 During its heyday, the Rat hosted such acts as The Cars, The Pixies, Metallica, Powerman 5000, Dead Kennedys, The Ramones, Talking Heads, R.E.M., The Motels, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, The Queers, The Police, Soundgarden, The Doppler Effect and This Side Up From 1980 to 1987, The Hoodoo BBQ—which "Esquire" called one of the "100 Best Restaurants in America"—was located at The Rat.In the 1960s it had been a restaurant and bar catering to college students.At the time it offered live music in a back room, featuring local bands such as The Remains (who opened for The Beatles on their final tour), The Lost (with future Boston punk legend Willie "Loco" Alexander) and The Mods (whose drummer Harry Sandler went on to play with "Boston Sound" hitmakers Orpheus).