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themusicenthusiast · 6 years

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Saturday, November 4th, 2017 - A Message of Unity Punctuates a Comprehensive Set from The Toadies at the 8th Annual Festival at the Switchyard

The day couldn’t have been more perfect for the 8th annual Festival at the Switchyard. It was unseasonably warm, feeling more akin to summer temperatures instead of those of mid-fall. That certainly didn’t hurt the turnout at the event, people flocking to the day-long festival that is orchestrated by the city of Carrollton and held in the heart of its downtown. There’s plenty to see and do, the Festival at the Switchyard catering to the whole family, however, in the early evening hours, it was evident that most everyone was there for the music. There were three headline quality acts on tap this year, and all together it felt like the city of Carrollton was offering everyone a chance to travel back in time to the ‘90s, thanks to the three breakout artists from that era that were on tap to perform. That included headliners The Toadies, who were returning to their home area after a busy couple of months, The Lower Side of Uptown Tour approaching its end. Vaden Todd Lewis joked about that as he greeted the massive gathering of fans and patrons; the band stepping out onto the stage at 8:54 as a relatively new theme song played over the PA system. “What is this, the nineties?!” he asked after shouting out Everclear and Local H for setting the stage for them. He also expressed their desire to bring everyone together through their set that would be touching on the new, old and various points in between. “A big love goo” was what he hoped to see by the time their work was done.

