R.I.P. The Rat

I miss The Rat.

For newcomers who don't know anything about the old Kenmore Square, let me explain: The Rathskeller (a.k.a. The Rat) was a legendary dive bar that hosted some of the best bands in their early years. We're talking The Police, The Cars, Talking Heads, Black Flag, Metallica, Joan Jett, R.E.M, Mighty Mighty Bosstones....and the list goes on.

The Rat has been gone for almost 10 years now. But its memory lives on in cyberspace...

Check out this gem I found on YouTube. It’s an old episode of a TV-38 show from the 1980s. The host Dana Hersey invades the Rat and then waltzes over to the old Pizza Pad. It’s priceless:

I was lucky enough to attend a few all-ages shows at the Rat before it closed in ’97. I went to mostly ska shows. You could usually find me wearing a black-n'-white checkered skirt with a matching headband and a navy blue jacket with patches sewn on it (and I still wear that jacket once in a while.) Here’s a flyer from one of the shows:

....and speaking of ska....
If you’re into ska and rocksteady and punk music, you should check out this show tonight:

The Aggrolites with Tommy & the Terrors plus DJ Ford E. Buxworth at Great Scott in Allston...
$10 18+ doors open at 9pm.

- Emily Sweeney

tags: YouTube , Boston , retro , Rathskeller , ska, punk, Boston bars