[review] Toadies @ Showbox (7-28-2010)

Seattle Loves the Toadies

Seattle has time and again shown their appreciation towards Fort Worth's very own Toadies. It's this affection, expressed in fist pumps and hollers, that creates the perfect environment for an all-around good show.

Wednesday night's concert was no exception. From the moment the Toadies took the stage at the Showbox, an eruption of elation occurred. You have to understand, for hardcore Toadies fans, the idea of a Feeler tour equates to the same emotions brought on by Brian Wilson's SMiLE, or GNR's Chinese Democracy. And feeding off the crowd's energy, the band immediately broke into the classics to get the night moving in a good direction. The Toadies kicked the set off with "Backslider," and lead singer Todd Lewis's voice never sounded so good. But that's what you come to expect at a Toadies show - don't let drummer Mark Reznicek's hair color fool you - these guys sound as young as they did back in '94.

Since the band was promoting their new album Feeler, we got to hear a fair number of hits off the LP, including "Dead Boy," "City of Hate," "Suck Magic," "ATF Theme," "Waterfall," and "Mine." To give a quick back-story behind this ill-fated album, the band originally recorded Feeler in '97 as a follow-up to Rubberneck, but Interscope deemed the record ill-fit for release. The Toadies lost the rights to the songs and had to re-record the entire album, and after 13 years it finally gets its proper release. You could almost see the triumph in lead guitarist Clark Vogeler's eyes as if to say, "yeah, we knew these songs would be liked."

Highlights from the night included the Rubberneck gems "Away," "Possum Kingdom," and "Tyler," and surprise favorites like "Push the Hand" and "Heel" sounded incredible. I was happy to hear some of the stronger songs from No Deliverance ("Nothing to Cry About" and the title track), and I thought all the Feeler jams were excellent. Really my only complaint of the night came during the encore when they covered the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down." It's not to say I didn't like the song, but I felt like they didn't need to throw it in there. If you buy Feeler through iTunes, you get this track as a bonus tune, so I understand why they played it. But I digress...

All in all, this one amazing show from a band that I'm so happy decided to make music again. At the end of the night, Vogeler thanked Seattle for being "the best fucking rock city in the country," and I think he was actually sincere about that comment. Mosh pits were erupting on the main floor, and the crowd was jumping up and down so much the band kept commenting on how the stage was literally shaking. A full set list is posted below, and as you can see, it's loaded with non-stop hits, and it ended with a crowd-favorite, "I Come From the Water."

Toadies set list (7-28-2010):
Backslider
Little Sin
Dead Boy
Away
Nothing to Cry About
Push the Hand
Doll Skin
City of Hate
Happy Face
Suck Magic
ATF Theme
Heel
Waterfall
Mister Love
Pressed Against the Sky
Possum Kingdom
Song I Hate
Mine
Tyler
Encore
Don't Let Me Down (Beatles cover)
I Burn
No Deliverance
Pink
I Come From the Water

[concert] Toadies @ Showbox Market Tonight (7-28-2010)

Toadies Return to Seattle

After having finally completed the thought-to-be-lost Feeler album, the Toadies have put together a mini-US tour with a stop tonight in Seattle. Tickets are still available (here) at the Showbox, and if you want to prime yourself for some of the tunes you'll be hearing, Amazon is selling Feeler digitally right now (here).

If you'd like to sample a couple of the tracks off this new LP, head over to Spin and AOL to listen/download the tracks "City of Hate" and "Mine."

Don't miss this show, it's going to be a blast.

[new music] Toadies - Feeler Has Arrived!

After over 12 years, it's finally here

As mentioned earlier, the Toadies have finally completed the thought-to-be-lost Feeler album. CD copies can be purchased at Kirtland Records and are shipping now, and vinyl copies can be pre-ordered, but their delivery date is still TBD. If you'd like to hear one of the tracks off this new LP, head over to Spin and listen/download the track "City of Hate." It sounds so much better than the rough recording I bought off eBay years ago. Also, here's the official track listing for the album.