Their opening number went a long way towards making that happen, the quintessential rock song and one of the best possible opening tracks in existence, “I Come From The Water”, being what the quartet used to kick things off. The mix of excitement and anticipation spiked as soon as the opening chords filled the air, that classic standby still being the song that best sets the tone of a Toadies show. The throng of fans sung their lungs out at each chorus (per usual, it was the sole responsibility of the audience), that unity the band was hoping to achieve beginning to take root as the crowd began to feel like more of a collective. It was a non-stop assault during their first three numbers, one of their oldest songs being followed up by one of the cuts from The Lower Side of Uptown (out via Kirtland Records). “Take Me Alive” is one song that has been teased well in advance of that seventh studio album, making its way into the sets for a year or so now, though it was readily apparent the several dozen shows that Lewis, Mark Reznicek, Clark Vogeler, and Doni Blair have done since September have allowed them to fully find their groove with these new songs. That blistering track was a beast live, being pure and unrestrained rock ‘n’ roll; the most loyal of Toadies fans singing right along with it. It came across as being more commanding than the last time I had heard it, thanks primarily to the authoritative attitude the musicians had as they raced through it. “Take Me Alive” even came complete with a clap along, Lewis using the instrumental bridge to instigate that. Pretty much the same thing would apply to the other handful of new songs they would perform this night. Take “When I Die” for example. A moment of silence was pierced by Vogeler, the opening note ringing out, seemingly being held for a few seconds longer than it is on the recording. That in itself was exhilarating because it sounds as if it came straight out of the nineties, fitting perfectly alongside the Rubberneck era of the band’s history. Reznicek and Blair were in top form during it, their drums and bass, respectively, being the driving force behind the gritty “When I Die”. Sandwiched between such staples as “Mexican Hairless” and “Away”, it meshed wonderfully with them, further proving that The Lower Side of Uptown is a return to form in a way, The Toadies’ being more in touch with their roots than ever with this latest batch of music. “Broke Down Stupid” was no different, the song reaching a climatic ending that had the band building suspense regarding what was to come. Crackling feedback rang out; Reznicek raising his arms towards the sky and holding them there, poised for action, his drumsticks ready to deliver more. They held that for a few seconds before he proceeded to pummel away at his drum kit as “Quitter” took shape. All of those may have been expected, though there were a few rare gems thrown in this night, beginning with the subsequent track on their set list: “You'll Come Down”. It was the second and final song they had planned from Hell Below/Stars Above, coming as a surprise to everyone. A pleasant one. It’s not that it’s never heard, though it also isn’t a mainstay of their live shows, so hearing a deeper cut that is also as pure Toadies’ as it gets was a treat. There was only one offering to be heard off of 2008’s No Deliverance this night, and much to the delight of a few fans, it was “Song I Hate”. Fortunately, the track seems to have been worked back in to the shows since late last year. Fortunate because it stands as one of the most magnificent things The Toadies have done. “I’m giving up on you. How could I ever call you mine? You’re too pretty. Too simple. Too easy. You’re just a waste of time…” That opening line of the poignant tale is so striking, establishing the tone right out of the gate as it delves into how difficult it is to walk away from someone you truly love. After an impromptu band meeting (Blair quipped that one of their crew members was going to get a “spanking” after they realized the set lists had been written out wrong) the guys settled on what to do next, going ahead and saying they would forgo the “fake ending”. That fake ending would have come after “Possum Kingdom” – and it should go without saying that was the song that got the audience more lively than anything else; but with precious time that couldn’t be wasted they opted to stay on stage to ensure they got to hit the remaining key parts they wanted to. First, there were some things to address. Lewis mentioned that they were donating a percentage of their merch sales from this entire tour to a relief fund for those affected by hurricane Harvey. If you didn’t want to buy any Toadies gear, you could even donate directly to a container they had at their table. “…We all need to take care of one another…” he stressed, that sentiment going well beyond the idea of Texans helping Texans. Lewis described a sense of anxiousness in advance of this tour getting underway, wondering what things were like outside of the bubble he lives in, in North Texas. “…I realized it doesn’t matter what you believe or who you sleep with, we all want the same things,” he remarked, that being his observation after chatting with enough people from around the country. Despite seeming off the cuff, his words were calculated. “Health care would be nice,” he added. It was obviously geared towards politics, though he presented a neutral view, just touching on the basic necessities that can act as common ground for everyone. Fittingly, that was used as a segue into a cover song. “…Tom Petty believed music could heal,” the lead singer finished; and it’s worth noting that Vogeler was sporting a Tom Petty shirt this night. In typical Toadies fashion, they went with something a little more obscure, if you will. Sure, “Breakdown” was a hit for Petty and The Heartbreakers, though there are plenty of other songs that come to fans’ minds first when they think of the late musician. Vogeler, Reznicek, Lewis, and Blair gave it the ol’ Toadies’ charm, reworking it slightly to give it a darker, more ominous tone at times. (Think The Toadies’ own, “I Want Your Love".) Their rendition was well received, massive fanfare breaking out once it was done. “That makes me feel good,” Lewis stated. This unofficial encore (Lewis noted he felt the traditional encore was kind of “stupid” in general, and he definitely isn’t wrong. I mean, most everyone knows a band, any band, will be back out when they’ve neglected to play their biggest hit during the main set.) was equally parts covers and originals. Those two originals drew from Rubberneck, and while it didn’t seem there was anything left to do after that, the band still had one last number prepared to wrap up this 67-minute long set. Sans guitar, Lewis unraveled the mic cord as he prepared to get more mobile. Scott Lucas of Local H then emerged to help them with their closing number, their riveting take on Screamin' Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You”. The recording that appears on The Lower Side of Uptown is entrancing to say the least, and while that held true this night, it also changed gears and became a merciless rock number. Lucas took center stage for a few moments, approaching the edge of the stage and wailing on his axe, his solo being nothing short of epic and incendiary. It was a helluva way to end not just the show, but also this year’s Festival at the Switchyard, cementing it as being one for the books. Patrons enjoyed the nostalgia of it; and having one of North Texas’ (specifically, Fort Worth) most revered bands capping it all off, well, it just couldn’t have gotten any better than that for the music lovers in the area. The Toadies set may have been condensed some due to the time constraints they were working with, though it didn’t feel like anything was lacking as they hit the most crucial points while giving everyone a taste of what their latest work is like. In regards to that new material, it’s on par with everything that the fans consider to be the band’s best work, and arguably, The Lower Side of Uptown even sets a new gold standard for the mighty Toadies. Those new songs are really THAT amazing. Lewis, Reznicek, Vogeler, and Blair weren’t the least bit road worn, which was a bit surprising. Instead, they were a well-oiled machine, appearing more comfortable on stage and more in the zone than what is typical for these veterans of the stage. There’s no questioning that extensive tour was responsible for that, allowing them to deepen their chemistry and further solidify the cohesiveness that they exemplify on stage. Honestly, this was one of the best Toadies shows I’ve seen. They were on point throughout the performance, and making it even more enjoyable for the fan was seeing how much fun they were having up there. The four of them were constantly flashing smiles and laughing at one another. It was even more prevalent than you typically see at their gigs, and in seeing them having such a blast, it made it that much easier to surrender to the music, everyone just savoring the moment they were in. Just the kind of connection that The Toadies were going for. They just have a few shows left for 2018, beginning with a performance in Austin at Stubb's BBQ on November 10th. They’ll be in Corpus Christi, TX at Brewster Street Ice House on the 11th, and as usual, Billy Bob’s Texas will host their end of the year hometown (Fort Worth) performance on December 30th. More info regarding those shows can be found HERE; and check out their albums on iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY. Set List: 1) “I Come From The Water” 2) “Take Me Alive” 3) “Push the Hand” 4) “Mexican Hairless” 5) “When I Die” 6) “Away” 7) “Broke Down Stupid” 8) “Quitter” 9) “You'll Come Down” 10) “Polly Jean” 11) “Song I Hate” 12) “Possum Kingdom” 13) “Breakdown” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) 14) “Tyler” 15) “I Burn” 16) “I Put a Spell on You” (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)

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