Ellie Park, Multimedia Managing Editor

Toad’s Place, your favorite New Haven nightclub, is getting a documentary. “Where Legends Play,” a title drawing from the venue’s slogan, will be released in 2025. 

Directed and produced by Emmy award winners Andy Billman and Joe Franco, the documentary celebrates the storied past of the club, which transformed from a restaurant to a music venue in 1976 under the leadership of founder Michael Spoerndle. With nearly five decades of music history, the venue has drawn music’s biggest names — from The Rolling Stones to Kendrick Lamar. It is currently owned by Brian Phelps — whom Billman and Franco have brought on as executive producer.

“Toad’s always feels like a very intimate and close community that just feels non-corporate,” said Billman. “I love Toad’s because it’s so organic.”

Franco was first inspired to create this documentary after reading a recent book on Toad’s Place chronicling its untold stories and behind-the-scenes moments. Convinced by the book’s potential, he quickly made a phone call to Phelps and proposed the idea. Through a Kickstarter campaign, Billman raised over $75,000 to fund the independent film. 

Since then, the pair said, the documentary team has spoken to both big-name musical acts and the employees who keep the space running. Billman’s vision for the documentary captures the perspectives of employees and attendees along with performers to capture the “grit” of what makes Toad’s Place so impactful. 

“I really think an important part of the heart of the story is talking to people that really bring these stories to life and make you feel like you’re connected,” Billman said. “That’s what makes Toad’s so special.”

Franco said that “over a quarter of a million Yale alumni students grew up in Toad’s,” and added that he would welcome investment from the alumni.

Emphasizing the venue’s significance for the Yale community, he referenced President Joe Biden’s 2015 commencement speech at the University, wherein the now-president quipped that “All roads lead to Toad’s.”

He also highlighted the club’s unique ability to connect local talents with established musicians. Franco said that a small band from North Branford was once given the opportunity to play Toad’s Place — only to end up opening for the venue’s legendary guests, The Rolling Stones.

For Lelah Shapiro ’27, that convergence of the small and large is exactly what makes Toad’s Place so distinct. 

“In the intimate concert venue, you feel like you are so close to the artist,” said Shapiro.

She added that she brought her father to a student concert at Toad’s Place when he visited campus, and the pair were thrilled to learn that so many of their favorite artists had performed there — from Phish and Radiohead to Lauryn Hill and ANDERSON .PAAK.

Expressing her excitement about the documentary, Shapiro said that she often finds herself marveling at the walls of Toad’s Place, which are lined with the names and photos of past performers. 

For Shapiro and many others, the venue represents a living history — an increasingly rare experience as venues like Toad’s Place close their doors.

The fact that locally-owned clubs across the world are shutting down is one of Billman’s motivations for making the documentary.

“It’s great to play at a sold-out stadium,” said Billman. “But you don’t really get the same fabric as you do at Toad’s.”

Toad’s Place is located at 300 York St.