Toadies “Rubberneck” 1994. Interscope Records. On CD because that’s the only format it was available on back then. We saw Toadies play Rubberneck, their debut LP, in its entirety this past Saturday night at the Rave in Milwaukee. Opening for them was Nashville Pussy (who we’ve seen play a lot in the past) and Reverend Horton Heat (same). We last saw Toadies play on July 16th, 1996 – also at the Rave but in the upstairs Eagles Ballroom – with the Rev and Butthole Surfers. I almost fell over when I saw how long ago that was because I remember the show vividly: it was hotter than hell and one of the loudest shows I’ve ever attended; we had to leave during the Buttholes because we couldn’t take it anymore. Anyway, this past weekend’s performance was amazing.

I had to dodge and weave the very young, very drunk girl who was next to me at the security railing (her head gets in the way a few times in the videos linked below and my dodging her made my phone shaky), but other than that it was a great night. Rubberneck was one of my most listened to albums in the mid-90’s and I still love it in its entirety. “Backslider” is brutal, as is “Quitter” and “I Come From the Water.” “Tyler” is a perfect example of a 90’s grunge ballad: head-banging, anthemic and seriously creepy. But for me the highlights of the record — and their show — are the epic tracks “Possum Kingdom” (#4 on the US Alternative chart) and the album closer “I Burn.” At the Rave show, the drummers from Nashville Pussy and the Rev’s band joined the Toadies on stage, plus another young drummer (who I think is from Milwaukee as he was doing some stage running and I swear I’ve seen him doing stage work at other recent concerts at other venues). Definitely the highlight of the night.