Toadies
Toadies |
|---|
Toadies is an alternative rock band from Fort Worth, Texas. The band's lineup consisted of Todd Lewis, Mark Reznicek, Lisa Umbarger, and Clark Vogeler for most of the band's existence. The band formed in 1989 and officially disbanded in 2001, closing the year with a farewell tour across Texas. The band has only released two albums over their twelve year lifespan, 1995's commercial hit Rubberneck and 2001's Hell Below / Stars Above, which was assumed to be their last album. However, in 2005, after a reunion concert, the band decided to start again. After Lewis's Burden Brothers released their sophomore album Mercy, and they embarked on a tour, the Toadies began playing shows around Texas. Toadies are best known for the hit single "Possum Kingdom" from Rubberneck.
Early Years/Commercial Breakthrough
The Toadies formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas. They began recording a few cassette singles and an EP titled Pleather before gaining fame around the Dallas/Fort Worth area and signing to Interscope Records. Their first full-length album Rubberneck was released in the summer of 1994. The album would go on to produce their most successful single "Possum Kingdom", as well as three more singles in "Away", "Tyler", and "I Come From the Water". The album would become a soundtrack and a constant play on many rock stations during the 1990s, and the track "Possum Kingdom" would go on to still be an occasional play on today's radio, as well as a track in Guitar Hero II.
After the massive hit of four singles, Toadies toured extensively throughout the 1990s supporting Rubberneck, opening for such artists as Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Zombie, Bush, and The Butthole Surfers. They also headlined and co-headlined tours with acts such as Brutal Juice, Baboon, Supersuckers, and The Reverend Horton Heat. The band was a usual appearance on Edgefest in Dallas, and Buzzfest in Houston yearly throughout these years. After grueling touring for years, the band went back to the studio in 1997.
Feeler, Hell Below / Stars Above, and Breakup
After massive touring for Rubberneck, the band entered the studio to record new tracks for a second album, Feeler. Interscope Records did not approve the finished product, and rejected its 1998 release.[1] After their label's rejection of their finished work, the band eventually went back into the studio after a lengthy break. When they went back to the studio in 2000, they salvaged some of the songs recorded during the Feeler sessions, and eventually released their second full-length album Hell Below / Stars Above in the spring of 2001.
While touring in support of Hell Below / Stars Above, the band broke up five months after the album's release. On August 22, 2001, Todd Lewis contacted the Dallas Observer to officially announce the band's breakup. The primary reason for the breakup of the band (as told by Lewis) was that Lisa Umbarger simply did not want to be a part of it anymore, and that the band could not continue without her.[2] The band would go on to play a few more spotty reunion concerts throughout the years until the 2007 reunion.
Shortly after the break-up, a Toadies live album, Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise, was released. It was recorded just prior to the band's breakup in 2001 at the Paradise in Boston, MA. The album was released throughout Interscope Records, but after Interscope stopped producing Toadies' albums, Kirtland Records, who were Burden Brothers' record label, picked up the Toadies' back catalogue.
Reunion
Despite Lewis's claims that the band couldn't go on without Umbarger, the band reformed for a reunion show on March 11, 2006, headlining the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day parade concert. They also had a reunion show at Edgefest 15 in Dallas on June 18, 2006. In March 2007, the band embarked on a mini-tour, playing dates in Austin, Houston, and Dallas. The final show at the Greenville Ave St. Patrick's Day parade was recorded and released as Rock Show.
After the mini-tour, Lewis had set aside his projects to relax at home, however new releases have surfaced on their MySpace, as well as a biography implying the Toadies have re-united, and new material could be possible in the future. A track entitled "Unattractive" was added to their MySpace music player; the track was recorded for the soundtrack to the film "The Cable Guy" that starred Jim Carrey. The Burden Brothers' indefinite hiatus has also led to reunion rumors. The band played shows in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas in early 2008, as well as headlining The Edge's music festival "How The Edge Stole Christmas".
