ACL '09: The Toadies Come From The Water

Photos by Patrick Michels

​Surely, it was with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks that the members of the Toadies opened their 4 p.m. set at the festival's main stage on Sunday with longtime Rubberneck favorite "I Come From The Water."

But, a funny thing about the Toadies' set on Sunday afternoon: For the first time since Friday evening, audiences were treated to--get this--sunshine at Zilker Park. And with the light pouring down onto the band and its massive audience on Sunday, the Toadies offered up a set well worth trudging through the mud to catch.
For the most part, it was a set filled with the band's older material; Rubberneck easily dominated the set list. For festival-goers, these familiar sounds offered a comforting familiarity. Unlike with the competing Arctic Monkeys set at the opposite end of the park, fans scrambled to the Toadies to hear songs they knew they'd recognize--and they got as much that in spades.

And as the band launched into its two biggest hits--"Possum Kingdom," which came a few songs short of the full, hour-long set's end, and "Tyler," which closed the performance--the impressive sea of attendees showed their appreciation, belting out each song's lyrics at the top of their lungs.

Fans take cover from the sun as the Toadies begin their set.

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