Toadies still deliver signature sound after 14 years

I've missed seeing the Toadies live four times in six years, and three times this summer alone.

I missed the show at CPR Fest in Biloxi, Miss., at Lollapalooza in August, and at the Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 27. When I heard they were playing at the Metro on Oct. 19, I was determined to not miss them again and made a beeline down Clark St. to the box office to get my tickets. Six years was worth the wait.

After a few songs into their set, Toadies lead singer and guitarist Todd Lewis promised they would play one of their most iconic songs.

“Don’t worry guys; we always play ‘Tyler,’” he said.

The Toadies made their second appearance in Chicago this year at the Metro on Oct. 19 since they opened their 2008 tour at Lollapalooza. The Texas alt-rockers delivered songs with an easy cohesion of their first two records and material from their new album, “No Deliverance.”

There’s hardly a difference between the album released in August and their first record released more than 14 years ago, and the band’s definitive aggressive sound and Lewis’ distinctive voice are even more present in the live show.

Not even an eight-year hiatus from touring or releasing a new album – the last record was the 2001 release of “Hell Below/Stars Above” – changed the Toadies’ signature style of a mix between alternative and Southern rock. The up tempo opening guitar riff to “Hell in High Water” off of “No Deliverance” has a familiar reference to “I Come from the Water,” a track from 1994’s “Rubberneck.”

There was barely a pause between songs which added to the solidity of all three albums. New material such as “So Long Lovely Eyes” and “Song I Hate” blended effortlessly with the breakout hits “Possum Kingdom” and “Away.” The songs all sounded as if they could have been from the same record, and in this instance, no change can be a good thing.

The Texan trio incited a mosh pit when they launched into their harsher, heavier tracks such as “Plane Crash” and “Push the Hand.” However, the mosh pit was relatively tame, consisting mostly of guys who looked like they were old enough to be in high school in 1994 and remember when “Rubberneck” came out that year.

Not even a technical difficulty with one of Lewis’ microphones changed the dynamic vibe of the show. He brushed off the glitch with a laugh and kept singing into the other microphone, and nobody seemed to notice or care.

This show was a reminder to that the band is back with the same style that made Toadies-lovers stick around in the first place. The same songs that became radio relics in the 90s still draw the faithful to shows, even on a Sunday night where the band didn’t take the stage until almost 10:30 p.m.

The Toadies seem to appreciate the loyalty of those diehards. Their two-song encore began with the new “Hell in High Water” and closed, as promised, with “Tyler.”

The Toadies perform "Possum Kingdom" live at the Metro on Oct. 19:

The Toadies perform "Nothing to Cry About" live at the Metro on Oct. 19:

For more information about the Toadies, visit thetoadies.com or myspace.com/toadies.