Ghosts of Kenmore Square

When the Rat went down to the wrecking ball, man, no one seemed to care

Those hard hat guys had no idea the Clash had once played there

They should have saved that dressing room wall, inch thick with graffiti

Every band that ever laid claim to R.O.C.K. City

Now some candy-ass four star hotel stands on that hallowed ground

On windy nights in the heating ducts you still can hear the sound

The Neats, the Lyres, the Neighborhoods kickin' out their dirty jams

As the restless crowd chants "one more song" at the stroke of 2 AM

            So dig out that leather jacket

            Comb back that silver hair

            Tonight we'll rock it one more time for the ghosts of Kenmore Square

            Tonight we'll rock it one more time for the ghosts of Kenmore Square

Now the tribes have all been scattered, the Deli Haus long gone

The punks have all got Starbucks cards and latest Android phones

But some of us still walk these streets, extend our middle finger

At anything called progress that keeps a band from singin'

            So dig out that leather jacket

            Comb back that silver hair

            Tonight we'll rock it one more time for the ghosts of Kenmore Square

            Tonight we'll rock it one more time for the ghosts of Kenmore Square

           

("Ghosts of Kenmore Square," (c) 2013 Terry Kitchen, from Songs from "Next Big Thing")

I've been thinking a lot about the Rat, and the '80s Boston rock scene, which are at the heart of "Next Big Thing," the novel I've been working on for the past few years (and is finally coming out this month). And I'm not the only one - Boston filmmaker Andrew Szava-Kovats is doing a documentary called Let's Go to the Rat!, and a bunch of us from the scene are doing a benefit concert for the film at Johnny D's, on Wednesday August 28. It will be my band Loose Ties' first official gig since 1988, and it's been fun listening to and re-learning our old songs (some of which are actually pretty good, not that I'm biased). Our drummer is even coming in from Michigan for it.

     It will also be fun to hear the other bands, all survivors of the scene - Rick Berlin, who's one of the local artists the book is dedicate to, old friends The Schemers, LIzzie Borden and the Axes, Men and Volts, and Jamie Shaler (plus some special guests). None of us got rich, but we all feel we were a part of something special. If you're in town, please come celebrate with us on Aug. 28. And keep your eyes open for Andrew's movie. And, oh yeah, buy the book (which comes with a bonus CD/download key - www.terrykitchen.com/nextbigthing).

      In the meantime, here's "Ghosts of Kenmore Square" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jkNMeEKSFg