For those who may have grown tired of the monotony of campus life, there may be an answer on the south side of Des Moines.

Toad Holler,1820 East Army Post Rd., offers a variety of live, local and national, bands.

If the name Toad Holler rings a bell there may be good reason.

Lou McCormick, original owner, says that although Toad Holler appears to be new, it has history.

There was an original Toad Holler, open from 1990 until 1994, also owned by McCormick. The bar stood in its current location on East Army Post Road, but it closed its doors after finding a new and larger location.

In July of 1995, McCormick opened Super Toad Entertainment Center, with then business partner Steve Greenfield. He ultimately left Super Toad in May of 2000 to reopen Toad Holler last September. Greenfield stayed on to manage Super Toad.

Super Toad recently closed for financial reasons, according to McCormick. That leaves Toad Holler as one of the central live music venues in Des Moines. Previously, Super Toad attracted a wide variety of local and national musical talent.

One difference between the two Des Moines venues is that Toad Holler is smaller than Super Toad was, says McCormick. Super Toad’s capacity neared 2000, while Toad Holler holds about 950.

McCormick recently retired and has since turned Toad Holler Inc. over to his daughter, Sabrina McCormick, who is now the president of the corporation. Sabrina McCormick says that the decision to reopen Toad Holler in its original location was based upon the availability of the building and a loyal clientele.

“[Toad Holler] is friendlier,” Sabrina McCormick says. “Super Toad was really big and always felt really spacious. It was hard to feel close to anyone. Toad Holler is more intimate.”

The new and improved Toad Holler offers live local bands on a weekly basis, Thursday through Saturday, and brings in a national act about once a month, according to McCormick. Toad Holler utilizes TV, local newspapers and radio stations to get the word out about its shows.

“We look for everything from heavy metal, to punk, to Christian, just a wide-variety of formats,” says Chris Cardani, Toad Holler concert promoter.

Although the venue is smaller, Toad Holler isn’t hurting for well-known acts. Cardani has recently brought names like (Hed)p.e. and The Urge.

The radio-popular twin brother duo Evan and Jaron was slotted to be June’s main concert event at Toad Holler, but the pair had to cancel. The show will be rescheduled and McCormick says that original tickets will be honored.

Cardani says that fees for national bands stretch anywhere from $500 to $250,000.

Another way Toad Holler is hoping to broaden its appeal is by holding all-ages shows. Everyone is asked to show an ID at the door and patrons over 21 receive a wrist band, says Sabrina McCormick.

So far there have been no problems with minors at the venue, she says.

“It’s family owned,” Sabrina McCormick says. “We’ve been around for years. The downtown bars are nice because they’re so close together, but they’re more expensive and they come and go and usually only last one of two years.”