Came here to see Lindsey Stirling a few nights ago. Â The venue is pretty divey, but I kind of liked that about it. Â Full bar. Â Drinks were very weak though. Â I also thought the Rainforest area was really neat. Â The bars there weren't open while I was there, but it was a cool place to hang-out (literally. Â it's freezing in there.)
The main reason for giving it only two stars is that the stage is ridiculously low!! Â I couldn't see anything! Â That might be okay for some people and some shows, but Lindsey Stirling is a violinist who dances at the same time. Â So, I really missed out by not being able to see it. Â I'm about 5'3, but I wouldn't have been able to see even if I was 5'5.
So, basically, if you're going purely for an audio experience or you're very tall then have a good time. Â Otherwise, check if you can go to a different venue.
1.) Introduction:
I'm an avid underground Hip Hop listener, enthusiast and activist. All the late greats have performed here from Dilated People's to ILLmortal Technique, Blackalicious, Talib Kweli, Little Brother, Blacastan, etc. So I come here to support the "real" Hip Hop, and trust that this venue will always bring together great shows.
2.) Aesthetics - In and Out:
It's right in the heart of downtown New Haven/Yale University area. Inside it looks very dark - from the walls to the floor to the decor. It's your typical college type bar, no so clean. I'll be quite honest, for a venue that brings forth great talent, I don't feel this is a large enough venue, but I guess to each is own.
3.) Impressions:
I come here for the artists that I like, but it appears that any average Joe Schmoe performs there now. I haven't been hearing any great performances in the past months.
I was excited to come to Toad's for the first time Thursday night. Â We went to see State Radio and their opener Bronze Radio Return (we weren't the oldest people there, yay!). Â I really like the size of Toad's. Â It's small enough to be intimate and you can easily get close to the stage if that's your thing, but it's also big enough not to make you feel claustrophobic. Â
We hung out closer to the bar than the stage and had a great view, only occasionally blocked off by peoples crazy big wigs or Santa hats that were part of their Halloween costumes (it was the day after Halloween after all).  I noticed another reviewer compared this place to Lupo's (in Providence) which is funny because I made the same comparison in my head  when we were there.  I agree that Toad's is similar to Lupo's but better. Â
Bar beverages were average priced and had the typical offerings and the basement bathrooms were decent in terms of cleanliness but typical bar bathroom so don't do go expecting a luxurious bathroom experience like the plush couches and carpeting at Nordstrom's. Â I really didn't want to spend more time in there than I had to. Â Overall, good venue but the volume was definitely cranked up too loud for us to hear the words coming from the singers mouthes with both bands. Â Would have sounded better if it hadn't been quite as deafeningly loud.
Let's face it. If you go to college in the New Haven area and don't have a car, where else can you go dancing until 2 AM on Saturdays and 1 AM on Wednesdays with Top 40s Music? And where else can you hear good bands for decent prices?
To start off, Toad's is a trashy club. Trashy in a when the lights turn off after Living on a Prayer is done playing you look around and just marvel at the amount of plastic cups and spilled beer bottles all over the dance floor and bar way. Trashy in a halfway through the night your flats start getting stuck to the floor and you can't move anymore way. Trashy in a people will grope and grind against you all night long so be ready to fend for yourself kind of way. Trashy in a once there was a MTV open casting call and someone got knifed here kind of way. And trashy in a once upon a time my phone was stolen here and I never got over it kind of way.
But in all of its trashiness, there is something glorious about penny drinks, foam party, walking past the long lines, and watching people run to Toad's. And now, no matter where I am, we're halfway there is always going to cue four years of hilarious memories and for that, I can't bring myself to give Toad's a negative rating. Oh and one last comment: I hate it when Toad's has dub-step night....really really can't stand it.
Toad's has hosted some great acts over the years, and I'm glad to have been able to see a teeny tiny sliver of a portion of them. It's a great venue, and I'm always happy to see a concert here when a band I really like is playing, or when a band I'm interested in is playing. Unlike other venues where I may have to weigh the downsides of traveling too far out of the way, suffering through parking issues, dealing with security, etc., I've never had a problem with parking in the area of Toad's - plenty of street parking, a parking garage that isn't a disaster to get out of when everyone leaves, and some open Yale lots - and I can usually expect an enjoyable experience.
