Calendar

Dec
15
Sat
Comanchero
Dec 15 @ 10:00 pm
Comanchero

Comanchero’s country-funk thunder melds a rambling jam sensibility with genuine boot-stomping twang. Shades of Widespread Panic, CAKE, and Wilco in these feverish Cactus Rock rhythms.” – Relix Magazine

Dec
16
Sun
Sunday Spins
Dec 16 @ 3:00 pm

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

sorta like open mic – sign up to play two songs from your vinyl – we set up a turn table center stage – . . . – once you play your songs you can sign up again –

bring new – old – anything!

 

Image result for sunday spins toad

Dietrich Strause w/ Zachariah Hickman, Lyle Brewer & Billy Beard
Dec 16 @ 9:00 pm
Dietrich Strause w/ Zachariah Hickman, Lyle Brewer & Billy Beard

Dietrich Strause’s songs are a mix of timeless melody, literate lyricism, and a “virtuosic command of imagery.” (The Artery, WBUR) Strause released his new album How Cruel That Hunger Binds on August 26th, produced by Zachariah Hickman (Ray LaMontage, Josh Ritter), the next benchmark in his steady evolution as one of the most eclectic writers and performers coming out of New England.  His newest collection of songs is found somewhere in the shadows of the likes of Randy Newman, Nick Lowe, and Paul Simon.

Dec
17
Mon
David Johnston
Dec 17 @ 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
Dec 17 @ 9:30 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

Dec
18
Tue
TuttaCrumbs
Dec 18 @ 7:30 pm
TuttaCrumbs

TuttaCrumbs is a hip hop rhythm rock blue wop group.

 

give a listen HERE – and then at TOAD on 12/18!

The Blue Ribbons
Dec 18 @ 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

Dec
19
Wed
Fandango
Dec 19 @ 7:30 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

 

Old Fox
Dec 19 @ 10:00 pm
Old Fox

Old Fox is

Alex – Guitar/Vocals
Ralph – Trumpet/Vocals/Guitar
Connor – Guitar/Vocals
Jon – Keys/Vocals
Kevin – Bass
Max – Drums

O.F. draws from influences, Frightened Rabbit, Hozier, and Bon Iver to create a rhythmically exciting, melodic, and lyric driven experience for listeners. In March 2018, Alex and Ralph decided to build the band and music around the phrase, “Honest words for honest people.” The focus is simple, vulnerable, and tangible to anyone who has the time to listen.

Dec
20
Thu
Telescope
Dec 20 @ 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
Dec 20 @ 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

Dec
21
Fri
Organ in Orbit
Dec 21 @ 10:00 pm
Organ in Orbit

. . . tonight TOAD welcomes  Organ in Orbit

Organ In Orbit is a jazz/funk organ trio from Boston, formed originally as a side-project of the Freelance Bishops leader/keyboardist, Jeremy Parker, back in 2004. Jeremy had a dream and a newly customized Hammond A-100, with a high-power Leslie cabinet and subwoofer he designed and built himself. With a smart selection of covers by artists ranging from the Meters to John Scofield,and styles ranging from shuffles to boogaloos to modern funk, the roots of the trio’s musical influence were growing wide and deep. And it certainly didn’t hurt to have a similarly deep bench of musical talent to contribute to this vision. On guitar, local luminaries like Justin Piper, Mike Mele, and Bruce Bartlett would be on call. And on drums, you’d likely see Benny Benson, Pete Maclean, or Steve Langone. After many years of regular gigs at their favorite local venues, the trio has developed a unique chemistry and dynamic musical interaction that truly engages the audience. Fast forward to 2017, and the band lineup has solidified and is working on brand-new original material composed by Jeremy, with a new album release eminent. Things are about to get interesting…

Come hear for yourself why this jazz-funk organ quartet from Boston is Out of THIS World!