Feeler track listing:
01. Trust Game
02. Waterfall
03. Dead Boy
04. City of Hate
05. Mine
06. Suck Magic
07. ATF Theme
08. Joey Let’s Go
09. Pink

Take advantage of this early ship date, because if you wait for the official release, it won't hit shelves until August 10.

Also, check out the tour dates posted below - the Toadies could be coming to a city near you. Seattleites take notice of the July 28 appearance at the Showbox (tickets $18).

Buy :: Toadies - Feeler (via Kirtland Records)

Toadies tour dates:
7-15 // The Venue at The Down Under // Tyler, TX
7-16 // Bully's Grill // Wichita Falls, TX
7-17 // House of Blues // Houston, TX
7-21 // Club 101 // El Paso, TX
7-22 // Club Congress Tucson, AZ
7-23 // Galaxy Theater Santa Ana, CA
7-24 // The Troubadour // West Hollywood, CA
7-25 // Bottom of the Hill // San Francisco, CA
7-27 // Berbati's Pan // Portland, OR
7-28 // The Showbox // Seattle, WA
7-31 // Gothic Theatre // Denver, CO
8-01 // Midnight Rodeo // Amarillo, TX
8-07 // The Palladium Ballroom // Dallas, TX
8-27 // White Water Amphitheater // New Braunfels, TX
8-28 // White Water Amphitheatre // New Braunfels, TX
8-28 // Dia De Los Toadies // New Braunfels, TX
8-28 // White Water Amphitheater // New Braunfels, TX

UPDATE :: You can now purchase the album digitally for instant gratification via Amazon ($6.99) or iTunes ($9.99). The iTunes package comes with the bonus Beatles cover of "Don't Let Me Down."

[concerts] Seattle Shows to Look Forward to (2010)

Good music on the way

So there's a bunch of great shows every week here in Seattle, but I wanted to showcase the ones I'm most looking forward to. This is a dynamic list, so expect it to grow with more dates as more announcements are made.

July 23-25 // Capitol Hill Block Party // 10th and Pike
July 26 // Wolf Parade // Showbox
         (w/ The Moools)
July 28 // The Toadies // Showbox
July 31 // Phosphorescent // Crocodile
         (w/ J. Tillman)
Aug 4  // Joanna Newsome // Moore Theater
         (w/ Robin Pecknold!!!)
Aug 21 // No Depression Fest // Marymoor Park
         (w/ Cave Singers)
Aug 29 // Vampire Weekend // Marymoor Park
Aug 25 // Wavves // Neumos
Sept 4-6 // Bumbershoot // Seattle Center
Sept 11 // The National // Marymoor Park
         (w/ Okerville River)
Sept 24 // The Local Natives // Showbox
         (w/ Love Language)
Sept 25 // The xx // Paramount
         (w/ Warpaint)
Oct 14 // Telekinesis // Showbox
         (w/ Teenage Fanclub & Superchunk)
Nov 2 // The Black Keys // Paramount

[new album] Toadies - Feeler Finally Gets Release

After 12 Years, Feeler Gets Proper Release

For the long-time readers who have followed Three Colours from the very beginning, you're probably aware of my in-your-face love affair with the Toadies. No matter what you think, the band's debut LP Rubberneck still ranks in my top 10 albums of all time. With that said, I want to share a little history lesson for those not so infatuated with these Texas rockers:

A long time ago (1994 to be precise), the Toadies released Rubberneck during the post-grunge movement, and my infatuation to "Possum Kingdom" was born. After extensive touring, awesome MTV appearances (see below), and multiplatinum success, the band returned to the studio for the recording of their sophomore effort. What they recorded in that hot summer of 1997 became a collection of songs that comprised the LP Feeler. Unfortunately for the Toadies, Interscope Records was not impressed and decided to can the project.