No Deliverance
On May 12, 2008, The Toadies' MySpace blog was updated with an entry that announced the release of their third studio album, No Deliverance, on August 19, 2008. They also announced the website, NoDeliverance.com, and an exclusive interview with Lewis about the album for Spin Magazine. [3]
Members
- Todd Lewis - vocals, guitar (1991-Present)
- Mark Reznicek - drums (1991-Present)
- Clark Vogeler - guitar (1996-Present)
- Doni Blair - bass (2008-Present)
Former members
- Lisa Umbarger - bass (1989-2001)
- Darrel Herbert - guitar (1992-1996)
- Tracey Sauerwein - guitar (1991-1992)
- Charles Mooney III - guitar (1989-1992)
- Matt Winchel - drums (1990-1991)
- Michael Jerome (then known as Michael Moore) - drums (1989-1990)
- Terry Valderas - drums (1989)
- Guy Vaughan - drums (1989)
Discography
Albums
- Rubberneck (1994)
- Hell Below / Stars Above (2001)
- Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise (2002)
- Rock Show (2007)
- No Deliverance (2008)
Unreleased Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Feeler | Unreleased | Digital copies circulate the web |
Singles / E.P.s / demos
| Year | Title | Label | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Dig a Hole / I Hope You Die | self-released | cassette single |
| 1991 | Slaphead | self-released | cassette E.P. |
| 1992 | Velvet | self-released | cassette E.P. |
| 1993 | Mister Love | Grass | 7" single |
| 1993 | Pleather | Grass | EP |
| 1995 | Belated Valentines (Not in Love) | Grass | split 7" single with Slowpoke |
| 1995 | Y're Cute | self-released | cassette E.P. |
| 1995 | Rubberneck Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Possum Kingdom Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Possum Kingdom Live Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Mister Love Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Tyler Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Backslider Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Away Promo | Interscope | |
| 1995 | Santacide Promo | Interscope | |
| 2001 | "Push the Hand" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | |
| 1990 | Chatterbox | demo, self-released |
Compilations
| Year | Title | Song | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| ??? | Turn It Up & Pass It On Volume 2 | "Possum Kingdom" | Interscope |
| ??? | Turn It Up & Pass It On Volume 4 | "Possum Kingdom" | Interscope |
| ??? | Turn It Up & Pass It On Volume 5 | "Possum Kingdom" | Interscope |
| 1992 | Heaven on a Stick | "Auf Wiedersehen" | Slugfest |
| 1993 | Chairman of the Board | "Luck Be a Lady" | Grass |
| 1994 | CMJ: New Music Monthly September 1994 Compilation | "Mister Love" | CMJ |
| 1994 | Interscope Records Sampler | "Backslider" | Interscope |
| 1995 | Dallas' Scene, Heard | "Unattractive" | Dallas Observer |
| 1995 | Saturday Morning | "Goolie Get-Together" | MCA |
| 1996 | X-Games, Vol. 1: Music From the Edge | "Possum Kingdom" | ESPN |
| 1996 | The Cable Guy | "Unattractive" | Work/Sony |
| 1996 | WRAS 88.5 Radio Odyssey | "Cut Me Out (live on-air)" | Georgia State University |
| 1996 | The Crow: City of Angels | "Paper Dress" | Hollywood |
| 1996 | Escape From LA | "Cut Me Out" | Lava |
| 1996 | Basquiat | "I'm Not in Love" | PolyGram |
| 1996 | Sandy Does Dallas | "Beauty School Dropout" | One Ton |
| 1997 | Come On Feel the Metal | "Cowboy Song" | Steve |
| 2000 | Summer of Slam Sampler | "Heel" | Interscope / Warped Tour |
| 2000 | Crime + Punishment in Suburbia | "Mister Love" | Interscope |
| 2000 | Live @ Bob's Garage Vol. 1 | "Possum Kingdom (Live 6/22/95)" | KISW Rock 99.9FM |
| 2001 | Monitor This! April/May 2001 | "Joey, Let's Go" | Music Monitor Network |
See also
References
- ^ Todd Lewis Interview "Interview: The Toadies", SilentUproar.com, February 3rd, 2007.
- ^ Lycia Shrum "Breaking up is hard to do", Dallas Observer, September 27, 2001.
- ^ William Goodman "Toadies Frontman Lewis Details New Album, Due Aug. 19", Spin Magazine, May 12, 2008.
- Bush, J. "The Toadies Pleather Page." Retrieved May 9, 2005.
- Wilson, MacKenzie. "Toadies." All Music Guide. Retrieved May 9, 2005.