The stage is a good size - not huge, but big enough - and it's raised a good height. Whether the show is all standing (which is most of the time in my experience) or with seats, you can usually find a good spot. I can't even begin to list all the bands I've seen here, but I can recall some different experiences. I saw Vic Wooten play to a sitting crowd last week, which made sense for a concert with more long solos and musicianship, and was still a lot of fun. My all-time favorite band is Hanson (I know, but I've loved them since I was 10), and I've seen them twice at Toads. Both times, it's been the most packed I've ever seen the place, which is fun in its own way. It can sometimes get rowdy, like when I saw The Mars Volta, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, or Gogol Bordello, but it can also stay pretty calm, like with Daniel Johnston or Kevin Devine. There's also a good in-between where you can still dance and enjoy the music, but it's still pretty comfortable and lots of fun, like the times I saw Of Montreal or Parliament Funkadelic. It really depends on who you're seeing, which is also why I like Toad's - the experience adjusts to the music you're seeing, which is what's important.
Whether or not I buy drinks depends on the show or my mood, but the beer and drink prices aren't terrible. They're typical bar prices, and while there's not much more than Bud and Newcastle on draft, it's not bad. There's kind of a dank smell in the basement and bathroom area that kind of wafts to the upstairs, but I've decided that's just what Toad's smells like, and it's easy to forget about once the concert starts.
Doesn't really get much better for venues this size (capacity is a bit under 1000), though they seem to have lost their identity/legend because the acts they book are all over the map now. Maybe that's just a sign of the times for live music venues. The single floor layout reminds me a little of the most recent version of the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA.
Toad's New Haven location allows them to land acts that play places twice this size in NYC. So, a quick comparison of the recent Wild Flag shows here vs. Webster Hall in NY... at Toad's the sound was better, the crowd was far more manageable, venue was more intimate (half the size) and beers were half the price. No brainer!
Now, if they only booked more bands I cared about...
I dunno why people like this place so much. I guess there aren't many better options in the area? I went to see Dark Star Orchestra there on Friday and it was SOOOO obnoxiously crowded. Way oversold. It took a while to get a drink and at least they were reasonably priced. The crowd was almost too annoying to enjoy the music.
Review Source:This is one of my favorite places to go to shows. It's definitely not a big place.... but going there is always a lot of fun (unless you dislike crowded places). The prices are usually very decent and quite a few big names come to play here. Price of drinks and food is reasonable for a music venue. Sound acoustics are more than acceptable. The location isn't too bad either and is not in one of the shadier areas of New Haven. I definitely recommend it.
Review Source:I enjoyed the bartender and the atmosphere but not the sound guy that night. Â I went to goo see Kyuss and the sound guy did not know how to mix them well. Â No vocals (and I am one to generally listen to more guitar than vocals) and the bass was too muddy. Â Also if you plan on parking on the street outside of the venue, it is by Yale and you need quarters to keep the meter running across the street. Â The meters right outside the venue take credit card, but if you go even a street down you need quarters. Â My boyfriend and I learned that the hard way.
Review Source:One of my all time favorite venues, regardless of the fact it's so close to home. Usually a great selection of all types of music (though metal seems to have taken a back seat as of recent). Nothing great on tap at the bar, but I don't go there to drink. At the end of the day, I'd rather see a show here more than pretty much anywhere else.
Review Source:Toad's is Iconic, a classic venue with a wide and illustrious history that it wears proudly on its walls. It's my favorite concert space in Connecticut. This is largely because of how intimate it is, without sacrificing professionalism. I've never waited more than 5 minutes for a drink, and they've even begun to carry microbrews.
This is a pun, but I don't quite care: It's music to my ears.
. I swear this place lives off of the legend it used to be.
The last few times I went, the parking was better than expected, the drink prices were okay and the crowd was interesting to watch. I think the teeny bopper/hipster/emo/jailbait fence is hilarious and just begging to be ripped down at every event.
.Crappy ass cover bands and a few drunk fights were my main entertainment.
This place is nostalgic and dirty, roomy yet small enough that you can see the nose hairs on your favorite musician on stage or find a few old friends. I'm sure I'll be back.
