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The Toadies Reclaim Their “Kingdom” at Manic NYC Show

6/27/08, 1:05 pm EST

“Everything feels even better this time around — except the hangovers,” says Vaden Todd Lewis, frontman for post-grunge comeback kids the Toadies, during an early-morning conversation. “Those still feel the same.” He’s jokingly referring to his band’s reunited form, which has spawned a sold-out tour and a new album No Deliverance due in August. The group, most notorious for its hit “Possum Kingdom,” splintered several years ago after a struggle with their label over their second album and the departure of bass player Lisa Umbarger. After the occasional reunion show, Lewis finally got the band back together after the departure of two of the members of his other band Burden Brothers. “They just got burnt out,” Lewis explains. “So did I, really. I started to write songs that I realized were Toadies songs, and the other guys were into it, so we had to do it.”

The group also got a load of support from their rabid Internet fan base — impressive considering the band broke before the Internet age really kicked in. They also aren’t nervous about making their return in such a complicated era for the business. “For selfish reasons, I’m excited to see what happens to the majors,” says Lewis, referencing their tumultuous end at Interscope. “We’re on a small label now and doing exactly what we want to be doing.”

They’re also doing exactly what their fans want them to be doing if last night’s sold-out show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom is any indication. The band delivered a healthy mix of old favorites and new songs, and they sounded as though they’d been playing the fresh stuff (especially single “No Deliverance,” a bold mix of post-grunge aggression and spicy Texas roadhouse flair) as though they’d been skillfull executing the riffs for a decade. “The songs feel good,” says Lewis. “And in the end, it’s all about feeling good.”


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Comments

Fred | 8/28/2008, 8:27 pm EST

Long live the Toadies!

Thomas | 7/8/2008, 12:02 pm EST

I don’t get this quote, “The group also got a load of support from their rabid Internet fan base — impressive considering the band broke before the Internet age really kicked in.” The Toadies had a huge impact on the Internets before My Space, You Tube, et al. Their BBS, before it closed down, was a wealth of information.

Mark | 7/1/2008, 8:22 pm EST

I envy you texans. yall get to see them all the time.. the don’t come to georgia enough.. caught their 6/24 show in atl and am thinking of relocating to texas now..

jsbrendog | 6/30/2008, 10:52 am EST

i was at this show and it was amazin. I saw them on hell below/stars above tour and this was like a flashback, except with new songs. The only complaint is they didnt play hell below/stars above or you’ll come down but if those are the only problems then theres nothing to complain about!

Aitchare | 6/28/2008, 1:22 am EST

Saw them a couple of nights ago in DC and they were amazing. The new songs immediately clicked; Hey that’s a new toadies tune! Right on! And it was great to see them looking like they were having as much fun as their audience.

Toadie77 | 6/27/2008, 10:29 pm EST

The toadies truly bring it at every show. I’ve seen them so many times I can’t even count. I can’t wait till they come back to Dallas on Aug. 22.

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