Episode 9 — March 16, 2022
Vaden Todd Lewis of The Toadies
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Vaden Todd Lewis of The Toadies
Rob Janicke and I were talking with writer Eric Beener the other day (next weeks episode) and we spoke about enablers. Not the kind who turn you on to drugs, the ones who turn you on to music. For many hardcore music fans, there is that someone — could’ve been a brother/sister, a cousin, a record store person, a parent… well, you get the idea — it could be anyone.
For me it was my cousins, and then from there I created my own wormhole of musical exploration and addiction.
For two weeks in a row now, Rob has served as my enabler. Even though I was, and remain, a solid Blind Melon fan and a devout Pearl Jam fan, I had no fucking idea who Unified Theory was (Chris Shinn was on episode 8).
Similarly, I had never heard the Toadies — I knew the name. To be fair, I had no recollection of hearing them, although I am pretty sure I did. I was just had my own little musical fiefdom and unless I discovered it — it didn’t exist.
What can I say, I was a kinda closed minded music elitist asshole when I was younger.
But luckily, I grew out of that and I met Rob — my newly designated dealer. You see Rob gave me a speedball of Unified Theory and the Toadies — I was hooked.
Now, I’m a fuckin’ junky — thanks Rob!
It’s strange to think about the bands you liked as a young adult, like Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Unified Theory, or the Toadies as being enablers for a whole new generation.
But, turns out, that’s where we’re at.
It also turns out that it’s a good thing.
Rob and I sat down to chat with Vaden Todd Lewis and after a bit of a technical hiccup we got underway.
Lewis shared with us how the band came together, his time as a record store manager, touring, love of horror and his macabre sense of humor. We talked about Edgar Allen Poe, cassingles, Interscope Records, and we managed to squeeze in some time to talk about their long delayed second album Hell Above/Stars Below and some history behind Rubberneck.
After the well-deserved multi-platinum status of 1994’s Rubberneck, Lewis and the band turned in their second album, then titled Feeler. The album was rejected by Interscope. And thus began a long battle with the label which included a hiatus from the industry.
Even though the album had been completed in 2000, Hell Above/Stars Below was finally unleashed on March 20, 2001.
Although Interscope Records released the album, they aggressively did nothing to promote it. After a seven-year hiatus, it makes it hard to find success without some muscle behind you, and Jimmy Iovine and company did not flex theirs for the Toadies.
Vaden gave us a taste of why and it’s for the petty reasons you might think.
He also dropped a few bombshells along the way for you Toadie fans out there — no spoilers here.