From The Rolling Stones to Kendrick Lamar, Toad’s Place has hosted dozens of legendary artists from all backgrounds over the course of 50 years. Its impressive roster, which includes 75 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, led the venue to be voted Best Small Music Venue by USA TODAY readers.
The venue was opened in 1975 as a French-style restaurant by founder Mike Spoerndle, later turning into a full fledged venue.
Its list of prominent performers from both the past and present have led Toad’s to become the subject of an independent documentary.
Plans for the feature-length documentary were first announced in Nov. 2023 by Director Andy Billman along with a fundraiser on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, which raised $75,973 for the production of the film.
Billman is the recipient of two Emmys, a Peabody award and a NAACP award. His career spans over 20 years having started in ESPN in 2002, where he worked on SportsCenter, Playmakers, The ESPYs, Tilt and Dream Job. Other works from Billman include The Two Escobars, The Real Rocky and Bad Boys. Billman is also an adjunct faculty at the University of New Haven.
Also involved in the making of this documentary is Producer Joe Franco. Franco is an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven, and a professional business and media/entertainment consultant. Franco’s experience spans roughly 46 years, having begun his career in 1979 with the launch of ESPN
The film will look into the venue’s history, as its Kickstarter page states, “The film will relate the history of TOAD’S through a mix of archival footage, music, period interviews, current (updated) interviews, as well as testimony and commentary from artists, historians, attendees, and the music press.”
The film was touched on further during a press event celebrating the venue’s 50th anniversary on March 5. This event saw a number of elected and local figures speak and reminisce about their experiences at Toad’s Place, including Brian Phelps, the owner of Toad’s Place and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker spoke about the venue’s reach and said, “it’s really not a question of who’s been here, but who has not been here.”
“Everyone’s got a Toad’s Place memory,” Elicker said before recounting his own experience in which he saw Gin Blossoms open for Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Phelps expressed his gratitude to friends and staff members in his speech, thanking them for their work and support while speaking of uncertain times.
“However there were many times during these past two years that I did have doubts as to whether or not I could continue,” Phelps said. “I would like to finish up by saying my journey is not yet completed, I will be here a while longer.”
Phelps then promoted The Legendary Toad’s Place: Stories from New Haven’s Famed Music, a book about Toad’s Place that Phelps co-authored, alongside Randall Beach who also attended the event.
Phelps has been involved with Toad’s Place since 1976, and started as a manager before becoming a co-owner alongside Spoerndle. Phelps took total control of Toad’s Place in 1995 following Spoerndle’s problems with drug and alcohol addiction.
While there is no specific date as to when the film will be released, it is set to be released within 2025. With the film’s independent status, it is unclear what platform or platforms the film will release on.
More information can be found on the film’s website (https://www.toadsfilm.com/).
