The Beastie Boys were frequent faces at Max’s Kansas City, and even played the final show with Bad Brains. The club was a staple of the glam-punk scene in New York City from 1965 until 1981 when it officially closed its doors. It was home to eccentric artist types, punks, poets, free-spirited rock and rollers, drag queens, and many others on the fringes of society. Max’s was like the counterpart to CBGB, another storied punk nightclub. However, Max’s seemed more accepting and community-driven, as told by legendary punk-rocker Jayne County.
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“There was a lot of competition between Max’s and CBGB’s,” said County, speaking to Rolling Stone in 2017. “More of the gay community hung out at Max’s, but it wasn’t a gay place: It was a place for artists, and was accepting of all types of people.”
Max’s declined as the scene changed over time, eventually shutting down in December 1981. This was the second iteration of Max’s after the original club closed in December 1974 after the glam scene withered. It was opened again in 1975 with Peter Crowley hired to book the bands. He had been booking punk acts at CBGB and Mothers, and brought that energy to the new Max’s.
Still, Max’s Kansas City couldn’t survive the changing landscape of New York City. When the club closed down, punk-reggae group Bad Brains played the final show, among other artists. Their opener was none other than the teenage Beastie Boys, who were still in their hardcore punk phase.
Beastie Boys Once Opened for Bad Brains at Max’s Kansas City, Showcasing Their Early Punk Sound
The Beastie Boys started out with a hardcore punk sound that eventually evolved into their hip-hop-heavy aesthetic. Their work always kept an element of punk, though, and on the 1981 EP Polly Wog Stew (eventually rereleased in 1994 as Some Old S–t) there are elements of what would become their b-boy style. They often played Max’s, as recalled by Huffington Post columnist Binky Phillips, and the track “Egg Raid on Mojo” was about a particular doorman at the club.
The demo version of “Egg Raid on Mojo” opens with a radio broadcast from Tim Sommer, who was a DJ for WNYU and supported the Beastie Boys’ early career. “Anyway, this is Noise The Show, I’m Timmy Sommer,” the broadcast begins. “There’s a really great show last night, down in downtown somewhere … the Beastie Boys played; they were great. Reagan Youth played. They were great. Bad Brains, great, great, great. Great show! Anyway, we’re going to hear something now from the Beastie Boys. This one’s called ‘Egg Raid on Mojo.’ They’re one of New York’s best.”
Featured Image by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
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