Toad’s Place presents rock music in a very raw and intimate environment.


A perfect place for two of today’s relevant hard working rock bands on the scene.


BTW, if you go…make your way to the “nookie” back bar area for a change of scenery and contrast to the wide open main floor and stage area.


The Hold Steady exceed my expectations with a thick catalog of leg stompers and a brisk pace in between songs.

Craig Finn and his band are riding high on their new album “Teeth Dreams”. As the Wall Street Journal said in its review of the album, “The Hold Steady and its bruising brand of rock remains an anomaly.”


Amidst the sea of die-hard crowd surfing, I thought the same thing. This isn’t Nirvana?


Seeing the legions of fans pour all their emotions and scream every word along with 42-year old frontman Finn, I was so impressed with the band’s connection with the audience.


The set list was a healthy mix of old and new. “Sequestered in Memphis” and “Southtown Girls” are favorites of mine. Someone posted a clip from the show on YouTube…

If the band keeps pumping out albums with this high-level of songsmenship and retains its crisp professional rock and roll road show going…the crowds will multiply fast.


In the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing them a third time as they are the opening band for the Drive-By Truckers in Asbury Park in June.


As for Deer Tick, they didn’t pull it off.  Their sound was awful, the setlist was clumsy.  





Quite the departure from the last few times I caught their act…too bad. I will see them again.


FYW.