New Haven Independent

A solid crowd of party-starved kids descended on the York Street concert venue Saturday night for the first time since a liquor violation caused the club to close down in May. Toad’s Place ownership had agreed to the three-month closure following a 2005 police raid that found 87 underage patrons in possession of alcohol.

Despite beefed-up security and two cops at the door, party-goers would not be deterred from reclaiming their favorite nightclub. They packed the dance-floor nearly to capacity, rocking out to the heady sound of Badfish, a Sublime cover band, for over two hours.

Patrons said they were relieved that Toad’s Place had finally reopened after its long hibernation.

“It’s great to have them back,” said Michael Fiorello, 21, a student at Trinity College who was home in New Haven for the summer. “The summer can be pretty slow here; we’re happy Toad’s is back up and running.”

But was Toad’s truly back in business? Take it from this guy (pictured at the top of this story), who went head over heels while crowd-surfing in the under-21 section. He was dropped twice, only to dive into the crowd a third time before bouncers put an end to his fun.

Next in line at Toad’s Place: The legendary Jamaican trio Israel Vibration takes to the stage on Tuesday; and a Guns N’ Roses tribute band, rocks out on Wednesday night. Click here for upcoming shows.