Went here for a Hinder concert, and it is my new favorite venue. Â It's relatively small, which is perfect to see your musicians (in this case rockers) up close and personal. Â The acoustics are very good, and the bar staff was prompt. Â $25 a ticket for 4 bands was more than worth the price of admission. Â Awesome show, awesome venue.
Review Source:Toad's Place is one of my all-time favorite concert venues. Â I think for CT, this place would be best compared to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA.
When I was still living in New Haven, I was down at Toad's constantly. Â The sound is awesome, the prices are standard for entry & drinks. Â I like the layout; and for 18+ shows they even separate (or they used to) the under 21's and the over 21's. Â For a college crowd (18-22) this is probably a bad thing, but as long as you don't have any under 21 year olds with you; then it doesn't really matter.
All the greats have played here. Â Go downstairs and read all the names of bands! Â I'm dying to get back here for a good show!
Sometimes, Toad's is a 1; sometimes, Toad's is a 5. I figure that balances out to about a 3. Okay, most times it's a 1, but who cares?
All roads lead to Toad's. It's inevitable. You're out with some friends on a Saturday night, you don't know where to go next, and you end up at Toad's. Or you're studying on a Wednesday night, you don't know how to do the next problem on your problem set, and you end up at Toad's. Somehow, it always happens.
It is what it is. Lots of people have great stories about Toad's. Like people urinating on the floors of bathrooms--not just peeing on the floor, but lying on the floor peeing. Or how one time my friends and I got inadvertently maced trying to get in. Fun times.
This is kind of a hard review to write. I have had a bunch of memorable experiences with friends at Toad's. But on the whole it is basically a glorified frat basement with a high ceiling. It is in the fine tradition of bad concert venues that book great acts.
I recommend that you avoid it unless a band you really truly want to hear is playing there. My two cents.
Toad's is a great concert venue and a less than great bar. Â It gets some really fantastic acts - Built to Spill and Cloud Cult came through while I was here. Â These are two of my favorite bands, and it was such a treat watching them at Toad's. Â I've seen Built to Spill a handful of times, and the concert here was the most memorable. Â I got to the front without a problem and Doug gave me a guitar pick and signed my poster. Â Compare to New York, where I had to jostle my way to find a spot with any view. Â Likewise with Cloud Cult - I have a picture with this band.
The space is split into over and under 21 sections, but from my experience, the young ones are drunker than the old. Â They're almost enough to dampen enjoyment of a really great concert. Â What really does the trick, though, is when Built to Spill is playing a sweet encore and Toad's management hurries them out to let in a slew of obnoxious trashy underaged patrons. Â I'm not kidding, almost as soon as the set ended, it turned into a house party scene from a bad coming-of-age movie.
Which brings me to the other, less appealing side of Toad's. Â While I would recommend this place as a wonderful, low-key, intimate concert venue, I would steer clear of the grimy club portion of the program. Â Though I suppose if you're a man in your mid-twenties incapable of attracting women your own age, Toad's can be your playground.
Decently good place to catch a show as I travelled here for the highly anticipated Spring Heeled Jack reunion shows.
Large venue, but interesting setup. The is a "tropical jungle" area with a bar, and two bars in the main area that is blocked off by walls where they ID check. There is an outdoor smoking section, and the bathrooms are downstairs.
Place is a bit grungy, and decorated with all the famous acts that have run through and played in the joint. Staff is a bit pushy, but is to be expected. Be prepared to be hassled by weird people at some point.
After the live music act, they also turn the place into a trendy dance club, which is I guess what a lot of venues have been doing lately. A strange mix because you could have hard rockers, metalheads or punks come out from a show and have girls barely dressed in anything walking in to dance to Top 40.
I'm also not too thrilled with their sound as for many acts they crank up the volume way too high. Even with earplugs it was difficult to bear at times. But the stage is big enough so there is lots of room for both performers and fans to groove to. Meh.
