Toadies

Last updated

Toadies
ToadiesGroupshot Live07.JPG
Toadies performing at the White Rabbit in San Antonio, Texas in 2007.
Background information
Origin Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Discography Toadies discography
Years active
  • 1989–2001
  • 2006–present
Labels
Members Vaden Todd Lewis
Mark Reznicek
Clark Vogeler
Doni Blair
Past membersCharles Mooney III
Lisa Umbarger
Guy Vaughan
Terry Valderas
Michael Jerome
Matt Winchel
Tracey Sauerwein
Darrel Herbert
Mark Hughes
Website http://www.thetoadies.com/

Toadies are an American rock band formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom". The band's classic lineup consisted of Vaden Todd Lewis (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Lisa Umbarger (bass guitar), Darrel Herbert (lead guitar), and Mark Reznicek (drums). The band released two studio albums before disbanding in 2001 after Umbarger left the group. The band reformed and released the album No Deliverance in 2008. In 2010, they re-released the album Feeler with Kirtland Records (the album's original release had been denied by Interscope in 1997). The band's most recent album, The Lower Side of Uptown , was released in September 2017.

Contents

Biography

Early years, Rubberneck, and commercial breakthrough (1989–1996)

Toadies began in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas. It recorded a few cassette self-releases and an E.P. titled Pleather before signing to Interscope Records. Its first full-length album Rubberneck was released in the summer of 1994. Featuring a sound described as "distinctly grunge" and "distinctly Texan", [1] Rubberneck included six singles, "Possum Kingdom", "Mister Love", "Away", "Tyler", "Backslider" and "I Come From the Water". "Backslider" can be heard in the film Black Sheep . "Possum Kingdom" would later become a playable track in the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II . Interscope did not properly promote the album for its first year on release, calling it a "marketing strategy", [6] until "Possum Kingdom" became a successful single in late 1995, reaching number nine on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

Toadies toured extensively throughout the 1990s supporting Rubberneck , opening for artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Zombie, Bush, and The Butthole Surfers. The band also headlined and co-headlined tours with acts such as Supersuckers, and The Reverend Horton Heat. Toadies were a regular act at the festivals Edgefest in Dallas, and Buzzfest in Houston during these years.

Feeler sessions, Hell Below/Stars Above, and breakup (1997–2002)

The band entered the studio in 1997 to record new tracks for a second album, Feeler . [7] Interscope Records did not approve the finished product, and rejected its 1998 release. [7] [8] [9] In 2000, they went back to the studio, salvaged some of the songs from the Feeler sessions, and released their second full-length album Hell Below/Stars Above in the spring of 2001. [8] [9] Portland-based musician Elliott Smith performed piano backup for the title track.

Hell Below/Stars Above was not promoted by Interscope, and saw poor sales. [10] The band toured in the spring and summer of 2001 in support of the new album, until bassist Lisa Umbarger unexpectedly resigned from the band on July 14, 2001. Umbarger told the Dallas Observer that she resigned after realizing that Interscope Records was not going to promote the band. [10] Vaden Todd Lewis decided to break up the band rather than continue without her, a decision which "stunned" Umbarger. [10] The band played a few farewell shows later that summer, with Mark Hughes filling in for Umbarger, before parting ways after their final show on October 1, 2001. [10]

Shortly after the break-up, a live album, Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise , was released. It was recorded earlier in 2001 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA. The album was released through Aezra Records, but Kirtland Records later picked up the band's back catalogue.

No Deliverance, Feeler release, and Play.Rock.Music (2006–2013)

Toadies reformed for a reunion show on March 11, 2006, headlining the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day parade concert, drawing in an estimated 100,000 people. [11] In March 2007, they embarked on a mini-tour, playing dates in Austin, Houston, and Dallas. The final show of the mini-tour was recorded and released as the live album Rock Show.

The band released its third studio album, No Deliverance , on August 19, 2008, via Kirtland Records. The lead single for the album was the title track.

