Benefit For Jeff Conolly Battle of the Bands featuring Mission of Burma, Dogmatics, Unnatural Axe, Classic Ruins, Nat Freedberg Joint, Hilken & Melissa Band @ Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA 3/12/26
Bill: Mission of Burma, Dogmatics, Unnatural Axe, Classic Ruins, Nat Freedberg Joint, Hilken & Melissa Band
Venue: Middle East Downstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Date: Thursday 3/12/26
Door: Sold Out (bought advance tickets $30 plus fee)
9pm Mission Of Burma
Latest Release: Unsound (Fire, 2012)
Active: 1979 (Boston, MA)
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9:30 Dogmatics
Active: 1981 (Boston, MA)
Latest Release: Nowheresville (Rum Bar Records, 2025)
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10pm Unnatural Axe
Active: 1977 (Dorchester, MA)
Latest Release: Unnatural Axe/Nasties split 7" (Lawless, 2010), Unnatural Axe Is Gonna Kick Your Ass (Lawless, 1997)
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10:30 Nat Freedberg Joint
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11pm Classic Ruins
Active: 1980 (Boston, MA)
Latest Release: Forget About It (Rum Bar, 2020)
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11:30pm Hilken & Melissa Band
Active: 1993 (Boston, MA)
Affiliated: Fuzzy, Thalia Zadek
Latest Release: "What's So Bad About Christmas?" b/w "I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas" (Hilken Mancini, 2025)
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Epic benefit night for Monoman with a who's who of early 80's Boston Rock, a genre in it's own. I got there a little bit before 9 so I don't know what I missed but the "headliner," a reforming Mission of Burma went right on at 9 and did a very short set. Clint Conley and Jeff Conolly both went to high school in Darien, CT in the same time. Clint noted "we were Kinks and New York Dolls fans in a sea off Allman Brothers." Jeff has been through the cancer ringer as of late and his "affordable" med cost skyrocketed, so this show to help him out was annouced quick and sold out the Middle East downstairs with little fanfare. I saw there were tickets available a couple weeks prior, so I decided to make the pilgrimage to my homeland.
I never saw these bands in their day since I was under age for the 21+ bars they played, but they were 80's radio show mainstays for me. Burma of course I saw many times in their reformation run. Dogmatics came over to WICN after playing Rick's right when I the station move to Chatham St. off Main and before Paul O'Halloran was killed in a motorcycle crash in October ''86. I actually got to see them in NYC at Bowery Electric about 5 years ago. I certainly saw Nat Freedberg in Upper Crust but never The Flies. I probably saw the Titanics on a bill somewhere at some point in the early 90's when I was living there. Nat did "All Hung Up" from that band. Unnatural Axe and Classic Ruins were other blast from Boston Rock past from the first wave of American Punk bands that in Boston became straight establishment bar rock. Lyres were a bit more garage revivalist which translated to greater international appeal, but they also were one of the most established commercially in Boston since they had "Don't Give In Up Now" on commercial radio locally. The "new band" Hilken (Mancini, from the 90's band Fuzzy) with Melissa (Gibbs from Heavy Stud, Gymnasium) and also joined by Thalia Zadek who goes back to the late 70's with Dangerous Birds. Certainly a show worth traveling for and as a bonus I got to catch up with my friend Kenny who was bartending at the Model in Allston which is a short walk to my favorite rooming house to stay for a one-off visit, The Farrington Inn.
FOR FURTHER REVIEW:
The Flies-All Hung Up b/w How Come (1984)
Mission of Burma-ONoffON (2004)
The Oysters-Green Eggs and Ham (1985)
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