Toad's review math: 3* for solid party DJ'ing + 1* for the decent acts that come through today + 1* for the awesome acts that came through back in the day - 3* for epic griminess + 1* for epic griminess + 1* for crazy drink specials - 2* for a line longer than Marquee's in its heyday + 1* for the mix of locals and commuters + 1 karma point for you if you manage to avoid bad decisions = I can't count or remember anymore
Review Source:Toad's is a downtown New Haven cornerstone. This little concert hall offers some real big name bands/people. Toad's are legendary they've been around practically forever. It's a real decent place for a more "up close and personal" concert, seeing as the limited  building is a limited size. This translates into: buy your tickets early, and if it's a national known band playing, expect it to be very crowded.
They've got in trouble in the past for allegedly serving alcohol to minors, which has resulting in them being closed on a few occasions.
I have only been to one show at Toad's. The night before I saw the same one at Lupo's in Providence (am I a good fan or creepy stalker?). The show was 100x better. The energy the sound the crowd... everything.
There was minimal interaction with the staff on my part but what there was was great, Â polite and on top of things. The night I went was a NIGHTMARE for the security. As soon as the headliners went on the "barrier" between the over and under 21 was demolished) but they did their very best and kept it as under control as they could without ruining the show for anyone. (I was ON the barrier on the over side and saw it first hand and was not hurt).
It's a bit of a hike for me (about 2 hours) so I usually will see a show closer to Boston if I can but would not think twice about going here again.
I adore Toad's Place for the fact that it is one of the last non-commercial divey type music venues in CT. Â The sound quality varies greatly depending on where you are inside, the floor is sticky, the bathrooms filthy, but it still makes for an amazing place. Â Looking up at the walls and seeing the legends that played Toad's over the years is just astounding- talk about a place with history! Â Bob Dylan played his longest concert ever there in the 90s (over 4 hours!!!) and my dad was in the audience. Â It would get 5 stars but nowadays they only have well known acts once in a while and the rest is local (yeah!!!) or cover (boo!!!) bands. Â
On another note (and I guess for disclosure) I played a gig at Toad's last year with my band. Â They weren't the best at communicating with bands but it may have just been because we were a bit disorganized ourselves. Â The sound and lighting people work well with the performers though.
Another thing worth mentioning is that there have been many issues with underage drinking over the years and one time they got busted and had to close for an entire summer as punishment. Â So it is probably safe to say it is harder to get a drink if you are a minor. Â Every concert I go to people smoke in the crowd that is crushed up against the stage railing. Â It isn't allowed but it doesn't really seem to be enforced.
So in all a really great place to see a show.
Travelled down from Boston to see a show at Toad's, and had a good time. Â While waiting for the club to open, some sketchy dude tried to sell me mushrooms. Â That was weird.
When the doors opened, I showed them my ticket confirmation, since my tickets were being held at will-call. Â I wasn't on the list. Â There seemed to be like five different will-call lists, and yet I wasn't on any of them. Â What's up with that?? Â Luckily the dude let us in, since we had the confirmation that clearly showed we bought tickets. Â But that could have been a very big problem. Â
When I got into the show, I was surprised by the division between the under- and over-21 crowds. Â It made it seem like two shows were going on, since we were separated by barricades. Â I've been to hundreds of shows in my life, yet none of them has ever been set up that way. Â Until Toad's, that is. Â Sound was mediocre, floor was especially sticky. Â But the place is small enough that it creates a nice and intimate show.
This little dive bar brought me a well-balanced undergrad experience. I commanded excellent negotiation skills with bouncers (despite minor status), extraordinary composure when approached by the many unattractive locals, and shaping my superb IB quant skills through rapid dissections of lengthy bar tabs (despite incoherent status). Although I ruined some of my favorite heels while maneuvering the sticky dance floor, I have to thank Toad's for all of the above reasons. Unfortunately, I have never attended a concert at this venue, but the layout makes for an excellent night of dancing mixed with casual conversation near the booths.
Review Source:One time I went here and a claimed he suck in via hiding in the 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' pinball machine. Sorry I felt like sharing.
Certainly a good place to see a concert, though it's always questionable how good hip-hop shows are live. For instance the opening act (for either Del of Ghostface, can't recall) tried to get his flow on, only for a guy in the crowd to steal his mic and smack him in the face with it. Yeah, it happened.
The best thing about Toad's is if you ever get bored by the concert or whatever's going on, just look up at all the classics who've played the venue featuring the likes of Huey Lewis & the News, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc.its nearly endless. Anyone who is anyone has played Toads.