Toadies performed at Lollapalooza on August 2, 2008, Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival on May 16, 2009, and May 18, 2013, and Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 4, 2009. In addition, on August 31, 2008, the Toadies headlined the inaugural Dia De Los Toadies, an annual Texas music festival organized by and featuring the band. [12] [13]

In June 2010 it was announced that Feeler , the follow-up album to Rubberneck that was shelved by Interscope, would finally be seeing a release. Vaden Todd Lewis was quoted as saying: "Since there are unfinished versions floating around on the Internet, it is important to us that people hear it as we meant it to be." The band was unable to obtain the original 1997 Feeler masters from Interscope, and re-recorded the album in 2010. [7] The album was released on July 20, 2010.

The band's fifth album, Play.Rock.Music , was released July 31, 2012 on Kirtland Records. A promotional video for the track, "Summer of the Strange," can be viewed on Clark Vogeler's YouTube channel. [14]

Toadies performing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Rubberneck 20th Anniversary Tour. Toadies Rubberneck 20th Anniversary Tour.jpg
Toadies performing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Rubberneck 20th Anniversary Tour.

Rubberneck 20th-anniversary reissue and tour (2014)

On January 7, 2014, the Toadies announced via its Facebook page that its Rubberneck album would be reissued by Kirtland Records with five previously unreleased bonus tracks. [15] [16] The announcement also revealed plans for a nationwide Rubberneck 20-year anniversary tour, featuring the Toadies playing the entire Rubberneck album "front to back", with supporting acts Supersuckers and Battleme. [15] [17] The tour ended in September 2014 with a final Rubberneck start to finish performance, followed by performances of the band's more recent songs, at the seventh annual Dia De Los Toadies festival in Fort Worth. [18]

Heretics and Summerland Tour (2015)

In January 2015, Everclear announced its fourth annual multi-city Summerland Tour via Twitter. [19] The 2015 Summerland Tour featured Everclear and Toadies, as well as alt-rock bands American Hi-Fi and Fuel. [19]

In June 2015, Toadies announced that its eighth album, Heretics , would be released September 18. [20] The album "re-imagines and reinterprets" several Toadies songs such as "Possum Kingdom" and "Backslider," and featured two new songs and a cover of Blondie's 1979 single "Heart of Glass". [20] The Toadies also launched a new tour to promote Heretics in the fall of 2015, with the tour starting at the eighth annual Dia De Los Toadies music festival in September 2015. [21] [22]

The Lower Side of Uptown and Tour (2017)

The Toadies released its ninth album, The Lower Side of Uptown on September 8, 2017, via Kirtland Records. On September 6, 2017, band members kicked off their fall tour with Local H in Denton, Texas. [23]

Damn You All to Hell EP and Rubberneck 25th Anniversary Tour (2022)

Toadies released the EP Damn You All to Hell on September 13, 2022, as they began touring North America to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album Rubberneck. [24] The EP is four previously unreleased tracks, including a cover of David Bowie's 'Sound and Vision.' Three of the songs were recorded during sessions for the band's last studio album The Lower Side Of Uptown, while 'Forgiven' was recorded during the No Deliverance session.

Band members

Timeline

Toadies

Discography

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Rubberneck</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Toadies

Rubberneck is the debut studio album by American rock band Toadies. It was released in August 1994 on Interscope Records and attained RIAA gold and platinum status in December 1995 and December 1996 respectively. The album produced the band's most popular single, "Possum Kingdom".

Deep Blue Something is an American rock band, known for the 1995 hit single "Breakfast at Tiffany's" from their second album Home. Home achieved gold-record status; however, the band parted ways with Interscope Records and went on creative hiatus for several years, only releasing the follow-up Byzantium in Japan and some European countries. They eventually signed with the Aezra label and released Deep Blue Something in mid-2001, breaking up shortly after. The band regrouped with all members at the end of 2014 and signed to drummer John Kirtland's independent label, Kirtland Records.

<i>Hell Below/Stars Above</i> 2001 studio album by Toadies

Hell Below/Stars Above is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Toadies, released on March 20, 2001, by Interscope Records. It is the first Toadies album to feature lead guitarist Clark Vogeler, who joined in 1996, and the band's final album with founding member and bassist Lisa Umbarger. The album was the Toadies' first in nearly seven years, and was their second attempt at recording a follow-up album to their platinum-selling debut album Rubberneck (1994); the band's first attempt, Feeler, had been rejected by Interscope in 1998.

