Calendar

Jan
13
Sat
Arc Iris
Jan 13 @ 7:30 pm
Arc Iris

Released on Bella Union in Europe and ANTI Records in the US, Arc Iris drew admiration for its innovative style and distinctive sound.

“It’s hypnotic,” said the Boston Globe.

The New York Times wrote of “songs that seesawed between the elfin delicacy of Joanna Newsom and some brassy raucousness.”

The Guardian talked of “a shape-shifting treat” while new music site The Line of Best Fit proclaimed, “Arc Iris is traditional music thrillingly positioned at the nexus of the old and new.”

Stan Martin Band
Jan 13 @ 10:00 pm

Stan Martin is a keeper of the traditional country music flame. He’s a Don Rich/Danny Gatton-schooled Telecaster-loving guitar picker, a virtuoso who is not a showoff. And he’s a skilled writer and musician who is unabashedly, unapologetically country. Martin’s original songs have a moving, sometimes comic, honesty. He retains a romantic toughness, as with some of Waylon Jennings early 1970s tunes written before the outlaw stance became a circus act.” Rick Allen Vintage Guitar

 

Jan
14
Sun
Sunday Spins
Jan 14 @ 3:00 pm

“Vinyl record sales are at a 28 year high” – Fortune April 2016  – See/Hear for yourself at Sunday Spins – every Sunday – bring your records and take turns sharing your faves!

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Lisa Bastoni
Jan 14 @ 9:00 pm
Lisa Bastoni

Lisa Bastoni is a Boston-based singer-songwriter.

Her album The Wishing Hour will be released in October 2016.  You can pre-order it HERE.

Jan
15
Mon
David Johnston
Jan 15 @ 7:30 pm

Peter Wolf (formerly of the J Geils Band), whose brilliant Midnight Souvenirs—released in 2010—included  David Johnston’s “I Don’t Wanna Know.” This song went on to become the second single from that album, and was performed on the David Letterman Show in June of 2010.

The White Owls
Jan 15 @ 9:00 pm

Just look at the band; Dennis Brennan on harmonica, guitar and vocals. Tim Gearan on guitar and vocals. Steve Sadler on lap steel.  Jim Haggerty on bass and Andy Plaisted on drums.

Check out a clip from one of their shows HERE  – After making it thru Monday, YOU deserve a night out!

Image result for white owls at toad

Jan
16
Tue
The Franc Graham Band
Jan 16 @ 7:30 pm

The Boston Globe on The Franc Graham Band:

“Immensely Underrated… cool and commanding… an unusually rich blend of singer-songwriter rock…”

The Blue Ribbons
Jan 16 @ 10:00 pm
Fan Faves!  The Blue Ribbons list some of their interests:
making good music for good people, and trying to occasionally scare each other.

“Ray Charles and Tom Waits on a pirate ship with Sun Ra and Captain Beefheart,” they combine “upbeat disillusionment and celebratory fatalism with musicianship” – Charan Devereux;Boston Globe.

 

Jan
17
Wed
Fandango
Jan 17 @ 7:00 pm

Fred Griffeth fronts Fandango  – Their celebrated selection of Americana music draws a loyal band of pious sisters and reform school brothers! – Truth . . .

Danielle Miraglia & The Glory Junkies
Jan 17 @ 10:00 pm

Danielle Miraglia is a dynamic and captivating musician; her rich soulful voice and blues guitar mastery resonate in a performance both rare and unforgettable.”
– Paul Patchel, State Street Blues Festival, Media, PA

Her project, Danielle M & The Glory Junkies features the classic rock and blues vibe of The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin delivered through original tunes both lyrical and danceable.

Image result for danielle miraglia and the glory junkies

Jan
18
Thu
Telescope
Jan 18 @ 7:30 pm
Telescope

Telescope is one of Andrew Stern‘s projects –  He came up with the name because the band is designed around the Telecaster guitar.

When the question is posed to guitarists, “If you could have just one guitar, what would it be?”, polls show that an overwhelming number of guitarists reply, “a Telecaster”. I rank as one who would answer exactly the same. The telecaster is a versatile tool which can cover a lot of ground, but more importantly, it changes the way I approach and play the instrument. Inspired by my own teles and by some telecaster playing guitar heroes of mine, I’ve designed a band around the guitar itself, appropriately titled “Telescope”. A mix of originals and covers, it’s a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll and more than a little bit undefined.

Oh – and besides, Andrew . . . the other names should also “sound” familiar:

Andrew Stern: guitar
James Rohr: keys
Greg Loughman: bass
Mike Connors: drums

 

Baker Thomas Band
Jan 18 @ 10:00 pm

“You guys put on a hell of a show, a lot of fun!” – Steve Morse, long time Boston Globe music critic and freelance writier on the Baker Thomas Band . . .

