Lets Go to The Rat - documentary about the Boston Rock scene. 

It's a shame what Kenmore Square looks like now. They even built a new bus shelter. All the character was sucked out of the whole place. But this brought back so many great memories! I loved seeing some of my old friends talking about our history, and it's fun to reminisce but Dave Minehan said it best: "What went on down there in today's world just wouldn't happen anymore. I mean, it was LAWLESS."

The Rat was not my favorite Boston club. It was underground and had a rough and tough vibe. The bouncers and door men (Mitch) had a violent edge and they stole door receipts from the bands. That said, everyone played there and Jimmy Harold, the owner was okay once you got to know him. The best thing was the Boston Scene was un-pretenious, you could talk to anybody and that was wonderful! I'm glad for all the great shows and great bands that played their first shows there: the Jam, the Dead Boys, the Ramones, Suicidal Tendencies, Pere Ubu, the Feelies, Willy Loco Alexander, the Cars, La Peste, the Real Kids, DMZ, the Lyres, the Police, Unnatural Axe and all of their derivative bands, the Pixies, the Lemonheads. Robin Lane, Till Tuesday, Joe Perry and Thundertrain. And of course, I need to mention the Rentals

Awesome documentary, thank you. I remember seeing Flock of Seagulls at The Rat with tix I won from WBCN (or was it WFNX) when I was at BU. Also remember seeing a band there (forget which) and Sinead O'Connor was in the audience! I remember Mike Mills and Michael Stipe perusing records at Nugget Records before their show then dipping into The Rat. My college pals and I drank with Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones at the Rat once. And, finally, after watching Til Tuesday at Jumpin Jack Flash in the Fenway, we went to the Rat and Aimee Mann wound up there too, I got her autograph on a Rat napkin from just weeks before she broke out with Till Tuesday ("Love In a Vacuum" was the Boston hit, before "Voices Carry") and she spoke to me kindly when I approached her as she was drinking with her local friends at the Rat's main floor bar; I still have the napkin! 🐀 #RIPJimHarold #RIPMitchCerullo

Don’t forget the 90’s! For us youngn’s of the next generation, after Boston’s first wave and “college rock” scene faded, it was also sacred ground for us. We weren’t into the meathead-core scene, or the “mature” (edgeless) post-punk/alt scene, so when the Rat began booking more all ages weekend punk shows, it felt like some kind of social movement, and we built a massive community (with which many of us are still connected). Every weekend, throngs of kids from across New England would converge on that parking lot to meet friends, make new friends, get into fights on occasion (and perhaps to ask Mr. Butch to buy 40’s). Aside from touring bands, the Rat helped foster a pretty unique and eclectic home-grown punk scene (Showcase, Unseen, Pinkerton Thugs, Toxic Narcotic, many more). Proud to have played there many times. Do scenes, communities, and chaotic creative spaces like this even exist anymore?

It was a great vibe. Mitch at the top of the stairs waiting to greet you. The smel,l the awful sound, constant high frequency from the sound system, generally, the music was terrible but a great venue and cultural center that I am so happy to have been a part of.

Wow - watching this again now with beloved owner Jimmy Harold gone (too soon) makes it all even more clear what a special place the Rat was - the characters and people and staff and players and friends made - THE MUSIC - it's all so unique and beautiful - an amazing time and place to be a part of. I am proud to have worked and played there. Thanks for creating this documentary Andrew!

R.I.P. Jimmy Harold. Thanks for participating in this.

"The Rat hasn't left us" Glad i made it '95-7 downstairs

Shout out to Thundertrain and Unnatural Axe who I saw at the Rat many times

THank you for making that and putting it here....I really enjoyed that! I spent a fair amount of time down there in the mid 70's, 80's and early 90's before it closed -I'm just someone who liked the to come listen to the bands and keep a low profile in the back....the Rat was where it was at! A sandwich at the Deli Haus - a stop down at Nuggets to buy used records......and yes that bank of phone booths! (RIP Jimmy Harold)

been to The RAT a few times between 79 and 81 ! five or six times, fun place !

please god, somebody make a playlist to go with this!

This was a great watch! Thanks for putting this together!

I think I went to THE RAT 50 times. I believe my first show at the rat was The wrecking Crew. Keith Bennet was at my work getting food. he asked me to come to the rat I didn't know anyting about hardcore or punk rock I was more into metal. That change my life 100% hardcore rules

Hey don't forget Squad 16! We played there a bunch in the early 80s.

i lives across the street in the Buckminster building, and some times was so drunk i slept in the rat, i ended up roadie for the real kids, and tenni comma and the silencers, and third rail , fukin times were so great it was historical. like the flappers of the 20's........ lets not forget catties under the freway, the bouncer leo ended up marrying my sister.

The music didn't die when the Rat closed, but the shows become tougher to find. It was really common to see a punk/hard-core show at a place like an elks club or vfw after the Rat. The bigger bands got the Middle East or one of the landsdowne clubs, but the small bands had to grind. I loved the Rat, but those shows at, say, the Brighton Elks Club were also something I'll never forget

This weekend is the 25th anniversary of the Rat closing

There was a storage space at Eastern Standard that was a part of the old Rat. Not sure if it's still there as its now a sushi place (I think?)

Great stuff, but why no mention of the band who “owned” the Rat throughout the 70’s, to me the best unsigned band ever from Boston, Reddy Teddy( including the inimitable, irrepressible, magical Matthew MacKenzie-R.I.P.). What coulda been, shoulda been🎉.

I moved to Boston in 79, I had heard about the Rat because of the band the scene basically disowned. The Cars. Are y0u punk or new wave. Second night I was in town I saw The Girls, Human Sexual Response and I think PUNK fLOYD,JjOHNNY ANGEL's gREAT NICKNAME FOR mISSION OF Burma. I PLAYED THE Rat lots OF times The MySTERY DATES, tHE LONERS, tHE InSTEPS Favorite memory, my mom came to see her two sons play there, On the bill also Lou Miami.

This is cool history of Bean Town! 🎸

Saw Sick Of It All / Wrecking Crew and Sam Black Church at the Rat in 1992, my band played at The Middle East

Psychotec and Think TREE both did shows with SWANS at the Rat which were stellar!

Worked there 76-78, Eddie.

My band at the time tried to get into the rat in 97 but they were no longer letting new bands play they were booked till the end.

NO mention of THINK TREE, Psycotec, or El dopa? WTF?

Forgotten on the list the DBs opening for Camper Van Beethoven

Did The Cramps ever play The Rat?