Vaden Todd Lewis

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Vaden "Danger" Todd Lewis
Vaden Todd Lewis 2015 Fort Worth.jpg
Vaden Todd Lewis performing with Toadies at the 2015 Dia de los Toadies in Fort Worth, Texas.
Background information
Birth nameVaden Danger Todd Lewis
Also known asDanger Lewis
Born (1965-09-03) September 3, 1965 (age 58)
Origin Fort Worth, Texas
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1980s–present
LabelsKirtland Records
Website Toadies official website

Vaden Danger Todd Lewis (born September 3, 1965) 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.

Contents

Early life

Vaden Todd Lewis was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1965. At an early age, his parents introduced him to bluegrass and "old school country," which together with locally popular Texas band ZZ Top became his initial musical influences. [1] Around age 15, Lewis began seeking out different non-commercial sounds, which introduced him to Talking Heads and Pixies. [1] Working in a record store in Fort Worth in the late 1980s, Lewis met Lisa Umbarger, who shared Lewis's musical interests. [2] [3]

Career

Toadies

In 1989, Lewis formed the band Toadies with his record store co-workers, including bassist Lisa Umbarger. [2] [3] During the early 1990s, the band played shows around the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and recorded several demos in Lewis's bedroom. [3] After hearing the Toadies' EP Pleather , major label Interscope Records signed the Toadies in 1993 and released the band's debut album Rubberneck in 1994. [2]

After years of touring, Toadies recorded new tracks for a second album, Feeler , but Interscope rejected the album. [4] [5] [6] In 2000, the band went back to the studio, salvaged some songs from the Feeler sessions, and released their second full-length album Hell Below/Stars Above in the spring of 2001. [5] [6] Hell Below/Stars Above was not promoted by Interscope, and saw poor sales. [7]

Interscope Records did little to promote the band's latest album, and as a result, Umbarger resigned from the band in July 2001. [2] [7] Lewis considered Umbarger "the core of the band" and decided to break up the band rather than continue without her. [7] The band played a few farewell shows later that summer, with Mark Hughes filling in for Umbarger, before parting ways. [7]

Burden Brothers

After the Toadies breakup, Lewis joined up with Taz Bentley of Texas band The Reverend Horton Heat to "record a few tracks, do some shows and put the songs out on the Internet." [8] Lewis and Bentley's new band, Burden Brothers, soon began enjoying local success, with the band's song "Beautiful Night" seeing significant radio airplay in Austin, Texas. [8] Having felt "the itch" to "dive back in", Lewis and Bentley decided to pursue a record deal, and Burden Brothers signed with Kirtland Records, a Dallas, Texas-based label founded by John Kirtland of Deep Blue Something and Jenny Kirtland of The Polyphonic Spree. [8] With Kirtland Records' support, Burden Brothers released Buried in Your Black Heart in 2003, followed by Mercy in 2006.

Toadies reunion and other work

Lewis joined with former Toadies bandmembers Clark Vogeler and Mark Reznicek to play a Toadies reunion in March 2006. Although this was intended to be a one-time show, the Toadies continued playing shows together, and then Lewis left Burden Brothers to rejoin the Toadies full-time in 2007. [3] According to Vogeler, Lewis made the decision to reunite the Toadies after Lewis began writing new material that "sounded like the Toadies." [3] Toadies signed with Kirtland Records and released a new album, No Deliverance , in 2008. [3] Lewis has since continued performing and releasing albums with Toadies; the band also started an annual Texas music festival, Dia De Los Toadies. [9]

While continuing to perform with the Toadies, Lewis began exploring work as a producer, and produced an album for Fort Worth-based band The Phuss. [9] [10] Lewis also collaborated with Austin-based band LiONS on their track "Poster Child." [11] In September 2015, Lewis also reunited with Burden Brothers for a one-night performance at Dia De Los Toadies, while also performing with the Toadies later that evening. [12]

Discography

With Burden Brothers

With Ginger

With Toadies

See Toadies discography

Other credits

YearArtist(s)WorkRoleRef.
2009 LiONS "Poster Child" (from Let No One Fall EP)Co-writer [11]
2012The PhussThe Phuss (album)Producer [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toadies</span> American rock band

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, Lisa Umbarger, Darrel Herbert, and Mark Reznicek (drums). It formed in 1989 and disbanded 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 band's most recent album, The Lower Side of Uptown, was released in September 2017.

<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 who are known for their 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>Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise</i> 2002 live album by Toadies

Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise is a live album by Toadies. It was recorded at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA, just prior to the band's breakup in 2001 and was released as a limited edition in March 2002 on Aezra Records/Orpheus Music. It was re-released on July 13, 2004. The album proclaims: "No overdubs. Warts and all!"

<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">Mister Love</span> 1993 single by Toadies

"Mister Love" is a 7" single by Toadies. It was released in 1993 on clear yellow vinyl by Grass Records; manufactured and distributed by Dutch East India Trading.

<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">Kirtland Records</span>

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.

<i>Rock Show</i> (album) 2007 live album by Toadies

Rock Show is a live album by Toadies. It is a recording of the final show of the band's "Second Coming" reunion tour, recorded March 17, 2007 at the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day parade in Dallas, Texas. The album was recorded by DiscLive and released immediately following the show. It is a limited edition CD-R with only 5000 copies having been burned. The album was later released to online music stores such as iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 on September 16, 2008 by Kirtland Records.

<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.

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<i>Play.Rock.Music</i> 2012 studio album by Toadies

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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

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References

  1. 1 2 Steffen, Chris (September 15, 2015). "The Toadies' Vaden Todd Lewis Recalls Being An "Angry, Short-Sighted Music Snob," Plus a Premiere". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gray, Chris (May 8, 2014). "Rubbernecking at the Toadies' Bug-Eyed Masterpiece". Houston Press. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Interview: The Toadies". 88 Miles West (blog). December 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ Goodman, William (July 8, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: New Toadies Tune". Spin.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Sculley, Alan (August 19, 2010). "Toadies fished out unreleased recordings for fresh 'Feeler' release". The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "At long last, Toadies' 'Feelers' sees the light of day". The Austin American-Statesman. August 17, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Crain, Zac; Wilonsky, Robert (August 30, 2001). "Dig a Hole". Dallas Observer . Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Rashbaum, Alyssa (June 22, 2004). "The Burden Brothers' Key To Success: Stop Trying". MTV. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Childers, Chad (July 26, 2012). "TOADIES FRONTMAN VADEN TODD LEWIS DISCUSSES NEW ALBUM 'PLAY.ROCK.MUSIC' + MORE". Loudwire. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Tarradell, Mark (July 16, 2012). "Local Music Connection: A conversation with Joshua Fleming of Fort Worth's the Phuss". Pop Culture Blog (blog). The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Goldin, Dan (January 3, 2010). "Speaking LIONS and Battleme with Matt Drenik: An Exploding In Sound Exclusive". Exploding In Sound. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  12. ↑ Mikeal, Brandon (September 14, 2015). "Dia De Los Toadies Brought Together Generations of Dallas–Fort Worth Rock". Dallas Observer . Retrieved October 27, 2015.
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