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Jan
19
Fri
Los Goutos
Jan 19 @ 10:00 pm

LOS GOUTOS

“A veritable Grand Ole Opry with a modern sense of humor….”   (Music Connection Magazine)

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Featuring:

Bruce Bartone
(acoustic and electric guitars; bass guitar, keyboards; backing vocals);

Mike Eigen
(lead and backing vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar, clarinet, ukulele, songwriting);

Shamus Feeney
(bass guitar, acoustic, electric, and resophonic guitars; percussion; lead and backing vocals);

Chris Gleason
(lead and backing vocals, mandolin, tenor banjo, acoustic guitar, percussion, songwriting);

Paul Stewart
(lead and backing vocals, accordion, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, harmonica, songwriting)

…and whenever possible:

Jakub Trasak
(fiddle)

 

Jan
20
Sat
Arc Iris
Jan 20 @ 7:30 pm
Arc Iris

Lead singer and lyricist Jocie Adams, Tenorio-Miller, and drummer Ray Belli form the core of Arc Iris, all virtuosic musicians in their own right. Adams spent eight years as a key member of indie darlings The Low Anthem, effortlessly zipping from hammer dulcimer to clarinet to bass to vocals, sometimes barely pausing to take a breath. Her 2011 solo debut, Bed of Notions, sparked a musical beginning that became Arc Iris. Joining Adams on Bed of Notions was cellist Robin Ryczek, a conservatory-trained musician who toured with Jethro Tull and founded a rock school in Afghanistan.

Chris Hersch & The Moonraiders
Jan 20 @ 10:00 pm
Chris Hersch & The Moonraiders

The MoonRaiders are a Western Swing band that combine elements of Jazz, Rock n’ Roll, Country, and Truck Driving music.
Award winning guitarist Chris Hersch (formerly of Girls Guns & Glory) leads this quartet of accomplished musicians, improvising and singing their way through an eclectic set that will please both the dancer and music aficionado.
Drawing on a unique repertoire often overlooked in the American Songbook, The MoonRaiders pivot between Bob Wills, Chuck Berry, Dave Dudley, Commander Cody, and original music, all in one show.
This band’s style is Honky Tonk Trucker Jazz and Rock n’ Roll!!!!

Jan
21
Sun
Sunday Spins
Jan 21 @ 3:00 pm

“Vinyl record sales are at a 28 year high” – Fortune April 2016  – See/Hear for yourself at Sunday Spins – every Sunday – bring your records and take turns sharing your faves!

Image result for sunday spins toad

Frank Drake & Friends
Jan 21 @ 9:00 pm

Frank Drake is one of the most unique musicians around.  He is refreshingly free of conventions and covers a wide spectrum of folk-pop-and-more styles . . . ” Steve Morse – Boston Globe

Jan
22
Mon
David Johnston
Jan 22 @ 7:30 pm

David Johnston  – if you don’t know him, you have to stop by TOAD for Blue Monday – take a listen HERE where David talks about his influences and plays a bit of music –

Image result for david johnston music

The White Owls
Jan 22 @ 9:00 pm

Just look at the band; Dennis Brennan on harmonica, guitar and vocals. Tim Gearan on guitar and vocals. Steve Sadler on lap steel.  Jim Haggerty on bass and Andy Plaisted on drums.

Check out a clip from one of their shows HERE  – After making it thru Monday, YOU deserve a night out!

Image result for white owls at toad

Jan
23
Tue
Bees Deluxe
Jan 23 @ 7:30 pm

Bees Deluxe is a full-tilt, acid blues/funk/rock collective comprised of Boston-based musicians.

Their unique repertoire includes originals and re-interpreted 60s, 70s, and 80s covers from Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Charles Mingus, B.B. King, Kenny Burrell, Freddie King, Herbie Hancock, Albert King, Etta James, Muddy Waters, The Meters, Little Feat, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan, Curtis Mayfield, The Butterfield Blues Band, Derek Trucks, Donny Hathaway, Amy Winehouse, Steely Dan, Etta James, ZZ Top, Robben Ford, Bonnie Raitt, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, SoulLive, Derek and the Dominoes, Robert Cray, Edgar Winter, among many others. Taking the road less traveled, they discover and share off-the-beaten songs and instrumentals and fuse them into their own original works. They dare to be risk-takers on stage, digging deep into the vaults of blues/jazz antiquity. The result is an effortless take-no-prisoners-approach that wittingly captures the audience’s hearts.

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Mike Hastings Band
Jan 23 @ 10:00 pm
Mike Hastings Band

“When Mike Hastings isn’t playing at local venues such as Toad, he can often be found busking around Davis and Harvard Square. Next time you’re out, keep an ear out for the sound of guitar and a tambourine, and if you see Mike, stop and listen for a while. You just might leave a little warmer.” – Sound of Boston

Give a listen HERE

 

Jan
24
Wed
Fandango
Jan 24 @ 7:00 pm

“I still believe the lessons I learned when I was raised in a Roman Catholic household. Like, it’s harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” – Michael Moore –

Celebrate Hump Day with Fandango

 

Clippertones
Jan 24 @ 10:00 pm
Clippertones

Clippertones bring their original swamp rock with folk, rock, blues &  bluegrass influences (just to name a few!) into Toad tonight.  So all gather ’round from the cold outside and listen to Peter Rowley and the boys when they seek to capture the dreams and feelings of the heart as they crash into the cold reality of the life’s chaotic obstacles. It’s epic man vs. the sea, right in your favorite neighborhood bar!

