Toad's, what would we do without you?

BY COLLEEN KINDER

ERIN I. LEWIS/YH Toad's has become a cultural institution in New Haven.

Every time we Yalies say the word "Toad's," we almost invariably shake our heads and break into a smile. With a booty cam that flashes shots of our most ridiculously decked-out classmates freaking their way to the limelight and Chester-the-molester townies around every corner, it is nearly impossible to take the place seriously. Anyone that has ever seen the production that goes on during "The Thong Song" on the upper stage—the highlight being bouncers that physically remove all lingering males—can't help but be amused. I will never forget seeing a wasted classmate float by in the arms of a belligerent bouncer whose stern face attested to the seriousness of his duty and the sacredness of the song. Even more of a trip is the interesting mix of police officers and bouncers that greet you and your false identification at the door of Toad's. "The Woman" was undoubtedly the most hated female at Yale during her ID-snatching frenzy this fall. Countless times I have heard my fellow classmates throw up their hands at it all and declare they will never go to Toad's again.

Unfortunately, the bar's motto, "All Roads Lead to Toad's," holds true even for those who denounce the place, and we eat our words—or I should say drink them—in the form of dollar drafts week after week. It seems that regardless of how we start our night or fill it with parties, something always directs us to the green awnings. Let's be honest—the bar we shake our heads at has leap-frogged its slimy way into our hearts. Toad's is endearing because it brings together all that is ridiculous for our drunken revelry and sober amusement. Sunday brunch wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without recapping what moron flashed the booty cam and who got cornered by a sloppy So-Co kid.

Just as we would never claim to enjoy our hazy nights at Toad's, Yale would would never endorse good old Toad's either. But Yale has found the seedy establishment just as irresistible as we have. Toad's Place has been a part of Yale for as long as we can remember—nearly as long as the fairer sex. It is hard to imagine Yale without Toad's, or women for that matter—not to mention Toad's without women. Ultimately, Yale has embraced Toad's, relying on the bar for many Spring Fling gigs and even making the founder of Toad's a Trumbull Fellow in 1992. Toad's has given its fair share to Yale history in return. In its early years, it managed to draw Cindy Lauper to New Haven. What did the owners do to knock this superstar off her feet? They took her next door to Mory's, where the Wiffenpoofs' rendition of "Time After Time" moved her to tears. She invited the famous Yale group next door to sing in her concert that night.

Toad's is deeply embedded in the New Haven and Yale tradition. Known to be one of the best clubs on the eastern seaboard, it has brought in countless major names over the years. Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones have graced the York Street Bar, and U2's first appearance in the U.S. was at Toad's. Drawing a vast array of locals, Toad's brings in enough different groups of people to have a different nightlife every night of the week—a purple-haired teen on a Tuesday, a middle-aged, gold-chain-wearing man on Friday. Toad's gives Yalies a chance to mix with this eclectic bunch and experience a more genuine flavor of New Haven. Whether it be from the woman you commiserate with in the bathroom about the run in her stockings or the greasy guy that flashes you a toothless grin across the bar, Elm City lovin' flows freely at Toad's.

More than anything else, Toad's gives us a weekly window of opportunity to be exactly what we are not. In the end it is all one big loveable oxymoron: a smelly bar within Ivy-covered walls, Yalies mingling with townies, smart kids in tube tops, future presidents getting tanked, Cindy Lauper and the Whiffenpoofs. Time after time, we will go back, as our love-hate relationship keeps the oxymoron alive and we grudgingly hop on the road that lead to Toad's.

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