One word of warning, don't sign up for their email list unless you want to know that Darrick and the Funbags or the NERDs or Big Shot -- A Billy Joel Tribute -- are playing...like every other weekend.
Definitely a place to check out in regards to music.. big enough to get the crowds jumpin, and  small enough to make it memorable.  Saturday night college night is a completely different story.  I have only once attended Toads sober, and it is not the type of place you want to attend if  alcohol is not an option.  Everyone who enters seems to be at the point of black-out status and there is a constant view of awkward hook-ups and inappropriate fondling.  You are ensured to leave a whole lot dirtier and drunker than you ever intended, no fail.
Review Source:I have always had some seriously mixed feelings about Toad's. It's not the kind of place that you go to hang out or to meet people. It's not the kind of place where you can ever really predict the crowd. It's a music venue that has a really yucky dance party on Saturday nights. Yucky? How can a dance party be yucky? Well the fact that there's really no place to dance is one way to start it off. And there's no place to avoid being dripped on or to have a decent plan of escape. The bars are difficult to get to and the layout is pretty blah. It's fine when there's a concert but the concerts haven't really been fabulous lately. Although I will say that when KRS1 showed up, I had a blast. Meh, it's all so hit-or-miss that I would never depend on making a night out of going to Toad's. Whenever my friends say something about Toad's we always know we'll be elsewhere by the end of the night.
Review Source:Toad's is actually a pretty cool venue. I like the layout, and I've always had a good time here, because there's an intimate vibe. My only real complaint is that they don't have enough really good shows. They go through some serious dry spells where their biggest shows are crap like Darik and the Funbags.
But, I have seen Fiery Furnaces, Yo la Tengo, Built to Spill, Wolf Parade, Reverend Horton Heat, and some other really good shows here. It's pretty much all just a matter of timing.
When it comes down to it, they should be able to get some better shows, because now that the Coliseum is gone, this is the biggest concert venue in New Haven. C'mon, Toad's! Let's get with the freaking program...
Like a lot of people in this area "Toads place " memories( Good & Bad) are an important part of my life. No stadium concert can come close to Toads on one of their magic nights.I have not been there since the last time I saw "Social Distortion"( in fact topping that night might be impossible) . They don't get the good bands anymore thanks to the Casinos. mostly tribute bands nowadays. hopefully there will be some action  this summer. Every time I hear a rumor of its demise I get a sick feeling in my stomach and all I can hear is that "Kinks " song "Come Dancing"'in my head. I hope It never happens ,I hope my daughter goes there someday and dances with her sweetheart and remembers it forever.
Review Source:It's a historically dive-y, grungy and acceptable place to be if you're musically inclined or don't mind drinks like a "red death" served in plastic tumblers. Many a great band have played here, but dear lord, I think I even saw a Doors and Alice in Chains cover band here when i was  18. Yes, you heard me right.
It's in need of an upgrade and still has the potential to be a great place to go, but choose your nights wisely.
It IS in the heart of Yale, so be prepared to battle drunken wits with either underage geniuses or roadies from '68 who reek of Steve Miller and can't wait to keep rockin' YOU, baby.
When I was underage I could never get over the 'net' that they put up to separate us from the bar.  When I became 21 I didn't really care about the net until they once made more room for the under 21 crowd.  yep, the one's drinking water and soda, not paying for $4 beers.  Can't argue with this place's  history and booking prowess, it's just not a great place.  Could do with some modernization, and maybe fixing up the bathrooms.
Review Source:Toad's Place is basically part of Yale, so if you go, make sure to bring your Yalie repellant spray. It's really just a plain old dirty bar (condoms on the floor), with a crowded standing area near the stage, but it has one key difference: The Net. The net drops down next to the stage and separates the drinking crowd from the non-drinking crowd. I saw TMBG perform here twice, and John Flansburgh loved to remark, "This song goes out to the 21 and overs, trapped behind the net!" I was never old enough to be behind the net, so I never had to worry about it. Overall, it's a decent place to see a show. Good enough space for a long conga line. It used to get pretty smoky in there, but that's probably changed since the new laws.
Review Source:
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