 

Dec
22
Sat
Leland Sundries (DUO) and Pete Mancini
Dec 22 @ 7:30 pm
Leland Sundries (DUO) and Pete Mancini

Leland Sundries, a band from New York led by Nick Loss-Eaton, is dedicated to storytelling in a way that recalls Woody Guthrie and his Folkways brethren.
[Their] scrappy Americana will get you longing for
empty two-lane highways and kudzu-encased back porches.”
~ The New York Times

Diversion Records Recording Artist Pete Mancini got his start as the frontman and primary songwriter of Butchers Blind, a critically acclaimed rock band from NYC. His debut solo album Foothill Freeway explored the Americana influences that were a hallmark of his work with his former band.

Over the years, Mancini has opened for acts such as Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Pure Prairie League, Robbie Fulks, James Maddock, Marah, Steve Forbert, Larry Campbell & Theresa Williams, Kevin Gordon, and Iain Matthews.

Gentle Temper
Dec 22 @ 10:00 pm
Gentle Temper

Gentle Temper is Ryan Meier and Marion Earley, an ocean-folk duo with a blues tide from the bayous of Boston, MA. Marion and Ryan met while attending college in Boston and began writing and playing together in their final year. Their live sound builds on a sturdy foundation of lyrical storytelling & animated harmonies.

“Wistful, harmony-drenched balladeers of the modern condition, these folks may become your new local favorites.” – Aeronaut Allston

Dec
23
Sun
Sunday Spins
Dec 23 @ 3:00 pm
Sunday Spins

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

sorta like open mic – sign up to play two songs from your vinyl – we set up a turn table center stage – . . . – once you play your songs you can sign up again –

bring new – old – anything!

 

Sonya Rae Taylor
Dec 23 @ 9:00 pm
Sonya Rae Taylor

 

Boston native, Sonya Rae is a rising star with a blend of gifts rarely found on the blues-rock and soul scene today.  Her dazzling musical ability is immediately evident through her soaring vocals, scorching guitar work and savvy song-craft.  She has been likened to a “fiery female combination of Warren Haynes, Bonnie Raitt and Amy Winehouse” 

Dec
24
Mon
pub opening at 4pm-not sure closing time (no live music) – stop by for some last minute holiday shopping!
Dec 24 @ 4:00 pm
Dec
25
Tue
closed tonight
Dec 25 @ 5:00 pm
Dec
26
Wed
Fandango
Dec 26 @ 7:30 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.” –

Pat Stone
Dec 26 @ 10:00 pm
Pat Stone

more info soon

Dec
27
Thu
Melvern Taylor & His Fabulous Meltones
Dec 27 @ 7:30 pm
Melvern Taylor & His Fabulous Meltones

“happy songs for miserable people” – Melvern

check out a fan fave “Sleepy Eyes” – recorded right here at TOAD

Press:

“Your music makes me want to pee. In a good way….”

Melvern Taylor is the Sam Shepard of the Ukulele!

Your music isn’t bad….i’m more into rap and hip hop.
Baker Thomas Band
Dec 27 @ 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 . . .

Image result for baker thomas band

Dec
28
Fri
Imam Hamdani
Dec 28 @ 10:00 pm
Imam Hamdani

TOAD is thrilled to welcome Imam Hamdani for the first time. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan. Imam began playing the guitar at the age of 12 and since then has devoted countless hours to mastering the instrument. In 2012 he was featured on a national television music program, drawing attention and acclaim from industry professionals and audiences alike, which led to his first tour the same year.

‘The guitar work is terrific; understated but thick with feeling. Hamdani’s guitar takes centre spotlight at exactly the right times, always elevating the track, never calling unnecessary attention to itself”- Mosiki

Dec
29
Sat
Laurence Scudder & Ryan Fitzsimmons
Dec 29 @ 7:30 pm
Laurence Scudder & Ryan Fitzsimmons

Laurence Scudder picked the viola after a school assembly when he was in the fourth grade. He’s been in love ever since (and so have the people who’ve heard him play here at TOAD (or anywhere).

