The Boomtown Rats finished up the U.S. leg of their 1979 world tour headlining the Paladium in New York City.

For me it was a bit of an unusual event at the time since the Boomtown Rats, while somewhat known, did not really seem to have the popularity to headline a venue like the Paladium where more established rock acts tended to play.

I also seem to recall that ticket prices for this show were really inexpensive (cheap) for the time and it was a night out so we went to check out some new music.

The Boomtown Rats had one popular radio hit with “I Don’t Like Mondays” about a school shooting of all things which did not really showcase the band’s punkish bent. The Bob Geldof led band put on a high energy show for the mostly curious crowd who was not sure what to expect, and the Irish band never did break big in the states.

Bob Geldof would later be primarily known for his humanitarian work and for putting together the Live Aid benefit concert.

The Boomtown Rats are planning a 2015 reunion tour starting in May which will include some festivals and eventually land at Terminal 5  New York City in September.

The Fine Art of Surfacing

Rock on

GQ