunge video.
August 22nd, 2008 at 14:09
Tracy’s co-workers love shout outs!
And no, I hadn’t heard of Toadies or seen their lame-o Seattle grunge video.
September 4th, 2008 at 04:29
I saw the Toadies a few weeks ago at Lollapalooza. They were on almost immediately before Rage Against the Machine. PK was the second to last song in their 30 minute set. The Toadies had a HUGE turn out — until they finished PK, then 98% of the people went to see RAM. They were good. If my memory serves, there was not mosh pit. Maybe we’ve all grown up and don’t like getting slammed around while listening to PK.