A vital sonic artifact of Boston post-punk, raw performance art, and sharp, synth-fused noise.

Released in 2002, Live At the Rathskeller 5.17.1979 is an archival document capturing Boston's art-rock outfit The Girls. Recorded on May 17, 1979, at Kenmore Square's legendary underground venue 'The Rat,' the 11 track CD offers a document of late 70s subcultural energy, bridging art school dadaism and early American post-punk. Formed in Boston in the late 1970s, The Girls were composed of singer and drummer Daved Hild, guitarist Mark Dagley, synthesizer player Robin Amos, and bassist George Condo. While the group left behind only a sparse discography, including their David Thomas produced 7' single 'Jeffrey I Hear You' on Hearthan Records, their live performances were notorious. This 36-minute archival recording captures the band delivering a set of angular, minimalist punk. Their blueprint: jagged guitar riffs, pulsing electronic textures, driving rhythms, and Hild's deadpan, theatrical vocal delivery. The performance balances aggressive punk drive with avant-garde humor, ending with an archival WMBR radio interview that gives context to the band's ethos. Digitally mastered by Elliott Sharp and featuring liner notes by music writer Byron Coley, the package acts as a historical document. Live At the Rathskeller 5.17.1979 captures a snapshot of the East Coast underground music scene, presenting a band whose fusion of noise, pop, performance art, and punk energy remains as fresh and uncompromising as the night it was recorded.

Track Listing

• Please Don't Be Weird
• Okey Dokey
• Just Got Back
• Cubist Grid
• Jeffrey I Hear You
• Stiff Bird
• These Things
• Doggy Auto
• I Heard Joe Talking
• Little Suburban Observatory
• WMBR Radio Interview

Additional Details

Label: Abaton Book Company

Genre: Alternative/Punk

Run Time: 30 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 11/06/26

UPC: 675130543521