<i>Pleather</i> (album) 1993 EP by Toadies

Pleather is an EP by the grunge band Toadies. It was released in 1993 on Grass Records. The EP gained the attention of Interscope Records who signed the band and released their first full-length album (Rubberneck) in 1994. Interscope re-released Pleather on June 17, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brutal Juice</span> American acid punk band

Brutal Juice is a self-proclaimed "acid punk" band from Denton, Texas. The band formed in 1990 and officially disbanded in February 1997, although they held several reunion concerts between 1999 and 2012, which usually took place at Fry Street Fair in Denton. They officially reformed in 2012 and released their latest album, titled "Welcome to the Panopticon," on October 28, 2016. Brutal Juice still performs a few times a year, typically playing shows in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, or in Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burden Brothers</span>

Burden Brothers are a hard rock band formed in Dallas, Texas, by Toadies lead singer/songwriter Vaden Todd Lewis and Reverend Horton Heat/Izzy Stradlin drummer Taz Bentley. The band currently consists of Lewis (Vocals/Guitar), Bentley (Drums/Vocals), and Casey Hess (Guitar/Vocals). The band went on indefinite hiatus since 2006, due to the Toadies reunion and other interests, but reunited to perform at the Dia De Los Toadies music festival in September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Possum Kingdom (song)</span> 1994 single by Toadies

"Possum Kingdom" is a song by American alternative rock band Toadies released as the second single from their 1994 album, Rubberneck.

<i>Buried in Your Black Heart</i> 2003 studio album by Burden Brothers

Buried in Your Black Heart is the first full-length album by Burden Brothers, after the release of multiple EPs. This was Burden Brothers' first recording with a solidified band lineup. The album was considered Burden Brothers' most successful album, spawning two relatively hit singles. The album was released in November 2003 on Kirtland Records. As of January 2007, the album has sold over 100,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagfish (band)</span> American rock band

Hagfish were an American rock band originated in Sherman, Texas that rose to notoriety via performances in the Deep Ellum district of Dallas, Texas, drawing influences from both punk rock and alternative rock. The lineup included lead vocalist George Stroud Reagan III, guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Doni Blair and drummer Tony Barsotti for the majority of the band's career, including nearly all of their recorded work. Formed by the Blair brothers in 1991, Hagfish emerged with contemporaries Tripping Daisy and Toadies as part of the 1990s Dallas/Fort Worth alternative rock scene and were also heavily influenced by the Descendents/All, whose members recorded and produced two of the band's studio albums. After officially disbanding in 2001, Hagfish have reunited occasionally for live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirtland Records</span> Record label

Kirtland Records is a record label based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Los Angeles, California and New York City. It was co-founded by Deep Blue Something drummer John Kirtland and his wife, Jenny Kirtland of The Polyphonic Spree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaden Todd Lewis</span> American musician

Vaden Danger Todd Lewis is an American musician best known as the vocalist and guitarist for Toadies, an alternative rock band from Fort Worth, Texas. Lewis was also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Dallas-based Burden Brothers. In July 2017, Lewis opened The Loop Artist Rehearsal Studios in Fort Worth.

<i>Slaphead</i> 1989 EP by Toadies

Slaphead is the first EP by grunge band Toadies. It was self-released in 1989.

Feeler was supposed to have been the Toadies's follow-up album to the critically acclaimed debut Rubberneck; however, its release was denied by Interscope Records. In June 2010, the band announced that they had re-entered the studio to "rediscover" and re-record the album. This nine-song version was released on August 10, 2010.

<i>No Deliverance</i> 2008 studio album by Toadies

No Deliverance is the third studio album by Toadies. It was released in 2008 on Kirtland Records. No Deliverance is the band's first album seven years after the band's previous album, Hell Below/Stars Above, and the first since the band's reunion in 2006. It is also the band's only album without an official bass player, with bass duties being handled by Vaden Todd Lewis.

The Backsliders is a rock and roll band from Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Castell</span> American record producer

David Castell is an American record producer, musician, and recording engineer based in Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Jaffe</span> American singer-songwriter

Sarah Allison Jaffe is an American singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas. Known for her distinctively clear vocals, she has worked as a singer-songwriter across many musical genres, including acoustic-folk, indie pop and hip hop.

