Joey’s post last month from breakfast at the Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square got me thinking of how that area has changed. I’ve never eaten at Eastern Standard but it turns out I have. But it was called the Hoodoo Barbecue which was at the Rathskeller. Sue and I ate there last in 1986.
I saw a lot of bands there, Human Sexual Response, The Atlantics, the Neighborhoods, lots of great bands I never knew the name of.
I drive by every day and couldn’t figure out where the Rat actually was so I made a photo molding together old and new.
And today I went by and took a new photo to show exactly where the Rat was. 
If you have breakfast at Eastern Standard and sit on the right side of the restaurant you are actually at the Rat. The waiter I talked to knew this. He said the kitchen is where the bandstand used to be for the Rathskeller.
The Hoodoo Barbecue had great ribs. I remember talking to the chef and he admitted he used liquid smoke, but it was pretty good liquid smoke.
If you ever hung out at the Rat in the 70-80s, check out the Rathskeller Wiki page. You will be amazed what good music you listened to.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Great music, the floors were a bit sticky, when The Replacements played clubs in Boston they would stay at our apartment, one of my roommates was a friend of theirs, and another dated Aimme Mann’s keyboardist, Mr Butch came over once too – life as BU student in the 80s living in Allston – good times. A few months ago I found a place online selling Rathskeller t-shirts and bought one for my 19 year old son, they said they would also have Bunratty’s t-shirts soon too, another great music place that’s gone now.
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OMG Bunratty’s! I lived around the corner and just thought these awesome bands were a normal thing. I think I had a relative waitressing there but I’m not naming any names. She may have been working when a dude was shot right before I got there but again, no names.
The Inn Square Men’s Bar started the rumble, went to the Rat, meanwhile the Channel and any number of bars had amazing bands all the way over to Jack’s just short of Harvard Square. When I heard it burned down I did cry because I thought of the framed photo of Bonnie Raitt that was on the wall next to me last seat on the bar. A photo taken when she was 19 going to college and one of her last times at Jack’s before she hit the big time.
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I lived around the corner from Bunratty’s too – the corner of Comm and Harvard on the Deli King side right above the Berezka Deli – our bathroom window faced right at Bunrattys side and if we opened the window we could hear the music perfectly. Johnny D;s, TT the bear’s, The Middle East, Harpers Ferry, the little dive by Berkley I can’t remember the name of etc Some are still around. Too bad about the photo that would have been a nice one to have!
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Love this post Paul! We had wondered that too and will share with Tom. I never heard the Atlantics play live. We met and fell in love when he was in between bands, but I did go with him to hear friends play and it was always a super fun night–once I got over the fact that it was totally black and spooky inside and you couldn’t see a thing.
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The best places at the time spray painted everything inside the club black and then spilled enough beer to make the floor super tacky. 🙂
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Oh sheesh Paul T. Butthole Surfers, Angry Samoans – you name it. I actually played there once or twice. I doubt you were among the 6 to 10 people there. Dave done, MadMen done, just keep piling the nostalgia
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Some of that past is a bit fuzzy but I may have seen Butthole Surfers there. I certainly loved Pepper and the lyrics. I knew the Rat would have many Gloucester connections. To actually have played there, even to only six people and I may have been one), is Carnegie Hall to me.
Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche comin’ down the mountain
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The Butthole Surfers tune that brought the band to my attention. The video is pretty far out there but if you can get past it the song rocks.
Pepper was released in 1996
This song, Who Was in My Room Last Night, was released in 1993
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Pepper turned me. The futile effort of drinking an entire avalanche coming down the mountain.
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OK so I’m old, when I first went to the big city of Boston as a youtrh I think this was Kens at Copley. It was an all night eating place with among other things great blintzes. could be misrembering., it was a very looooooooong time ago.
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That was my first memory of Boston, 1969 Kens in Copley. Completely different place. I think it might have been Ken’s Steakhouse but I only remember the desserts. You could order them takeout They had them in the window on the street in Boylston Ave across from the church before the Hancock glass tower went up.
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How about Pauls Mall on Boylston. Saw Tom Petty’s first real gig in Beantown. Was a great venue, Bob Marley also brought the house down.
Closer to home almost all the Boston based upstarts swung through Grovers in Beverly.
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Pauls Mall! My sisters lived in the neighborhood 1971-73. I knew exactly where Pauls Mall was because it was next door to a movie theater. I remember seeing The Godfather in 1972 there. Afternoon matinee. Weird walking out after watching it into the afternoon sun. I think I went over to Ken’s and had a Napoleon.
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Ahh, I knew there was a cinema next to Paul’s Mall. I was 17 so Paul’s Mall was out of bounds.
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In the early 70’s I lived four doors down from the Rathskeller. Spent much time there but as with a lot of people from that era, don’t remember exact details but know it was one of my favorite haunts. A few years earlier I worked at Señor Pizza which was about three buildings up from there. Wow you took me back to that crazy time!
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Hi Linda, I worked at Senor Pizza too (1969). I loved the Kenmore Square area. Game days at Fenway Park, shops on Newbury Street, free concerts at the Fens, free admission on Tuesday nights at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, so much to do and see and a great time to be young.
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And now TT The Bears is closing? College students don’t go see rock and roll anymore?
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/05/19/owner-makes-official-cambridge-club-bear-place-closing-july/2ndTlrcvmPFVZlNGWSoh3O/story.html?event=event25#
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TT’s is closing!!? Gettin’ old. I knew the original owners Bonnie and Myles. Bonnie was the business head.
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Great post paul!
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Great shots and lots of changes since the time I spent there many moons ago! Thanks Paul! 🙂 Dave
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There are cheaper ones available but might get this in black.
https://www.spreadshirt.com/the+rat+rathskeller+clothing+apparel+boston+mens+v-neck+t-shirt+by+canvas-D12396010?sellable=13517878&appearance=2&color=000000&size=5
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