Jan
25
Thu
Melvern Taylor & His Fabulous Meltones
Jan 25 @ 7:30 pm
The Band Members: Melvern Taylor- Ukulele
And the Fabulous Meltones: Matt Murphy -Upright BAss Dave Livingston – Slide Guitar Sir Bob Nash – Drums
Genre: Post-Modern Parlor Music  – give it a listen HERE
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Baker Thomas Band
Jan 25 @ 10:00 pm

ET – phone home –   yeah, yeah –

but only after the Baker Thomas Band show . . .  they’re out of this world. . .“A whole bunch of musicians and a whole bunch of instruments, come together to deliver an electrifying show which promises a whole bunch of fun” -Tracey Delfino, Trespass Music

 

Image result for baker thomas band

Jan
26
Fri
Big Ben Hillman – The Professor of Funk
Jan 26 @ 10:00 pm

Over the course of his career, Big Ben Hillman has shared the stage with a host of diverse and well known musicians including hip hop stars Method Man and Ghostface Killa from the Wu Tang Clan, De La Soul, Biz Markie, Digable Planets and Mix Master Mike of The Beasty Boys. He has also been seen performing with rock legends Les Claypool and Jimmy Buffet.

Big Ben Hillman is quite the smooth retro funkster…. The production is excellent on all levels, keeping the listener in a comfortable, easy-flowing harmonic place. Ben never falters – his compositions and production show signs of a master at work enjoying his craft. I’m just going to think of Big Ben Hillman as the new Barry White on the opposite end of the vocal spectrum. – T Max, The Noise

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Jan
27
Sat
Red Tail Hawk
Jan 27 @ 10:00 pm

Red Tail Hawk has opened for National acts such as G-Love, The Brew and Chris Duarte, to name a few. They’ve played major music festival in the region and sold-out shows at The Stone Church in Newmarket, NH and The Press Room in Portsmouth, NH.

Red Tail Hawk

Jan
28
Sun
Sunday Spins
Jan 28 @ 3:00 pm
Sunday Spins

Bring your vinyls as we get to take turns playing our faves…

LEARN MORE

Ship of the Sun (music of the Grateful Dead)
Jan 28 @ 8:00 pm
Ship of the Sun (music of the Grateful Dead)

Ship of the Sun celebrates the music of the Grateful Dead with a fun, free-wheeling, danceable show that pays tribute to the sounds of rock & roll’s most unique band.

Ship of the Sun came together in 2015 around each member’s love of the songs, spirit, and improvisation adventurousness of the Dead.

 

 

Jan
29
Mon
David Johnston
Jan 29 @ 7:30 pm

David Johnston  – if you don’t know him, you have to stop by TOAD for Blue Monday – take a listen HERE where David talks about his influences and plays a bit of music –

Image result for david johnston music

The White Owls
Jan 29 @ 9:00 pm

Just look at the band; Dennis Brennan on harmonica, guitar and vocals. Tim Gearan on guitar and vocals. Steve Sadler on lap steel.  Jim Haggerty on bass and Andy Plaisted on drums.

Check out a clip from one of their shows HERE  – After making it thru Monday, YOU deserve a night out!

Image result for white owls at toad

Jan
30
Tue
Liz Morrison
Jan 30 @ 7:30 pm
Liz Morrison

take a listen HERE   – Liz Morrison always brings some of the community’s best musicians to accompany her – can’t wait to see who’s up on that little stage this night . . .

The Blue Ribbons
Jan 30 @ 10:00 pm

The Blue Ribbons was formed by singer/songwriter/keyboardist James Rohr.

They have been building a base of devoted fans with their original and soulful music.

Described as
“Ray Charles and Tom Waits on a pirate ship with Sun Ra and Captain Beefheart,” they combine “upbeat disillusionment and celebratory fatalism with musicianship” – Charan Devereux; Boston Globe.

Image result for the blue ribbons music

Jan
31
Wed
Fandango
Jan 31 @ 7:00 pm

FANDANGO is as much a spiritual renewal as it is a reinterpretation of some of the best soul, blues, gospel, and Americana music ever written. With a loyal flock of followers (the flock that rock) to their weekly Wednesday night residency at TOAD in Cambridge, FANDANGO fuels frontman Fred Griffeth to lead this congregation into soul and R&B righteousness! For he is like a refiner of fire and he shall purify!

“Ask not for whom the Fandan goes. It goes for thee. On Wednesday donchaknow.” –

AS SEEN AT TOAD...