The famous New Haven live music venue, Toads Place, recently held two concerts from two iconic artists: Foo Fighters and Natasha Bedingfield. From a night of rock to a night of pop, fans of both saw unforgettable performances while honoring the venue’s 50th anniversary.
According to the New Haven Register, the Foo Fighters show on Sept. 23 was a part of the band’s pop-up performances around the country. Announced the day before on their social media pages, fans lined up outside the 1,000 capacity venue to purchase box office tickets for $30 each. The show sold out approximately two hours after tickets went on sale.
Starting at 8:30 p.m., the concert was two hours and 35 minutes long. The band performed 28 songs, including hits such as “My Hero,” which band founder David Grohl dedicated to the venue, and “Monkey Wrench.”
Alongside the venue’s anniversary, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary and played songs from their 1995 debut album, “Foo Fighters.” The songs included “Alone + Easy Target,” “Weenie Beenie” and “Big Me.” They ended the night’s encore with their No.1 song on Spotify with over a billion streams, “Everlong.”
On the morning of the show, Jim Koplik, president of Live Nation Connecticut and Upstate New York, was featured on 99.1 PLR’s “Chaz and AJ In The Morning,” where he spoke about the planning that went into the event. After a cancellation of their appearance at last year’s Soundside Music Festival at Bridgeport Amphitheater, Koplik said the band originally planned to go to Bridgeport, but they wanted to play smaller venues. That’s when talent buyer, Kurt Eisele, pitched the idea for Toads.
When it came to choosing Toads, the venue’s historical significance played a big role
“Kurt came up with the idea of ‘Let’s try Toads,’ so I said, you know, its great history, let’s give it a shot,” Koplik said.
He said the fame of the venue’s past headliners made him want the Foo Fighters to join the roster of Toads’ famous performers.
“Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, of course The Rolling Stones, and we thought you know let’s finish out. Five fingers. Let’s put The Foo Fighters in there. So we themed the whole idea of let them join this pantheon of rock and roll hall-of-famers, and come to Toads and build it at Toads,” Koplik said.
Five days after the Foo Fighters played, British pop singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield took the stage at Toads. Known for her songs “Unwritten” and “Pocketful of Sunshine,” her show was one of the six stops on a U.S. tour. In addition to performing, according to CT Insider, she gave 20 fans the opportunity to grab some pizza with her after her show at nearby famous Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.
Toads continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, with lineups that include Børns on Oct. 12, Lamp on Oct. 18 and Counterparts on Oct. 22. The venue is an approximate 10 minute drive from campus, located in the heart of downtown New Haven. Ubers, Lyft and CT transit offered through the ChargerGo Bus Pass are available to those as means of transportation to and from the venue.
For more information on upcoming events and ticketing visit toadsplace.com. Additional information is also available on their Facebook and Instagram, @toadsplace.
