Lyres - The Grotto, New Haven, Connecticut, August 18, 1984

Lyres - The Grotto, New Haven, Connecticut, August 18, 1984RIP to Lyres frontman Jeff “Monoman” Conolly, who passed away last week. As his nickname tells us, this guy was indeed monomaniacal in his quest for garage rock perfection over the decades. Is “garage rock perfection” a possibility? I don’t know — but I do know that this tape of Lyres way back in 1984 in New Haven is a scorcher, overflowing with stabbing Vox Continental keys, snarled vocals and rip-snorting guitars. Perfect! Thanks to Alex Butterfield for digging this one out of his stash. Root around in the archives for many many more classic shows that Alex has taped over the years … Jon Garelick writes: The stories of shambolic Lyres gigs are legion — his firing and rehiring musicians over and over; his extended, set-ending rants about inadequate stage monitor sound; or his own drunken breakdowns. But Lyres shows — when they clicked — were transcendent rock and roll, and people kept coming back for the magic. They wanted in…