LiveLarge

Dangerous Toys Come Out to Play: Austin rockers Dangerous Toys, as frontman Jason McMaster points out during the show, haven’t performed at the Whisky in quite a few years. This venue plays host  to a lot of bands from the ’80s hair/sleaze scene — it remains the spiritual home of that music. It’s a party club for nostalgia hounds. But there’s no doubting the fact that, when Dangerous Toys rolled into L.A. this week, they weren’t fucking around.

They look great, first of all. Less big hair and bandanas, more beards and sunglasses — they’re sporting a biker rock look, akin to the likes of Little Caesar.

McMaster has long had one of the most underrated voices in rock, and he’s also a superb frontman. Funny and charismatic, he likes to throw anecdotes out between songs and play with the crowd a little. There was a charming moment at the Whisky when he thought he recognized the woman who discovered Dangerous Toys and pulled her on stage, only to find out that it wasn’t her at all. So he’s just stood on stage with a fan. But he made what could have been an awkward moment totally cool with a smile and an embrace.

The set was nearly perfect. “Outlaw” from the 1989 self-titled debut was a superb way to open the show, and it’s swiftly followed by “Take Me Drunk” from the same record. “Sugar, Leather & the Nail” from the 1991 sophomore Hellacious Acres is next, though for some reason we don’t get “Sticks & Stones” from that album. Not sure why they would pass on such a home run, but they surely have their reasons.

Other highlights include a manic “Ten Boots (Stompin’),” and a furious “Pissed” from the ’94 album of the same name, and of course “Teas’n, Pleas’n.”

Dangerous Toys 2023 are unlikely to score a major label record deal like they did back in the day, but they can still grab a crowd by there proverbial throat and shake it.

Dangerous Toys Come Out to Play: Visit dangeroustoys.us for more info.

Dangerous Toys Setlist Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, USA 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor’s note: The disclaimer below refers to advertising posts and does not apply to this or any other editorial stories. LA Weekly editorial does not and will not sell content.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.