Toadies 11-6-08
Webster Hall · New York City, NY
BY LAVINIA JONES WRIGHT
So far it's been a triumphant return for badass texas rockers Toadies. Since the recent release of "No Deliverance," the long-awaited follow-up to 2001's "Hell Below/Stars Above," the band has been reconnecting with fans who have waited years to hear their fiery tunes live again.
And as far as the crowds at their shows are concerned, the new material is not "time to get another beer" or "can I sneak to the bathroom and back in time to catch the hits?" as it is so often with reunion tours. At Toadies rowdy Webster Hall concert, singer Todd Lewis got the audience's raucous approval before launching into new tunes, and then fans sang along enthusiastically.
The band peppered the set with false starts that Lewis called "8 seconds of your favorite songs," with guitarist Clark Vogeler and drummer Mark Reznicek jokingly playing the opening riffs from iconic songs by ZZ Top, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath then stopping suddenly to tease the crowd.
Of course, nothing trumped the excitement when Vogeler dug into the opening riff of "Possum Kingdom" and the show ender "Tyler," which had people crowd surfing, jumping, and otherwise losing it, but overall those huge nostalgic hits wove together seamlessly with the newer songs for a truly great show.
[Photo Credit: Lavinia Jones Wright]