Dejected and upset, the Toadies continued to rock across the country, and later recorded an entirely new album Hell Below / Stars Above in 2001. Most of the Feeler tracks can be found on the Internet, but these rough recording sessions deserved a proper release. Luckily the Toadies felt the same way, because they just announced that they've explored the archives and are set to finally release Feeler! In a bizarre twist of fate, the LP has been re-recorded (Exile on Main St.-style) and is set to drop this summer. A tour will follow the album's release, which includes a Seattle date on July 28 at the Showbox (Tickets $18).

And after the summer and fall touring, the Toadies plan to re-enter the studio to record a batch of new songs. With a little luck there will be another Toadies record out in early 2011.

July 28 // The Toadies @ The Showbox (Tickets $18)

UPDATE :: According to DC9 over at The Dallas Observer, the album will be available as a digital release and as a tour souvenir almost as soon as the band finishes mixing and mastering the album in coming weeks. Also, it's not necessarily the exact same album: "Some Feeler songs didn't make the cut. And other songs, including, perhaps, a thus-far unnamed Beatles cover, may wind up on the newly recorded album." This version of Feeler is apparently the band's interpretation of those songs, completely new and completely from scratch.

Toadies - Two Shows/One Night in Seattle

Toadies (w/ The Blakes, Lions) at the Showbox: 9-19-2008

For someone who has waited nearly 15 years to see a Toadies live performance, last night made up for lost time, and then some. Starting the night off early at local Seattle record store, Silver Platter, the Toadies played an acoustic four-song set, which included two songs from their new album, No Deliverance. It was nice to see the band play in this format - I'm not sure that they do this very often. Lead singer Todd Lewis even mentioned that we were only the second audience to hear "Song I Hate" acoustically. After the quick show, the band stuck around and had a signing. At the table, I informed the band how I had nearly given up hope (see this earlier post), but was really excited and happy (gross understatement) to finally see them in concert. They were really cool dudes.

Setlist
"No Deliverance"
"Song I Hate"
"Little Sin"
"I Come From the Water"

Later in the night, the main event commenced at the Showbox. The first openers to hit the stage were Austin, TX rock group, Lions. Not that bad of a rock band in terms of what passes for "rock" today - not exactly my cup of tea, but entertaining none the less. It got the crowd riled up, so they did their job.

The second act of the night was Seattle's very own The Blakes. Last night was my first time to catch them live - fantastic show. This power trio knows how write some catchy, drudging hooks. Check out their self-titled debut album on Light In the Attic Records - you won't be disappointed. Brothers Keim (Garnet donning a lipstick "Joker" smile) started their set off by informing the crowd that they were drummerless. They then coaxed some poor schmuck onto stage as a fill-in. As soon as he got up there, however, Bob Husak (the real drummer) walked on stage and security promptly escorted the audience member offstage. They played for about 45 minutes, all songs were a little harder/grittier than their album. Again, the crowd was really pumped after this set - Toadies were next!

Like I said, I had waited a VERY long time for this moment. I think in actuality, I had downplayed the Toadies in order to cope with my unhappiness - thinking that the shows couldn't quite sound as good as their studio cuts. I've listened to Live From Paradise many, many times, and Todd's strain to sound young is a little rough at times. I was expecting some old rockers to give a show of classic hits - I'd go home happy, it'd be a good night.

I was WAY off. Todd's voice sounds just as great now as it did in '94, Clark's guitar playing has done nothing but improved over the years, Mark's beats still drive their songs with precision, and newcomer Doni Blair, while a little timid on stage, was grooving all night. These guys are by no means out of their prime.

The energy was present in Seattle, too. A much different crowd then I was used to - less hipster, and much more righteous facial hair exclusive to the chin. The pit was rough, and it pretty much spanned the entire Showbox lower area. Rising temperatures sparked fans to remove their shirts, and body ripeness peaked mid-set around "Possum Kingdom" - some really stinky fans. But the show was amazing - growing up as a lone Toadies fan, I never could have imagined 700+ fans rocking out to every song. It seems the band is able to take us all back to those childhood years when we played Rubberneck on repeat. Literally, they've made a dream of mine come true. Thank you, Toadies.

