#SLS — 9/3 Vaden Todd Lewis (Toadies)

Vaden Todd Lewis performing with Toadies
at the 2015 Dia de los Toadies in Fort Worth, Texas.

Vaden Todd Lewis
Birthdate: Sept. 3, 1965
Band: Toadies
Instrument: Singer / Guitarist
Age in 2026: 61

Vaden Todd Lewis aka Danger Lewis, has been around. Born in Fort Worth, TX in 1965, he grew up listening to bluegrass and “old school country” at home. Other early musical influences were ZZ Top, Talking Heads and Pixies. When he began working at a record store, he met Lisa Umbarger; she and he became Toadies in 1989, when Vaden was 24 years old. Toadies had an EP but it was their first album, Rubberneck, that put them on the map in 1994, with “Possum Kingdom,” which some say is about a death cult that existed in TX at the time.

The line-up for Rubberneck was:
Vaden Todd Lewis – vocals, rhythm guitar
Darrel Herbert – lead guitar
Lisa Umbarger – bass, baritone guitar
Mark Reznicek – drums, percussion

Although Toadies had six more albums between Rubberneck and 2017’s The Lower Side of Uptown, they couldn’t recapture anything near the platinum status of their debut. The band broke up in 2001. Between 2006 and 2024, the band also stayed active touring and creating compilation albums, but their standing in the shadows of headlining acts continued. It wasn’t until 2024 that Toadies announced they were working on a new album, The Charmer, which was released on May 1 of this year.

Toadies are touring for the new album through mid-October.

Current lineup on The Charmer:
Vaden Todd Lewis – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mark Reznicek – drums
Clark Vogeler – lead guitar, backing vocals
Doni Blair – bass, backing vocals

Other bands Vaden played with:
The Reverend Horton Heat
Burden Brothers
Ginger
LiONS
The Phuss

Having bought The Charmer and listened to it many times and reading interviews where Vaden discusses where the tracks came from, what might be considered a concept album is all about struggling with pain, loss, and mental health. I could pick any song from it to highlight as they are all excellent. One that resonates well with me is, “Get Out of Your Head.”