Welp, there are no shows happening tonight, as we’re all very well aware. But a pretty cool show happened on this day 40 years ago: Human Sexual Response played Boston College’s O’Connell House, and audio from the April 12, 1980 performance is available to listen to in all its wonderful “post-modern pop” glory below.
Human Sexual Response performed at the college’s Upper Campus’ Tudor mansion student union on Hammond Street, and the Saturday night recording starts with “12345678910.” From there, the Boston new wave group powers through 40 minutes of musical excess — “Guardian Angel”, “What Does Sex Mean To Me”, “Dolls” — before the audio ends with a cover of David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel.”
The clip was posted a few days ago by Sean McNally on Facebook, who says the original show was broadcast live on WZBC, and suggests this is just the first half of the Humans’ performance that night. It’s still pretty awesome.
Human Sexual Response would release their debut album Fig. 14, this same year, before giving the world In a Roman Mood in 1981. They would break up in 1982, and reunite several times since, including a November 2017 appearance at Boston’s House of Blues.