New Year's Eve with the Bush Tetras & Defunkt 31-Dec-80 "At midnight: free champagne + EVA. Second floor opens to the public." I don’t believe that the Bush Tetras actually made this gig, I think it was just Defunkt performing.

1981 Heroes (formerly the Heartbreakers) 9-Jan-81

Bush Tetras 10-Jan-81 Makeup gig for missing the New Year's Eve show.

Sun Ra 15-16Jan-81

Defunkt 17-Jan-81

Defunkt; Swinging Madisons 23-Jan-81 featuring Johny Dynell & Johny Dynell D.J.

Lounge Lizards 24-Jan-81 and music by Johnny Dynell & Johnny Dynell D.J.

Jump Up with Oliver Lake; New York R & D with Steve Piccolo; Charles Brackeen; Noise 'R' Us 31-Jan-81 The legendary fretless electric bass player Percy Jones (from Brand X) had joined Noise 'R' Us by this time. Johnny Dynell hosted the: "Is it all over my face disco jag" after 3am.

Sun Ra: Venus Party 6-Feb-81

Sun Ra: Saturn Party 7-Feb-81

DNA 13-Feb-81 and "After Hours: Is it all over my face disco jag with M.C. Johny Dynell, part two."

Lounge Lizards 14-Feb-81

Steven Kraemer, the Vallets; Swinging Madison 19-Feb-81

Defunkt 20-Feb-81

Sun Ra Arkestra 21-Feb-81 "Last concert before European tour."

James White & the new Flaming Demonics 27- 28 Feb-81

Defunkt 13-14 Mar-81

Del Byzanteens [with Jim Jarmusch, James Nares,[ x ] Phil Klein] 21-Mar

Outsets; Pope Mississippi Band 27-Mar Pope Mississippi Band was Bobo Shaw's group. It consisted of Bobo on drums, Mik Ortiz on vocals and sax, Martin Aubert and Jim Matus on guitars, and Melvin Gibbs on bass. Pope, Mississippi was Bobo's birthplace.

Raybeats; Joe Bidewell Group 28-Mar Unrelated historical side note: The Clash begin their week-long stand at Bond's disco in midtown.

Nona Hendryx & Zero Cool 3-Apr

Defunkt; Future Force 4-Apr

Defunkt; Jacksass 10-Apr

Ted Daniel; Coati Mundi 11-Apr Andy Hernandez (Coati Mundi) performed his single ("Me No Popeye") at midnight.

Video Rock Channel 3 presents: Parts; Dan Thorie Group 17-Apr

Sun Ra Arkestra 24-25 Apr
THE SOHO NEWS APRIL 22, 1981 MUSIC PICKS BY MICHAEL SHORE
SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA If you were REALLY thrilled by the space shuttle, you owe it to yourself to experience the real thing, in the locale where Ra's always at his most awesome. Squat Theater, Fri.-Sat. (Shore)

DNA; Rudolph Grey; Computones 1-May

Defunkt 2-May Unrelated historical side note: Sally Banes' April 22 Village Voice article "Physical Graffiti" is the first media discovery of the art of breakdancing, then being revived by Crazy Legs and other young dancers. On May 3rd Henry Chalfant attempts to present the Rock Steady Crew with Fab Five Freddy and Rammellzee at Common Ground, 29 Wooster St. The show is cancelled when rival crew the Ball Busters shows up during the dress rehearsal and a fight breaks out. This show would have been the first downtown event linking the four elements of hip hop together: graffiti, M.C'.ing, D.J.'ing, and breakdance. Despite the cancellation of this event, hip hop culture would soon begin to penetrate the downtown club and gallery scene.

Sun Ra Arkestra 8-May Unrelated historical side note: Anya Phillips had been diagnosed with cancer. On May 7, many of the musicians associated with Squat performed at the midtown megaclub Bond's in what was billed as the "James White Funkathon: gala benefit for Anya Phillips medical expenses." The event was hosted by Glen O'Brien and featured (among many others): August Darnell; Joe Bowie; Arto Lindsay; Richard Hell; Ivan Julian; Tish and Snooky; Rob Duprey; Brenda Bergman; Walter Stedding. For me, the highlight of the evening was Blondie (Debby Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri) jamming with Chic (Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers) on "Good Times."

Sun Ra Arkestra 9-May This was the final concert at the Squat nightclub. We presented approximately 254 music events during the 22 months that the club was open (from July 13, 1979 to May 9, 1981). The performance space would soon be used for the Squat Theatre's next production: "Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free," which was influenced by the creative cross-pollination that had occurred in the nightclub.

1979		1980		1981		obituaries