Having the opportunity to go see 2 bands from the 1990’s that I enjoy and a highly recommended local band was not a hard decision. On September 10th The Toadies, Local H and Mad Anthony rocked Bogart’s.
Mad Anthony took the stage first. A three piece band from right here in Cincinnati. Having never actually heard their music before I was excited to have the opportunity. After about 3 songs I realized why they were added to this show. They have that 90’s rock sound to them that the fans of the other two bands playing this show will like. There songs were hard and loud and the crowd was into it right from the beginning. After a few songs they took no time introducing the next band Local H. Explaining to the crowd this party was just getting started!
Local H came onstage and the crowd screamed. At this point I was unsure who more people were there to see them or The Toadies. Local H is made up of 2 people, lead guitarist and singer Scott Lucas and drummer Ryan Harding. The last time I seen Local H play was September 30, 1997 in Virginia and I remember that show very well. They immediately got to it and started. Song after song was loud and aggressive and it really took me back. After a few songs I got angry that I haven’t stayed up on their music and vowed to revisit this great Chicago 2 piece! Every song they played was rocking and half the crowd was singing along with every word. When they got to “High Fiving MF’er” the place was singing along in cadence. I remember Scott had a part of this song where he was in front of that amp playing off the feedback and I was loving it. One thing I remember thinking to myself is “it’s been too long since I’ve seen a guitar player thrusting his guitar into the amp for feedback!” I remember thinking to myself before the show that the last time I seen these guys Joe Daniels was the drummer and that dude was a savage on drums! Ryan did not disappoint and the songs sounded amazing and Scott made a good choice in adding him to the band in my opinion. The Local H sound is distinctive as the band only has drums and a guitar. The guitar has an extra base pick up on it to give them the gritty sounds missing from not having a dedicated bassist. After about a dozen songs the ended their set and the lights brightened. What a great set!
Last but certainly not least The Toadies take to the stage the place goes crazy. Having never been to one of their shows before I was excited to see how they were live. I remember buying their album Rubberneck back in 1994 and loving it then. The radio that year drowned the airwaves with their breakout hit “Possum Kingdom” and even people not from this era will know that song by the signature guitar riff. The Toadies are currently made up of Vaden Todd Lewis on guitar and lead vocals, Mark Reznicek on drums, Clark Vogeler on lead guitar and Doni Blair on bass. This band has been around for a long time and the tightness of their sound was apparent immediately. The played a mix from a few of their different albums and never let up. The Toadies really encompass the 90’s rock sound in my opinion and I’m glad people are still out there to appreciate it.
