Mia: Club Goddess

In her third column for Good Citizen, our pal and gal around town Mia Sladyk laments the passing of Club Toast.

As I was leaving Club Toast Monday, November 30, after another stellar performance by the Treacherous Grooves posse, I was reading the December calendar and realized it was my last night of local, live drum and bass, performed by local hipsters, Cousin Dave (on turntables), Queenie (on bass), and Jamie Musty (on drums). I was deeply saddened that the freshest new tunes to hit the area would be no longer. 

My eyes continued down the calendar and saw the words "Last Night Celebration" describing the New Years Eve party. The next two blocks in the calendar, which would have been taken up by January 1 and 2, simply said "C" "Ya". The rumors are true ,the brothers Wygmans are selling the place we all know and love, Club Toast.

The impending doom has started to set in. A live music venue is rounding out its five plus years of bringing diverse and ground-breaking music to Burlington. Not only has Club Toast provided a place for locals to hang out, relax and hear music but also a stage to ROCK on. Local music has thrived in Burlington for years and Club Toast has been the heart of it. A place for people of all ages to check out new music and national touring acts, from rock to reggae to industrial to folk, Club Toast has been there for music aficionados to enjoy live music.

I started to frequent Club Toast my freshman year of college. Throughout my years in school I would travel one hour each way, several times weekly to rock out. Due to my age I was unable to see music at Metronome and Nectars, but I could always go to Toast. I got to experience Rock and Roll in an intimate setting for the first time, up close and personal...a truly life altering experience

From 311 to De La Soul to Phish, I saw it. Sunny Day Real Estate, Maceo Parker, Henry Rollins, Archers of Loaf, Guppy boy, Toots and the Maytals, Chin Ho!, The Pants, New Nile Orchestra, Joshe Henry, Sublime, Reverend Horton Heat, The Misfits, Wide Wail, King Missile, (sic), Everclear, Orange Factory, Strangefolk, Belizbeha, Greyboy Allstars, Sam Black Church, Guster, moe., Kristen Hersh, Babys Nickel Bag, Fugazi, Pietasters, Shudder to Think, Mad Professor, Johnny Lang, Bo Diddley, Rustic Overtones, The Implants, Helicopter, Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors, Percy Hill, Charlie Hunter Quartet, Channel Two Dub Band, Thanks To Gravity, 80's Flashback Tuesdays, G. Love and Special Sauce, DJ Spooky, Pork Tornado, Frank Black, Michael Ray and the Cosmic Krewe, Moby, Southern Culture On the Skids, Pansy Division, Link Wray, E.B.N., Anthony B, String Cheese Incident, Merl Saunders, Rocketsled, The Specials, Dysfunkshun, Dead Hippy, Man or Astroman, Dick Dale, Everything, Queen City Allstars, Groove Collective, MU330, Shootyz Groove, Eek A Mouse, Construction Joe, Jesus Nut, Pavement, Burning Spear, The Hieroglyphics, Stupid Club, Mix Master Mike, Cousin Dave, Robyn Hitchcock, A-Dog, James Kochalka Superstar, Famous Potato, High Flying Gargoyles, Slush/Five Seconds Expired, Mighty Blue Kings, Viperhouse, Twelve Times Over, CIV, Into Another, Transglobal Underground, Agnostic Front, Nashville Pussy, The Queers, Zola Turn, Uncle Juice, Dr. Didj, The Fags, Ben Neill, Big Wreck, Another Keepin It Real Joint, Medeski, Martin and Wood, The Emily Rock Group, Sandoze, TJ Kirk, Organic Groove Farmers, Jazz Mandolin Project, Liquid Soul, The X-ecutioners, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Juno Reaction, Sick of it All, Tree Legendary Pink Dots, Jesus Lizard, The Itals, DJ Shadow, Sabo, Laurel Aitken, Clutch, My Own Sweet, Cosmic Lounge, Bag of Panties, Drowningman, Non Compos Mentis, Somah, Skamaphrodites, Velvet Crush, , Velvet Ovum Band, Barbacoa, Science Fixion, Superdrag, Starlight Conspiracy, L7, Orange 9mm, Motel Brown, Buju Banton, Matthew Thorsen Art Gallery, Less Than Jake, Aaron Flinn and his Salad Days, Deep Banana Blackout....to name a few good ones. WOW!!!!!!!!! I could fill the next pages with hip shows we have all had the chance of seeing at Club Toast, but Good Citizen does have other articles.

We are losing more than just a club or a bar, but a place that has given all types of music and people a chance to gather. It has been a comfortable place to have a beer and play pool, or a place to have mom and dad drop off their kids for a few hours to let the young folks rock out.

Dennis Wygmans' creative booking brought many "no-name" bands to Burlington whom now sell out Higher Ground and Memorial Auditorium. He has given bands a chance to start a fan base and for students, working folks, parents, tourists, gutter punks, and hippies to see new music, "alternatives" to mainstream acts. Coupled with his brothers skills, Justin and Dennis have enriched the community with their ability to maintain a rocking music club for five excellent years. 

I have had the pleasure of working at Toast for over a year and have enjoyed my opportunity to have a role in the club. The Club Goddess is in Mourning. In the last days of Toast, I will seen frequenting the establishment, playing pool, drinking Guinness, working the door, stamping hands, taking money, dancing and reminiscing. I urge everyone to try and say their good-byes to Club Toast, for its all we have. Soak up the loud music, graffiti-covered bathrooms, crowded dance floor, steep staircase, smoky bar and of course the ROCK AND ROLL. Tip the bartenders, waitresses, and coat checkers a bit extra, say thanks and enjoy.

I have faith in the other clubs in the area to fill the gaps Toasts' absence will create. I hope more all ages shows continue to happen, and perhaps a few risks be taken in booking new music. We all need to help hardcore, ska, reggae, hip-hop, acid-jazz, groove rock, funk, bluegrass, techno and especially local music alive in Burlington. OK, now I'm getting all emotional...but you catch my drift. Please, go to Toast in the last days.....go to Tuesdays’ 80s night one last time and have a cheap drink for me.....check out Wednesdays’ Cosmic Lounge and Saturdays’ DJ Dance Party. 

The last days of Club Toast are eclectic and representative of true local support, please go! The Skamaphrodites, Never Again, Zola Turn, Chin Ho!, and Dysfunkshun round out the era as well as the Last Nite extravaganza, New Years Eve with The Pants, Last Night celebration-BE THERE.

Thank You Club Toast for providing a "coming of age" venue for me and many others to experience. FUCK THAT SHIT PABST BLUE RIBBON! You will be missed! 

Mia Sladyk is an over-emotional music lover, who cries every time she thinks about Toast closing and her drink discounts. She respects that other area venues and club owners rock, but she must kick her two cents in!