Dia De Los Toadies is an annual music festival organized by perennial headlining act Toadies. First held in August 2008 at Possum Kingdom Lake, the festival has subsequently been held in Glen Rose, New Braunfels, and at Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth. The ninth annual festival was held on June 11, 2016 in New Braunfels. The annual festival has been described as "the Willie's Picnic of a new generation."

<i>Heretics</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Toadies

Heretics is the sixth studio album by the alternative rock band Toadies. It was released in September 2015 by independent record label Kirtland Records. The studio album "re-imagines and reinterprets" several of the band's previously released songs, including the band's most popular single, "Possum Kingdom". The album also features two new songs and a cover of Blondie's 1979 hit single "Heart of Glass".

<i>The Lower Side of Uptown</i> 2017 studio album by Toadies

The Lower Side of Uptown is the seventh studio album by the alternative rock band Toadies. It was released in September 2017 by independent record label Kirtland Records.

References

  1. 1 2 "Texas band Toadies ready for anniversary tour". The Daily Californian. March 22, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2016. Few would argue that Rubberneck is the most influential album of the '90s, but it is distinctly grunge, and it is distinctly Texan.
  2. ↑ "Toadies Break Sophomore Jinx -- With A Little Help From Nirvana". Sun-Sentinel. August 10, 2001. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  3. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (June 22, 2004). "The Burden Brothers' Key To Success: Stop Trying". MTV. Archived from the original on July 4, 2004. Retrieved May 15, 2016. Lewis had left his mark on the early 1990s grunge scene with the Toadies, but the group broke up in 2001 after recording only two studio albums.
  4. ↑ Torreano, Bradley. "Burden Brothers Biography". Billboard . Retrieved May 17, 2016. The Toadies were one of the hotter prospects in the major label grunge wars of the early/mid-1990s, but their lengthy waits between albums and internal dissention eventually broke apart the band after the release of their 2001 album.
  5. ↑ Mayhew, Malcolm (August 29, 2019). "Rubberneck Revisited". Fort Worth Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Crain, Zac. "Playing Possum". Dallas Observer. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Goodman, William (July 8, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: New Toadies Tune". Spin. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Sculley, Alan (August 19, 2010). "Toadies fished out unreleased recordings for fresh 'Feeler' release". The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "At long last, Toadies' 'Feelers' sees the light of day". The Austin American-Statesman. August 17, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Crain, Zac; Wilonsky, Robert (August 30, 2001). "Dig a Hole". Dallas Observer . Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  11. ↑ Wilonsky, Robert. "Toadies Getting Back Together. For One Day Only. Again". Dallas Observer. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  12. ↑ Childers, Chad (July 26, 2012). "TOADIES FRONTMAN VADEN TODD LEWIS DISCUSSES NEW ALBUM 'PLAY.ROCK.MUSIC' + MORE". Loudwire. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ Freedman, Pete (May 1, 2008). "The Toadies Are Launching Something of an Annual Festival, It Seems". Dallas Observer . Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Toadies – Summer of the Strange (unofficial video)". April 8, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2015– via YouTube.
  15. 1 2 "The Toadies – Timeline Photos". Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2015– via Facebook.
  16. ↑ "The Toadies' Best Album Is Getting Reissued: What's the Band's Legacy Now?". Dallas Observer . January 8, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  17. ↑ "The Toadies – Timeline Photos". Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2015– via Facebook.
  18. ↑ Rushing, Brenna (September 14, 2014). "Toadies blow out the sound system at Fort Worth rock fest". The Dallas Morning News . Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  19. 1 2 "Everclear, Toadies, American Hi-Fi and Fuel to Play Summerland 2015". anthemstatus.com. January 22, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Wilonsky, Robert (June 29, 2015). "Your first sneak peek at the Toadies' "bizarre" new record, "Heretics," featuring new takes on old favorites". GuideLive. The Dallas Morning News . Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  21. ↑ Kellmurray, Beth (August 26, 2015). "Toadies Debut New Song, 'In the Belly of the Whale' + Announce U.S. Tour". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  22. ↑ Mikeal, Brandon (September 14, 2015). "Dia De Los Toadies Brought Together Generations of Dallas-Fort Worth Rock". Dallas Observer . Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  23. ↑ "The Toadies-Timeline Photo". Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2018– via Facebook.
  24. ↑ Major, Michael. "Toadies Release 'Damn You' EP". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.