Currently, he plays with local acts Spotted Tiger, Brothers McCann, Danielle Miraglia & The Glory Junkies, Thank God For Science, The Blue Ribbons and more. You can find him most nights gigging around Boston.

********************************************************

“Mr. (Ryan) Fitzsimmons is a brutal force of nature on acoustic guitar. Often breaking multiple strings during a performance, he plays with a fire and fierceness that cannot be tamed, or faked for that matter. His songs are as authentic and emotion driven as they come, ranging from beautiful and moving ballads, to raucous and rambling dirt stompers, there is no doubt that Ryan is as enticing a musician as they come.”

Stan Martin Band
Dec 29 @ 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

 

Dec
30
Sun
Sunday Spins
Dec 30 @ 3:00 pm
Sunday Spins

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

sorta like open mic – sign up to play two songs from your vinyl – we set up a turn table center stage – . . . – once you play your songs you can sign up again –

bring new – old – anything!

 

Ship of the Sun (music of the Grateful Dead)
Dec 30 @ 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.

 

 

Dec
31
Mon
New Year’s Eve with Magen Tracy & The Missed Connections w/ Special Guest: Danielle Miraglia
Dec 31 @ 10:00 pm
New Year's Eve with Magen Tracy & The Missed Connections w/ Special Guest:  Danielle Miraglia

TOAD is excited to welcome back Magen Tracy

What a special night we have put together for New Year’s Eve!

Come join the fun as the fantastic Magen Tracy and her band roll through their own “Decades Party”, featuring covers from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, along with some of the band’s terrific originals.  Expect soulful vocals, poignant songwriting, and piano-driven pop-rock with a dash of sleazy swagger and alt-country twang.

“A singer-songwriter with pinup swagger.”

“It’s like if Tori Amos and Lucinda Williams made out.”

***********************************************************

Tonight, the ever popular Danielle Miraglia joins in for what promises to be an incredible night of music and our idea of the perfect way to ring in the new year!

Jan
1
Tue
Chris McDermott’s Rhythm to the Brain Sessions
Jan 1 @ 10:00 pm
Chris McDermott's Rhythm to the Brain Sessions

 

Chris McDermott is a very busy musician playing all over America,  Europe, and the Caribbean for over 25 years.  Posessing a truly unique rhythmic style he draws from what seems to be every available musical color in the palette. He is also one of the bravest and most energetic musicians you will ever experience live.
Playing solo or surrounding himself with some of the best international musicians in the world, Chris lives for that real “in the moment” exchange with his audience, his players and the vibrations created by all involved.

 

Marc Wolfson Pinansky & The Bored of Health
Jan 1 @ 10:00 pm

Country Folk for city folk. Born and raised outside of Boston, MA. Professional Amateur Musician, Multi-instrumentalist, Songwriter. Lover of cats. Grammatical bandit. I get more done in a bathrobe than most do in a suit.

yeah . . . Marc Pinansky had us at cats, too . . .

Marc Pinansky image

give a listen HERE

Jan
2
Wed
Fandango
Jan 2 @ 7:30 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.” –

My Mother’s Moustache
Jan 2 @ 10:00 pm
My Mother's Moustache

Based in Boston MA, My Mother’s Moustache is a force to be reckoned with. With a mix of styles that include Rock, Motown, Funk, Blues, and World Music, the band brings forth an old school sound with a modern twist.

Jan
3
Thu
Todd Thibaud (solo)
Jan 3 @ 7:30 pm
Todd Thibaud (solo)

Todd Thibaud is a Vermont born, Boston based Singer-Songwriter who’s songs are a slice of what life is really like…the pains and pleasures, love lost and life reborn. Using songwriters like Elvis Costello, Neil Finn, Johnny Cash and John Hiatt for inspiration, Thibaud has built a sound that is entirely his own. His music is meshed with elements of Americana, Folk, Country and Roots Pop Rock, making it seem at once familiar and new.

Baker Thomas Band
Jan 3 @ 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

AS SEEN AT TOAD...