Setlist (in no particular order)
"Mexican Hairless"
"Backslider"
"Possum Kingdom"
"I Come From the Water"
"Mister Love"
"Quitter"
"Away"
"I Burn"
"Plane Crash"
"Push the Hand"
"Little Sin"
"Pressed Against the Sky"
"So Long Lovely Eyes"
"Nothing To Cry About"
"No Deliverance"
"I Am A Man Of Stone"
"Song I Hate"
"Hell In High Water"
"Paper Dress"

Encore
"Dollskin"
"Flower"
"Tyler"

Toadies - No Deliverance Revealed

The title track off of the Toadies' third album, No Deliverance, can now be streamed from their MySpace page (listen here). Also revealed is the possible cover art for the new album, as seen above.

New concert dates posted as well:

Jun 27 2008 8:00P	Middle East Underground **SOLD OUT**	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jun 28 2008 8:00P	Trocadero	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 5 2008 8:00P	CPR Fest	Biloxi, Mississippi
Jul 29 2008 8:00P	Cain’s Ballroom	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jul 30 2008 8:00P	Pageant Theater	St. Louis, Missouri
Jul 31 2008 8:00P	Annex Nightclub	Madison, Wisconsin
Aug 2 2008 6:30P	Lollapalooza -- Myspace stage	Chicago, Illinois
Aug 21 2008 8:00P	Click’s	Tyler, Texas
Aug 22 2008 8:00P	The Palladium	Dallas, Texas
Aug 23 2008 8:00P	Northgate Music Festival	College Station, Texas
Aug 26 2008 8:00P	The Warehouse	Shreveport, Louisiana
Aug 29 2008 8:00P	Verizon Wireless Theater	Houston, Texas
Aug 30 2008 8:00P	The Pavilion at Concrete Street	Corpus Christi, Texas
Aug 31 2008 3:00P	(first annual) Dia De Los Toadies @ Possum Kingdom Lake	Graham, Texas
Sep 3 2008 8:00P	Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre	Austin, Texas
Sep 6 2008 8:00P	Dos Amigos	Odessa, Texas
Sep 16 2008 8:00P	Slim’s	San Francisco, California
Sep 19 2008 8:00P	Showbox SoDo	Seattle, Washington
Sep 20 2008 8:00P	Hawthorne Theatre	Portland, Oregon
Sep 21 2008 8:00P	Big Easy	Boise, Idaho
Sep 24 2008 8:00P	Gothic Theater	Englewood, Colorado
Sep 25 2008 8:00P	Lonestar Events Center	Lubbock, Texas
Sep 26 2008 8:00P	Midnight Rodeo	Amarillo, Texas

Toadies: No Deliverance

New Toadies album set to release August 19, 2008.

Check out their website for a sample of their title track.

A short story: Once upon a time the Toadies rocked the post-grunge scene and made a killer record that still to this date has a special place in my childhood memory. Back before the age of Wikipedia and high-speed internet, I waited in the dark for a Rubberneck follow-up; however, that day never came... sadly, the band broke up - I went on with my life.

Now fast-forwarding to the year of 2001, a fantastic day occurred when my local radio station announced the return of the Toadies. In almost disbelief, I began counting the days down for the release of Hell Below / Stars Above. News traveled to me about a North American tour. To my surprise, they were going to be in Cincy (not a long drive from Indy). The day I go to buy my tickets, it's announced that the band will be adding a few more shows: one is in Indy! and better yet, on my birthday!!! Thinking that it must be fate, I make the decision to buy the Indy tickets and wait it out.

Two days before the show (only a couple days after the Cincy show), I get a call from a friend. From the sound of his tone, I brace for a tragedy to unfold... Break-up Number Two... What a shitty birthday. No Toadies at the music fest - I think Nonpoint replaced them. About a month later, the band officially announced that they were finished. They played a few reunion shows (sans bassist, Lisa Umbarger), but ultimately stated that the band would "never" again record new material.

On the contrary, sticking with the theme of releasing albums every 7 years, the Toadies announced earlier last month that their third album, No Deliverance, will drop August 19. Maybe there's still a chance of catching their live show after all...