The Togas are a supergroup of superduper fun proportions. Dressed in ancient Greek attire, naturally, Ty Segall, Shannon Shaw of Shannon and the Clams, Philip Sambol of Austin's the Strange Boys, and Lance Wille of Reigning Sound came together to rock the shit out of some classic tunes at The Stage last night.
The Bruise Cruise kick-off party was as irreverent, colorful, and goofy as we'd hoped and expected, and The Togas brought the goof and good times.
The Togas first played together IRL sometime like this past Monday. So, this was their first show in front of an audience. Them messing up left and right made for the most entertaining show we've seen in quite a while, and not in a mean way. It was just enjoyable. None of them took themselves too seriously. Like when singing "Paint It, Black," Segall forgot the lyrics and everyone just "La, la, la, la"ed for a minute or so, including the audience.
Ty Segall, unrecognizable in Jesus wig and facial hair, brought out the big lungs and sang with gusto, ending the show with chants of "rock and roll, motherfucker" and "give me all your money."
Sambol lost his toga after song one. His more laid-back approach didn't lack any enthusiasm. The feminine presence of Shaw added the perfect balance to the three dudes, and her toga dress was fabulous. Wille simply looked blissfully content on the drums.
What made this such a fun set was that all four of the musicians looked like they actually love to perform, so we, in turn, loved watching them.
For the full review of last night's show, including stories of Blowfly talking about cunnilingus to young ladies, visit Miami New Times.
You can't have a rock and roll cover band that includes a guy from Austin without the requisite 13th Floor Elevators.
Ian Witlen
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