From an e mail to GARY BURNETTE...
Hey Gary,
Thanks for the article;
it was a good backdrop to the scene.
You and I have memories more related to playing there, but being 60s guys, probably can't remember them!
A few things people nowadays (and myself) find unique/odd only to the toadh.
* the toadstool never had a p.a. nor lights--so bands plugged into whatever-imagine the sound!
* there were 3 stage locations; the one at the end of the room, seemingly the better(playing to length of the room) but was not as well liked? and didn't last long.
* only a few bands played the t.-no more than a dozen, probably only 5/6 that played there more than once.
* the toadstool was never really jammed-there seemed to be always a reasonable crowd, but never jam packed in
*admission went up later to $1.50, and then $2; always split 50/50 with the bands. When we broke the record I seemed to recall it was a $300 door, netting the band $150,but often we were good for $75-100.
*the toadstool never advertised !?! unlike today or even underground scenes like the Cavern/Fillmore that did hundreds of flyers for every show, we would do one-and put it in the club!
*though there was a military following, the crowd was high school/misfits--very little college crowd--with a college up the road and what was for most part a college type scene?
*one band played per night-never double billing
*this one seems most odd in retrospect, and so against the grain of the hippies times.. no bands ever jammed together, or sat in!!...
*bands were on good terms, but really didn't fellowship musically... David Atkins did sit in with us on some blues,-only time I remember
*in that short time we had Aiken, Griffin, Lambert all play about equal times; probably the most with Brad? who's organ as he didn't have one?
*....Todd, most remembered of members, only played 1/2 times? on the last stage, as I remember leaving our gear there/rehearsing the LP...stuff with Todd...we also did some as a trio and some acoustic.
*a funny one...before the opening, Buddy showed us around (flat black walls),
we were excited..he said we're gonna repaint some...
*when it opened it was all garish, outdated bad trip art, to which we said yuk, and insisted to dayglo lights be off when we played--our vision being more "organic"
****I did meet my wife there...
that's what I remember
mg
MIKE GUTHRIE
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