Music fans at Yale should get on their knees and thank God every day for Toad’s.

In addition to being one of the best clubs in the United States, Toad’s Place is just a short walk from any residential college and only two blocks from Old Campus. No matter what genre of music you’re into, you can be fairly certain that at some point during the school year a good artist within that genre will be performing at Toad’s.

Students who don’t take advantage of this fantastic venue are missing out on more than they realize. Toad’s offers the opportunity to see classic artists, such as reggae legend Toots and the Maytals, as well as talented new artists, such as college hip-hop phenoms Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious (who actually played a joint show the night after Toots). Best of all, the capacity of the club is fairly small, and the crowd is usually limited to a few hundred people.

The small club atmosphere is perhaps Toad’s greatest selling point. It is possible to get quite close to the stage, and occasionally artists will even let members of the audience on the stage. The crowds that the club brings in are always enthusiastic, and the performances of the artists clearly reflect on this energy. Many performers, most notably Keller Williams, commented on this quality of Toad’s, and it is fairly safe to say that the intimacy of the club contributes a great deal toward the relationship between artist and audience.

As if all of this weren’t enough, Toad’s rarely charges more than $20 advance for a ticket, even for bigger artists or double bills. Often, tickets are as inexpensive as $8. Prices like these are music to a poor college student’s ears (or even a rich one’s). Plus, a lot of shows are open to all ages, so you can get in even if you can’t get beer.

It is the duty of all Yale music fans, both for the club’s sake and their own, to see at least one show per year. Since Toad’s offers a concert nearly every night, this shouldn’t be a problem. So take advantage, and remember to appreciate how lucky we all are to have a world-class concert venue right in our neighborhood.

Ross Tiefenthaler is a sophomore in Morse College.